Tag Archives: first

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: The Southwest, Photographs: Utah

First Light, Capitol Reef

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First Light, Capitol Reef
“First Light, Capitol Reef” — Early morning light on the peaks of Capitil Reef.

Before dawn we drove across Capitol Reef National Park to the east, with a plan to head down the rural road that goes south on the park’s east side. We were hoping for interesting dawn light, but we weren’t quite ready for it when it arrived just after we exited the park and arrived at our intersection. The sun wasn’t up yet, but we could see a light show about to develop, with interesting light likely to strike the high ridge to the west and fantastic clouds appearing in the sky.

We quickly found a spot with an open view on much of the surrounding terrain, left the main “road,” grabbed camera gear and headed off to photograph. Within moment the first real light hit these domes and ridges to our west and turned the sky slightly pink. The formations were a good distance away, so I worked quickly with a long lens — and this light diminished within moments.

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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: Music & Musicians, Photographs: People

Meredith Brown, French Horn

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Meredith Brown, French Horn
Meredith Brown, French Horn

Meredith Brown, French Horn. San Jose, California. June 5, 2014. © Copyright 2014 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Symphony Silicon Valley principal French hornist Meredith Brown

This weekend I am sharing two more photographs from my ongoing project photographing professional classical musicians, a three-year project during which I have the opportunity to attend many rehearsals and concerts and generally spend a lot of time learning to see and understand this world. (I already understood more than most since I’ve been part of it in several ways for many years.) Both of these photographs are casual shots made during rehearsals. Such photos remind us of several things, I think. First, it is possible to get some odd ideas about who the musicians are if your only experience is seeing them in formal concert situations — but backstage and during rehearsals… they are “regular people” just like all of us. Second, and from the same perspective, it is easy to overlook that fact that the vast majority of the work necessary for a live performance is actually done outside of the performance, with often intense and lengthy periods of individual practice and preparation and significant time spent on group rehearsal. And, finally, in both of these photographs I think you will see the intense focus of these musicians. Meredith Brown is the principal French hornist of the Symphony Silicon Valley.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
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Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Beaver Pond, Early Snow

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Beaver Pond, Early Snow
Beaver Pond, Early Snow

Beaver Pond, Early Snow. Eastern Sierra Nevada, California. October 9, 2013. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The first snow of autumn falls on an eastern Sierra Nevada beaver pond

We began our October visit to the eastern Sierra aspens with a very long drive from the north, necessitated by an early season snow storm that swept across the range on the day of our drive, closing all of the passes that are not normally plowed – Tioga, Ebbetts, and Sonora. So we drove over Carson and Monitor Passes to reach highway 395. The snow started before we reached the summit of Carson pass and continued intermittently throughout the rest of the day – never enough to interfere with our driving (aside from the closed passes) but enough to make the photography interesting and to create an appearance that seemed more winter- than autumn-like.

As we headed south on highway 395, we stopped quite a bit to make photographs or even take a side road detour or two. Just before reaching Lee Vining we headed up this canyon, which is known as a good spot of aspens – and for a very narrow section of roadway that passes along the side of a so-called beaver pond. I’ve been past this spot many times, but this was the first time in falling snow. The gray skies and the falling snow created a very peaceful effect around the pond, and we paused to photograph it before making a brief visit to the trailhead at the end of the road.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email

Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Peak and Tarn, Sunrise

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Peak and Tarn, Sunrise, Sequoia National Park
“Peak and Tarn, Sunrise” — The first dawn light touches Sierra Nevada peaks and is reflected in a rock-studded sub-alpine tarn

This month a group of us spent nine days in the Sierra Nevada back-country in Kings Canyon National Park, remaining in a single location for six nights. For a photographer, this is a special opportunity to really begin to “get inside” a small area, with time to wander thoughtfully among the features of the landscape at all hours of the day and in a range of conditions, returning more than once to revisit subjects in varying conditions. Up each morning before dawn, we would wander off in different directions to pursue whatever interested us and to find whatever we could find, return to camp during midday hours, and then wander off again in the late afternoon, usually not returning until dark. So often when we visit such places we either look from a distance or hurry through trying “not to miss anything” – but on this visit we had time to get to know individual lakes, rocks, trees, ledges, you name it.

Perhaps 10 minutes away from our camp was a broad valley filled with lakes and tarns and rocky meadows. I think I visited here at least four times, morning and evening. I had already explored the area a bit on an earlier evening when I arrived on this morning before the first light hit the peaks on the divide between the 60 Lakes Basin and Gardiner Basin, so I knew that there were many opportunities to juxtapose the waters of the quiet, cold, rock-filled tarns with the high peaks and first light.

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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