Tag Archives: flowers

Photographs: Coastal Redwoods, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Redwood National & State Parks

Redwood Forest Trail, Rhododendron Flowers

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Redwood Forest Trail, Rhododendron Flowers
Rhododendron flowers liine a trail through Northern California redwood forest.

Redwood Forest Trail, Rhododendron Flowers. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Rhododendron flowers liine a trail through Northern California redwood forest.

Late on this June day we went back to this trail that we had visited earlier. We knew that the rhododendrons were in bloom here, that it featured a dark and thick forest, and that there could be glowing light from the west at this time of day. We entered the forest as the light was diminishing — which happens here well before sunset — and hiked a short distance to scope out the possibilities.

As the light began to diminish we turned back toward the trailhead, which was not far away, and we walked back through lush growth and past a section of forest thick with those seasonal blooms. I stopped here to photograph, noticing the graceful branch arching above the trail and the flowers beyond — but also because it seemed like such a typical scene along the trails of these forests, with soft-light, plenty of quiet, and growth everywhere.

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 and Amazon.

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Photographs: Coastal Redwoods, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Redwood National & State Parks

Starflower and Redwood Sorrel

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Starflower and Redwood Sorrel
Redwood sorrel and starflower plants growing beneath coast redwood trees.

Starflower and Redwood Sorrel. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Redwood sorrel and starflower plants growing beneath coast redwood trees.

Let’s continue a bit longer with the redwood forest floor focus. We visited several of the components of the Redwood National And State Parks this past June on a weeklong foray coastal Northern California. (And beyond — we briefly made it some distance up the Oregon coast.) On this morning we passed a side road with an intriguing name and spontaneously decided to take it. Leaving behind a somewhat crowded area, the narrow road soon took us upwards and deeper into the forest where there were almost no other people. Finally we stopped, got out, and started walking into the forest. It was the best that these redwood forests have to offer: the giant trees, flowing water, cool air, thick greenery, and soft light.

Photographing in these places can pose some surprising challenges. I generally photograph there early or late in the day, mostly to avoid stray beams of light that can seem intently bright against the backdrop of much darker forest. In fact, the forest can be so dark that surprisingly long exposures are often required. For various reasons, this photograph required a four-second exposure! You may already be guessing that this poses yet another problem, namely that in all but the most incredibly still conditions plants move subtly if the air moves at all.

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 and Amazon.

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

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

Photographs: Coastal Redwoods, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Redwood National & State Parks

Rhododendron Bloom, Redwood Forest

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Rhododendron Bloom, Rredwood Forest
A rhododendron tree full of flowers, Redwood National Park

Rhododendron Bloom, Redwood Forest. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A rhododendron tree full of flowers, Redwood National Park.

Redwood forests are wondrous places at any time, but when the rhododendron plants blossom they are even more magical. The redwood forest is a quite dark and quiet place, and the colors are almost uniformly muted greens and browns, with an overall bluish quality to the shaded light. Against that background the rhododendrons provide a remarkable contrast. One flower can be enough, but a tree full of them is even more special.

The rhododendrons are a new part of my photography, so I’m still learning a lot about them — where and when to find them, the best ways to photograph them, how their growth varies. The “season” is said to be a bit unpredictable, with some saying it can be at its peak in May and others suggesting June. My experience so far suggests that later may be better, and I’ve had my best luck a week or so into June.

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 and Amazon.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

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

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

Photographs: Nature

Three Discarded Flowers

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Three Discarded Flowers
Three discarded spring flowers, photographed in a wheelbarrow

Three Discarded Flowers. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Three discarded spring flowers, photographed in a wheelbarrow.

I am not the main flower photographer in our family — that would be my wife Patricia Emerson Mitchell, whose primary focus is on photographing very small things, usually flowers and plants, and frequently in abstract ways. (We have a standing joke here about “our” macro lens… that I never get to use….) But still, I give it a try from time to time, and I enjoy seeing what I can do with this subject.

I recently accompanied her to a nearby formal garden where she often photographs. (It didn’t discourage me to know the they have a small cafe there, too. ;-) We went early in the morning on a non-busy weekday, thus avoiding the crowds and making it a bit easier to do photography without getting in the way. The gardeners (lots of them!) were there, too. One contingent was heading roses and clipping spent flowers and vegetation… and I found that the piles of discarded flora photographically interesting. That’s where I found these three flowers on a bed of clipped leaves in a wheelbarrow. (I think that the gardeners wondered about my sanity when they saw me photographing their garden trash!)

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 and Amazon.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

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

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