Tag Archives: forest

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Meadow, Forest, and Mountains

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Meadow, Forest, and Mountains
High Sierra meadow, forest, and mountains, John Muir Wilderness

Meadow, Forest, and Mountains. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

High Sierra meadow, forest, and mountains, John Muir Wilderness.

By the time I made this photograph I had likely been up and at work for an hour or more. This meadow was a relatively short uphill walk from our base camp, and we visited here often during our one-week photographic stay, photographing it early and late in the day, and using it as a route to higher terrain. Although it was relatively late in the season, the fact that this summer followed a wet winter meant that the meadows were still green and wildflowers were everywhere.

The terrain here offered some special opportunities. We arrived at our base camp after hiking over a high pass, descending into a deep river canyon, and then climbing out the other side and rising to a bench where we set up camp above a small, meadow-ringed lake. That spot was one of several similarly situated lake/meadow areas, positioned progressively higher up a broad valley leading to very high peaks. From any of these meadows the views opened back across that deep canyon toward a very high and impressive ridge on the other side of the valley, so we had a wealth of opportunities to juxtapose lovely foreground meadows and forest with distant rugged peaks.

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: Nature, Photographs: People, Photographs: People In Landscape, Photographs: Photographers, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Scott Miller Heads To The Office

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Scott Miller Heads To The Office
Photographer Scot Miller on his way to work in the John Muir Wilderness

Scott Miller Heads To The Office. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Photographer Scot Miller on his way to work in the John Muir Wilderness.

One fun (and useful!) aspect of photographing the backcountry with other photographers is that a) we occasionally find a human figure in our landscapes to provide focus, and b) we make photographs of one another! (Some of the photographs of me on this website were made by folks including Patty Mitchell, Scot Miller, Charles Cramer, Michael Frye, and more.) In this photograph, Scot Miller is traversing the edge of a beautiful, high Sierra Nevada meadow as the golden hour begins.

Photographing in the backcountry is perhaps not quite what folks who don’t do it may imagine. I suspect that they might imagine non-stop ecstasy in such surroundings, and days or weeks of ease and joy. Parts of that are true — it is hard to imagine a more beautiful sort of location, and there are utterly sublime moments. Yet, truth be told, it isn’t like that quite all the time. There are long, difficult climbs to get to locations, the physical toll can occasionally be daunting, hiking with a lot of gear in pack and over the shoulder isn’t always a walk in the park, and the light is not always astoundingly beautiful. In short, it is actual, real work that requires focus, intensity, and dedication. Ah, but I’m fortunate to get to work with some wonderful folks, and when it pays off… :-)

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

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

Lake and Mountains, Morning

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Lake and Mountains, Morning
Morning mists and light above a subalpine lake, Yosemite National Park

Lake and Mountains, Morning. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning mists and light above a subalpine lake, Yosemite National Park.

There is no hiding the fact that this is a popular and sometimes crowded location in Yosemite National Park’s high country. Since this lake is along the Tioga Pass Road route though the park between Tuolumne Meadows (and interesting points farther east) and Yosemite Valley (and most of California!), on busy August days it can be almost oppressively crowded. However, even then, if you go at the right times you can avoid most of the crowds and busy-ness,” and there’s a special bonus: the most beautiful times of the day are often the least crowded!

I’m usually out and about before dawn since I don’t want to miss the beautiful early light or the peace and quiet of the early hours. I had already been up and photographing for some time when I stopped on my way back toward camp to make this photograph. But even as I was wrapping up my morning’s work, most of the people who would show up here later were still sleeping in, having a big breakfast, or perhaps still driving from distant locations. Consequently, I experienced this lovely morning light and atmosphere in near solitude and peaceful quiet.

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: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Young Trees, Dark Forest

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Young Trees, Dark Forest Young Trees, Dark Forest
Small, young trees growing at the end of a dark and dense forest

Young Trees, Dark Forest. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Small, young trees growing at the end of a dark and dense forest.

After decades of hiking, camping, backpacking, photographing, skiing, (and in an earlier life occasionally climbing) all over the Sierra, there are odd little unexpected places that have some personal significance to me. In a few cases they are associated with a specific, memorable — there are several, for example, for each of my “kids.” (The “kids” are now all grown, but i remember!) Others connect to travels with backcountry friends or to events that occur there. In some cases, the development of a connection seems to be almost random, and there is nothing at all that points to them in any particularly objective way.

This is one of those latter spots. It isn’t far from a road, and I’ve always been attracted to the views for a mile or two on either side of the spot. But this place? There’s barely a turnout along the road. There is a narrow strip of meadow that runs quickly into thick, high-elevation forest, and it usually has a dark and impenetrable appearance. Logically I know what is beyond it, but it never quite feels like I do. And every year, more than once, I stop again and look at it and perhaps make a few photographs.

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.