Tag Archives: fall

Aspens and Cliff, North Lake

Aspens and Cliff, North Lake

Aspens and Cliff, North Lake. Sierra Nevada, California. October 4, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Aspens with their last autumn leaves agains the backdrop of a cliff, North Lake.

This is a photograph from last fall’s autumn color photography in the eastern Sierra Nevada. This photograph was made on a blustery and snowy morning at North Lake, in the area above Bishop, California. I had finished shooting some of the more typical North Lake autumn scenes and was wandering back along the road when I started seeing the nearly bare aspens against the roadside cliffs.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: aspen, tree, white, trunk, branch, yellow, green, gold, leaf, autumn, fall, cliff, rock, face, texture, pattern, red, brown, nature, scenic, landscape, detail, north, lake, bishop, creek, sierra, nevada, mountain, stock

Autumn Oak Tree, Upper Yosemite Fall, Rain

Autumn Oak Tree, Upper Yosemite Fall, Rain

Autumn Oak Tree, Upper Yosemite Fall, Rain. Yosemite Valley, California. November 1, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A colorful autumn oak tree stands in a meadow on a rainy day with Upper Yosemite Fall beyond – Yosemite Valley, California.

A photograph from my rainy weekend in Yosemite Valley back on November 1-2, 2008. It rained the entire time I was there, but this was wonderful because these conditions intensified the fall colors and created wonderful atmosphere and effects of mist, fog, and clouds. Here a nearby oak tree with autumn colors is seen with Upper Yosemite Fall faintly visible through the mist, and flowing strongly after coming back to life from the rain.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: yosemite, valley, national park, fall, upper, cliff, wall, oak, tree, autumn, fall, season, color, gold, brown, yellow, green, forest, meadow, waterfall, grass, rain, cloud, mist, leaf, leaves, trunk, branch, nature, scenic, travel, landscape, weather, stock, california, usa

Thinking of Photographing Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall?

Horsetail Fall, Sunset (#3)
Horsetail Fall, Sunset (#3)

During the second half of the winter season the setting sun lines up just right to cast a final beam of light onto a southwest-facing portion of El Capitan. When conditions are just right the snow-filled area above El Capitan warms a bit at about this time and seasonal Horsetail Fall may drop over the edge of El Capitan. If everything falls in place just so, the beam of warm sunset light strikes the upper portion of the fall, and if  you happen to be in the right areas in the Valley you can witness what has been called the “Yosemite’s natural firefall.”

If you are thinking of going to witness this event, whether as a photographer or just as a viewer, you might want to follow Edie Howe’s Little Red Tent blog. Edie lives in the Valley, and is known for posting firsthand reports on conditions that may – or may not – produce this seasonal spectacle. (If you want to see the light on Horsetail Fall, you should be aware that conditions have to be just right – and your chances improve if you have some travel flexibility and can be there for more than one day.)

Any post on this phenomenon should acknowledge Galen’s Rowell’s famous photograph of Horsetail Fall, and the fact that any later photograph of this scene will unavoidably be compared to his image.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


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

Bird Island, Bay, and Coastal Cliffs – Last Light

Bird Island, Bay, and Coastal Cliffs - Last Light

Bird Island, Bay, and Coastal Cliffs – Last Light. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. December 20, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Bird Island, coastal cliffs, and Pacific Ocean on the last evening of fall, 2008 – Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

This is a photograph was made just as the sun began to dip below the horizon over the Pacific Ocean on this final evening of fall 2008. A moment later the light on the cliff at center right was gone.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: big sur, california, carmel, Fall, monterey, nature, ocean, pacific ocean, point lobos, seashore, bird, island, surf, wave, evening, sunset, twilight, sky, rock, bay, water, light, time exposure, scenic, travel, landscape, seascape