Tag Archives: green

Beetle and Flowers

May 10, 2010 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Macro photograph of a beetle on spring California wildflowers.

I think I’m posting this one more or less because… I can! I was out last month trying to get to know a new piece of equipment, an extension tube. I’ve been experimenting to find out which of my lenses work most effectively with it, and trying to understand the best ways to use it in the field. On this day I figured out a few interesting and useful things. First, contrary to my expectations, the best way to shoot these subjects was to use manual focus and a 24-105 zoom lens. I would have thought that AF would have been more effective, but I found I could manually focus, then move slightly forward and backward with the shutter half depressed, and watch for the AF confirmation lights to come on. One of the biggest surprises was that this lens, which is not exactly known for its wonderful bokeh, turns out to produce really nice blurred backgrounds at large apertures with the extension tube. Who’d have guessed!?

So, a photograph of some anonymous beetle was one of the results.

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Larkspur Blossoms

May 9, 2010 G Dan Mitchell 5 Comments

Spring larkspur flowers against a soft background of sunlit spring greenery, Almaden Quicksilver Park, California.

I made this photograph back in early April as spring flowers were just starting to really blossom in my favorite flower-filled gully at the Almaden Quicksilver Park near San Jose, California. The larkspur flowers often blossom early and pass quickly through their prime phase, and seem to be pretty delicate flowers to begin with – so I was glad to get there at the right time to photograph these specimens.

I photographed them against a background of grasses with the scene lit by sunlight filtered through high clouds. Using the maximum aperture of f/4 on the 24-105mm zoom (with an extension tube) made for very narrow depth of field and allowed me to throw almost everything in the frame other than the central flower out of focus.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM with extension tubes at 105mm
ISO 400, f/4, 1/250 second

keywords: larkspur, flower, plant, flora, foliage, wildflower, bloom, blossom, stem, branch, leaf, bokeh, blur, soft, background, purple, green, nature, san jose, santa clara, county, park, almaden, quicksilver, california, usa, north america, stock

Photographs: Coastal Redwoods, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Oregon Oxalis and Trillium, Muir Woods

April 26, 2010 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Lush late-winter Oregon Oxalis and Trillium leaves carpet the forest floor in the redwood groves of Muir Woods National Monument, California.

It had been months since I last visited Muir Woods National Monument, so it was good to get back there and shoot again on this mid-April weekend. Although it was late winter, here in Northern California more often than not that means that spring is well on its way. Here in the redwood forest the trillium plants (like the one at the upper left in this photograph) are up and they have already bloomed. The Oregon Oxalis (or Redwood Sorrell) is growing like crazy and among the beds of lush leaves there are now small flowers as well.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM at 200mm
ISO 100, f/14, 1.6 second

keywords: oregon, oxalis, redwood, sorel, oregana, leaf, clover, shamrock, forest, redwood, coast, sequioa, sempervirens, floor, carpet, green, lush, late, winter, trillium, muir, woods, national, monument, golden gate, national, recreation, area, park, marin, county, california, usa, north america, travel, scenic, nature, flower, close up, macro, stock, san francisco, bay, area

Photographs: Coastal Redwoods, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Late Winter Ferns, Muir Woods

April 22, 2010 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Lush growth of late winter ferns in the redwood forest of Muir Woods National Monument, California.

This is a color version of the previously-posted photograph, cropped slightly differently. Among many specimens that mixed new lush green growth with older dead plants from the previous season, this sample was almost entirely green – the leaves were densely packed, overlapping and intertwined.

Sometimes I like a particular image in both monochrome and color versions, and this is one of those cases. The black and white version posted yesterday abstracts the shapes and textures of the leaves, while the color version more strongly suggests the wet and lush undergrowth of this redwood forest.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM at 200mm
ISO 200, f/16, 4 seconds

keywords: lush, growth, fern, leaf, frond, branch, green, overlap, dense, winter, late, redwood, forest, coast, grove, foliage, flora, nature, scenic, travel, muir, woods, national, monument, golden gate, recreation, area, pattern, san francisco, california, usa, north america, marin, county, stock

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