Tag Archives: figures

Long Shadows

Long Shadows
Pedestrians at the High Line Park cast long shadows.

Long Shadows. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Pedestrians at the High Line Park cast long shadows.

In my experience, interesting things happen to the light during late-fall and winter in Manhattan. Many are familiar with the “Manhattanhenge” phenomenon where the sun lines up with streets, but I’m thinking more of the combination of low sunlight angles and midday and afternoon light casting long shadows to the north and northeast of subjects, who appear against a bright, sometimes-glowing background.

Interesting things happen in this light. The shadows fascinate me — they are long and often anngle across the scene. (In some places the shadows themselves criss-cross when the light is reflected from building windows.) To photograph this light I have to walk towards it, and if I’m including human subjects they are often walking the other way — so things happen quickly and I have to react with little time for careful thought. As a result, there are surprises… such as the arm position of the man at the left, who walks almost as if he is trying to balance on a tight rope.


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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In the Shadows

In the ShadowsIn the Shadows
A couple walks though Donostia-San Sebastian at night.

In the Shadows. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A couple walks though Donostia-San Sebastian at night.

This photograph comes from our visit to Donostia/San Sebastián this past summer. We were there for a few days, coinciding with the Tour de France ending a stage there and then passing through the town a second time the next day. Needless to say, that added a bit of extra excitement. Aside from its other attractions, the town is known for its “pinxtos” cuisine — a sor of Basque tapas tradition — and on this evening we were out to enjoy this wonderful food.

While portions of this area of San Sebastián can be quite lively at night, around the fringes there are some surprisingly quiet corners. This scene was at the edge of a square surrounded by closely-spaced buildings, and I had initially stopped to photograph the arches when this couple strolled through the scene.


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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Taberna Santo Antonio

Taberna Santo Antonio
Late-afternoon patrons gather at Taberna Santo Antonio, Porto.

Taberna Santo Antonio. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Late-afternoon patrons gather at Taberna Santo Antonio, Porto.

Given the recent string of Sierra Nevada Fall Color photographs, you might think that I have finished with the photographs from our long 2023 summer travel through Southern Europe. You would be wrong. ;-) I have mentioned before that I returned with about 5000 photographs. While I won’t share ALL of them here (you can thank me later!), there are more that are worth sharing. They will continue to appear from time to time over the next few months.

This one comes from Porto, Portugal, where we spend several days exploring the narrow and winding streets of the Ribeira district and surrounding areas. If I recall correctly, on this afternoon we had taken a long walk that looped through the busy downtown area, the wound down to the water and back up toward where we were staying… and, we hoped, to dinner! We ate nearby, but first we passed this colorful scene at a “taverna” with outdoor seating.


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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Carmo Gifts

Carmo Gifts
People in front of a Lisbon shop on a steeply-inclined street at night.

Carmo Gifts. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

People in front of a Lisbon shop on a steeply-inclined street at night.

We spent four nights (and days) in Lisbon during out summer 2023 travels. It is a fascinating city, with a very different character than Porto, the other Portuguese city we visited this time. It seem more urbanized and modern, but like Porto — perhaps even more so — it is partially defined by its very hilly terrain. For people like us, who walk a lot when we travel, this was not a trivial factor!

We stayed in an area of older, narrow streets some distance above the city’s famous elevator — though we never made use of it. More than once we followed a walking route down to the central city in an area near the railroad station, following some streets that were exceptionally steep in places. This shop is on one of those steep sections, and I photographed it as we walked back up one evening, as its light spilled out onto the sidewalk and passers-by.


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.

Blog | About | Twitter | Flickr | FacebookEmail

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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