Tag Archives: forest

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Autumn Foliage and Rain, Merced River Near Cathedral Rocks

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Autumn Foliage and Rain, Merced River Near Cathedral Rocks

Autumn Foliage and Rain, Merced River Near Cathedral Rocks. Yosemite Valley, California. November 1, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Autumn foliage lines the riverbanks as rain falls on the Merced River near Cathedral Rocks – Yosemite Valley.

One more – probably the last – in the series of photographs* of this scene made from the bridge near El Capitan Meadow. In this one the rain, which had diminished to mere sprinkles when I began to shoot from this location, began to return in earnest. The surface of the river has lost is reflectivity and is cloudy in this photo. If you look closely (or inspect the print) you can see the raindrops on the surface of the water. This was pretty much the story of this entire weekend of photography. It rained most of the time, occasionally hard. I did quite a bit of my photography between showers and under improvised rain protection.

Although this was photographed near El Capitan Meadow, the rock face beyond the river and the trees is not El Capitan. It is Cathedral Rocks, a large formation that is almost directly across the Valley from El Capitan and a bit east of Bridalveil Fall. If it were located anywhere else where it was not dwarfed by El Capitan, it would be regarded as a very imposing face it its own right.

* The previous two related photographs are here and here

keywords: fall, autumn, foliage, leaves, trees, forest, grove, bank, river, bank, merced, cathedral, rocks, cliff, face, rain, precipitation, drops, grass, el capitan, meadow, float, yosemite, valley, national park, california, usa, sierra, nevada, mountains, nature, scenic, travel, landscape, stock, mist, cloud

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Fall Foliage, Ahwahnee Meadow

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Fall Foliage, Ahwahnee Meadow

Fall Foliage, Ahwahnee Meadow. Yosemite Valley, California. November 1, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Fall foliage in Ahwahnee Meadow on a foggy and rainy November day – Yosemite Valley, California.

If you visit the Valley very often you probably know of this small grove of trees set in the Ahwahnee Meadow not too far from Yosemite Village and the Ahwahnee, with (depending upon where you stand) background views of Glacier Point, Half Dome, or Yosemite Falls. I have certain traditions regarding where I photograph in the Valley, and one is to photograph this grove, especially when the new spring growth appears or when the colors change in the fall. I’ve photographed it close up (it is especially nice when shallow winter fog settles into this meadow above a few inches of snow) and from further back as in this photograph made from the edge of the meadow along the road/trail to the Ahwahnee. It was raining lightly when I shot this, and low fog was passing through and behind the trees along the base of the Glacier Point Apron beyond the forest.

keywords: fall, autumn, color, leaves, yellow, gold, greedn meadow, grass, brown, forest, grove, pines, glacier point, apron, cliff, rock, mountain, yosemite, valley, national park, season, fog, mist, clouds, landscape, nature, scenic, travel, stock

Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Yosemite Falls and Mist, Autumn

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Yosemite Falls and Mist, Autumn

Yosemite Falls and Mist, Autumn. Yosemite Valley, California. November 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Yosemite Falls in mist following an autumn rain storm.

In almost every way last weekend was a special one for photographers in Yosemite Valley. Not only were the fall colors intensified by the rain, but the good sized storm restarted creeks, rivers, and waterfalls that in many cases had gone more or less dormant for the season. When I arrived on Saturday morning there was just a trickle of water coming over Yosemite Falls. But that afternoon the flow was approaching typical early summer levels, and many small seasonal falls had come to life all over the valley – water was running everywhere.

When I stopped in this meadow to admire Yosemite Falls I first only thought of photographing the interesting nearly leafless trees near the Merced River – partly because I usually don’t bother to photograph the view of the falls from this spot and partly because the upper fall was obscured by thick fog anyway. But soon it became apparent that the fog was in motion and the sun was occasionally getting through and striking the cliff faces around and below the fall. I started to think something special might happen and in the end I spend a good hour in this spot waiting for the right combination of light and fog.

keywords: yosemite, falls, valley, national park, waterfall, mist, fog, cloud, sky, ridge, cliff, mountain, forest, grove, tree, meadow, grass, autumn, season, california, usa, landscape, scenic, travel, stock, trunk, branch, sierra, nevada

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Autumn Color, Merced River

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Autumn Color, Merced River

Autumn Color, Merced River. Yosemite Valley, California. November 1, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Autumn trees along the Merced River near El Capitan Meadow Bridge – Yosemite Valley, California.

This photograph was made on the first day of a very rainy fall weekend in Yosemite Valley. I go to the Valley every fall at about this time to photograph the fall colors of oaks, maples, and meadows, but this year was different than some of my previous visits. First, it rained. A lot. It more or less rained the entire time I was there, though I’ll admit that there were a few brief intervals when it only sprinkled and even briefer moments when the rain actually stopped. Although this makes photography more difficult, it also creates many compelling photographic opportunities that just don’t appear on more pleasant (and boring) days. There was mist everywhere; among the trees on the Valley floor, and wrapping the cliffs and summits around the Valley. The fall colors became even more intense. And, most unusual, after a very dry season that left many of the waterfalls, creeks, and rivers low or completely dry, they suddenly came back to life. In this photograph the Merced River has already risen and picked up leaves and other material. (I came back to this spot the next day and the plants along the right river bank were underwater!)

(There is another version of this photograph with a tighter composition – I’m still thinking about which I prefer.)

keywords: yosemite, valley, national park, el capitan, meadow, merced, river, oak, tree, forest, grove, reflection, fog, cliff, mountain, yellow, gold, green, log, water, landscape, scenic, travel, nature, california, usa, stock, bank, shore