Tag Archives: field

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Desert Gold Field

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Desert Gold Field
“Desert Gold Field” — Late afternoon light on field of desert gold wildflowers in southern Death Valley.

A day or two ago I thought that I was finished with the photographs from our late-February visit to Death Valley. But I decided to make another pass at the raw files from the trip, and I found a few more photographs that I think help fill out the story of this trip. (Update: Since I wrote that I have found even more!) The highlights — and my primary photographic targets — were the exceptional wildflower bloom and Lake Manly. Here’s another of the wildflower photographs, one which illustrates the extent of some of the larger fields of color.

If you visit this spot during most of the year you might not notice much vegetation at all. Aside from a few bushes, it would mainly give the appearance of a gentle gravel slope. But in February the desert gold plants were taking full advantage of the season’s above-normal rainfall, and some places like this one were more or less carpeted with colorful flowers.

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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. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Death Valley Wildflowers

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Death Valley Spring Wildflowers
“Death Valley Wildflowers” — Hillsides covered with wildflowers after a wet winter in Death Valley.

We just returned from another visit to Death Valley National Park. Wildflowers are blooming in California’s deserts and the show is far from over. It has been an odd weather year in California, but desert areas received abundant well-timed rainfall that is producing an above average (and perhaps earlier than usual?) wildflower bloom. We saw the potential back in December and scheduled our return to the park accordingly. We were not disappointed.

Is this one of the proverbial “super bloom” years? Few are using that term at the present moment, but it is clearly an above average year. Some areas, like this gravel fan below desert hills, are covered with fields of desert gold flowers. Small flowers are underfoot everywhere. Other locations are green with sprouting plants that will continue to produce new blooms over coming weeks.

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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. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Sandhill Crane Flying Low

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Sandhill Crane Flying Low
“Sandhill Crane Flying Low” — A lesser sandhill crane flies low above a Central Valley field.

I had been trying to find the right time to head to California’s Central Valley to photograph migratory birds again. I was last there around New Year’s Day, but since then various things have kept me away — mostly that the times I ‘ve been free were the times when my favorite foggy conditions were not in place. I finally gave up on waiting and went on a sunny day. After all, many of the migratory birds will only be there for a few more weeks!

Late in the winter bird season it always seems like the “bird action” picks up out there. At the beginning of the season much of that happens at the morning/evening fly-ins and fly-outs, with a lot of quiet time between. But by February the birds seem to be more active during the day. On this early-February visit both cranes and geese around all day long. I made this photograph in the early afternoon as a flock of nearby cranes began to gradually move from one spot to another.

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” from Heyday Books, is available directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Alpine Ridge, Evening

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Alpine Ridge, Evening
“Alpine Ridge, Evening” — Golden hour light glances across a shattered, rocky ridge, John Muir Wilderness

There is a common notion that landscape photography is a slow and deliberate activity, that we stand in front of a static landscape and carefully work out the right composition as the landscape awaits. This can happen, but the landscape is often quite dynamic, particularly when it comes to changing light. Beams of light between clouds can move across the scene, sunset light is ephemeral, rain showers can momentarily reveal or obscure features.

I made this photograph near our campsite on a lovely late-summer evening. It was during the last half of our weeklong stay, so we were settling in. As the day ended we were all wandering about looking for photographs. As the sun dropped to the west, deep shadows began to fill the great valley in front of us and then creep up the slopes. A last beam of light fell across the near ridge, and then was gone moments after I photographed it.

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” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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