Tag Archives: fork

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

Summer’s End

September 11, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Late summer meadow and forest, Yosemite National Park

I missed much of summer in the Sierra this season since we were traveling. Soon after we came back to California I managed to squeeze in a few “going home” days in the Yosemite high country during the week following the exit of the Labor Day Holiday crowds. Following my midday arrival and camp setup (and a nap to compensate for my early wake up call that morning) I decided that I’d head out a familiar trail toward an alpine lake that I’ve frequently visited in the past. As it turns out I started a bit too late, and when I hit my predetermined halfway time I hadn’t made it the goal — so I just found a rock and sat quietly for a while before turning around.

Every summer, far before autumn actually begins, I see the early signs of the coming seasonal change. I missed the first hints since I wasn’t there in August. (Though I did see a few early leaves change color in Italy at that time.) But on this early September day the signs were all there. The meadows have turned that familiar golden brown color. Red bilberry plants glow in the low angle backlight. Corn lily plants have lost their green lushness and now turn brown and topple over. A few yellow leaves begin to appear on willows, and here and there it is even possible to find a few aspen trees with premature yellow leaves. Less concretely, there is something I’ve never quite been able to define about the light and the atmosphere, though it is plainly obvious to me that it has changed. Summer is ending in the Sierra, and the inevitable arrival of autumn and winter is just around the corner.

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

Evening Meadow and Forest

August 27, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Evening at subalpine meadows near Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park

I began photographing in this meadow area much earlier — in the late afternoon, actually, when direct sunlight still streamed over the tall ridge to the west. I initially passed right through this section on my way to points further to the east in the meadow, where I found more open terrain, expansive views, and a few small lakes and tarns.

The light leaves early here. That western ridge begins to cast a shadow across the meadows well before actual sunset. Even though I was as far from this ridge as possible, eventually the shadows caught up with me and the light was gone, with the exception of the highest peaks where it would linger much longer. So I began my slow walk back across the meadow to my vehicle, enjoying the softer light of this quiet time of the day.

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

Mammoth Peak, Kuna Crest

August 26, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Mammoth Peak and Kuna Crest tower above the Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River

I have photographed this mountain a number of times. It is a weakness, but I know that the weakness is shared by quite a few other photographers, too! If you approach Tioga Pass from the east, as you pass Tioga Lake and ascend the last stretch toward the summit of the pass, this beautiful mountain lies directly ahead, straight across the pass.

It is often photographed from the pass or very close to it, and for good reason. There are several lovely tarns at the pass, and it is quite possible to include them and even the reflection of the peak in their waters. However, I wandered off in a different direction, a bit below the pass, spending a couple of hours exploring the upper reaches of Dana Meadows, which line the Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River as it begins its journey to the confluence with the Lyell Fork and points to the west.

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

Twilight Clouds, Sierra Crest

July 20, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Sierra Wave cloud above the Sierra Crest at dusk, Yosemite National Park

On an evening of suddenly stunning clouds, this was just about my final photograph. The event was the sort that I have learned to sometimes anticipate when the conditions are just right in the Sierra. Much earlier in the day I had noticed the edge of a high deck of clouds to the northeast, lined up very close to the crest. Such clouds can be examples of the Sierra Wave, a kind of line of clouds that forms above and along the crest, often producing amazing skies.

As I started out photographing in the meadow and worked my way toward its far end, I watched the double-deck wave cloud for developing form and color. Eventually it started to look like there was going to be the potential for a special show, so I headed back to the camera position of this photograph, where I expected to have a view that including the peaks of the Sierra crest, the foreground meadow, and the clouds themselves. Before long the sunset light lit the clouds in extremely intense colors. I continued photographing as the sun dropped below the horizon and the colors gradually became more subtle, as seen in this post-sunset photograph.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: fork

Summer’s End

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Evening Meadow and Forest

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Mammoth Peak, Kuna Crest

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Twilight Clouds, Sierra Crest

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Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.

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Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.