An old gate and fence in the wildflower-dotted landscape of the Calero Hills.
Photos are temporarily being shared without additional commentary. Watch for commentary to resume in late summer.
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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
This is a very subtle photograph, with a small range of tones and nothing that is quite pure white or even close to black. The early evening light was quite soft. I almost decided not to try to photograph this subject — the colors were so subtle, the light was low, and I was working handheld. But there I was, there the seed pods were, so I decided to give it a try.
The pods belong to some very tall wild grasses that grow along a trail that I frequently hike. Perhaps only weeks ago this would have been a very green subject, but here in California we move pretty quickly from the green of April to the brown, tan, and gold of the drier seasons of the year.
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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
Walkers pass through an area of lawns and large spring trees in Central Park, Manhattan.
This photograph — almost certainly the last from my end-of-March visit to Manhattan — has been sitting in the queue for weeks as I’ve shared others. I made it during a brief bit of lovely spring sun at the end of a long weekend of nearly constant rain. In part, I scheduled this New York visit when I did because I had been told that “New York is beautiful in spring.” (We almost always visit in December or August, arguably among the worst months!) Until this final morning, when the sun came out for a few hours, I wasn’t so sure about that “beautiful spring” claim.
I stayed a few blocks from the lower end of Central Park, so even on the rainy days I joined the throngs of New Yorkers and fellow visitors for walks in the park. I’ll admit that it was a beautiful and moody place in the rainy weather — but not very comfortable! After three days of rain, this morning was extra beautiful.
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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
Cloud shadows move across Carrizo Plain and the hills of the Temblor Range.
This year we only had a few hours to visit the Carrizo Plain, where wildflowers emerge for a few weeks in astonishing abundance during wet springs. We extended our Death Valley trip by a day so that we could loop though the National Monument on the way home. Road conditions delayed our arrival a bit, and rain showers were passing through when we got there, but as it cleared we could see extensive fields of flowers extending across the valley and rising into the hills.
There’s a special significance to the hills in this photograph. This is the escarpment of the great San Andreas fault, which runs thought this part of the state like a giant scar. The terrain is rough and displaced by the lateral movement of eons of earthquakes… and softened here by a garland of yellow flowers.
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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.
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