Tag Archives: evening

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Wildlife

Geese, Sunset Sky

December 4, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Geese settle in for the evening as dusk sky comes to the San Joaquin Valley

The approach of winter in California’s Great Central Valley reminds me of a number of great seasonal cycles — the days shorten, temperatures drop, mornings are again often foggy, and the monumental migration of birds brings geese and cranes and more back to the state. This area, which can be less than compelling in the visual sense during the summer (though it has its attractions then, too) becomes one of the most special places in California if you know when and where to look. Yesterday I made this season’s first trip back to this landscape.

We can make some predictions about things like the birds and the weather in this place, but there will still be many surprises. Yesterday’s visit brought two such wonderful surprises. I had been watching weather forecast, hoping for tule fog, but had been consistently disappointed to see nothing but predictions of clear weather. But as I left the last small town before my destination the fog appeared, and by the time I arrived it was so thick that driving was a challenge and the rising sun was invisible. Then, late in the day, I felt that my photographic opportunities were ending, and I stopped at an out-of-the-way corner to just watch the sky after sunset. Suddenly a huge flock of geese rose noisily into the air far across the ponds, circled for a moment… and then suddenly landed directly in front of me in the fading light!

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Pacific Ocean, Light Beams

November 27, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Light beams shine through breaking storm clouds onto the surface of the Pacific Ocean, Northern California

I remain intrigued by ocean horizons, which take on an amazing range of appearances depending on the effects of light and atmosphere. The horizon might be a distinct line, it could be (and was on this day) broken by distant swells and breakers, it fade in fog and mist to the point where it is almost invisible, or it may actually be invisible the obscured by fog or rain.

On this afternoon almost every one of those conditions appeared at one time or another. As rain squalls moved onshore, the view of the water and horizon was periodically blocked, only to be lit by brilliant bands of sunlight moments later as the clouds opened. Late in the afternoon, as the sun lowered toward the horizon, the atmosphere became back-lit and began to glow, especially in spots where the rain was still falling. At times beams of light (“God Light,” to use the common photographic description) came through the clouds, passed though slightly opaque mist and rain, and lit the surface of the water.

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Aspens and Sage Brush, Evening

October 25, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

High desert aspen groves on sage-covered eastern Sierra hills

I’m continuing with one more characteristic eastern Sierra autumn photograph, though perhaps not the most common sort of view of the subject. The photograph does include some small groves of aspen trees in fall colors, but they are dwarfed by the immense scale of the rolling eastern Sierra foothills, covered by high desert sage brush, and cut with valleys containing creeks draining the eastern slopes of the range. I made this photograph in the early evening, just before sunset, as the low angle sun was sweeping across the crest and casting light and shadow almost parallel to the slope of the hills.

We usually look for fall aspen color in country that is higher and/or wetter — often somewhere up one of the great eastern Sierra canyons or perhaps along a ridge near the crest. But aspens grow in many places, some of which are unexpected or even surprising. They grow a good distance from the Sierra itself, sometimes far out in the high desert, and in areas that hardly seem alpine at all. Sometimes these are smaller trees, seeming to get by on less water and perhaps in a harsher climate, but occasionally they manage to form decent sized groves.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Eastern Sierra Ridges

October 24, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A seemingly endless series of ridges rises toward the crest of the Sierra Nevada in early evening light

The east side of the Sierra Nevada — the “eastern escarpment” — provides an often impressive and quite varied landscape. In places the terrain at the base of the mountains may be in the 4000′ elevation range, which in others the “lowlands” to the east may lie at 8000′ or higher. The mountains may erupt from this lower landscape in a sudden upward burst of granite and cliffs, or they may rise more gradually along mountain valleys that extend well into the range. In places the summit peaks are visible, while in some areas they are hidden behind lower peaks east of the crest. In one spot in the middle of the range the crest is actually lower than peaks to the west.

In this area along the western boundary of Yosemite the Sierra rises somewhat gradually from the high desert sagebrush country. The emptiness of this high desert gives way to a band of coniferous forest and is then replaced by the rugged granite high country. Here the sagebrush highlands rise, ridge upon ridge, toward the peaks of the crest, with the golden colors of early fall becoming muted by atmospheric haze in the distance.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: evening

Geese, Sunset Sky

Pacific Ocean, Light Beams

Aspens and Sage Brush, Evening

Eastern Sierra Ridges

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.