Tag Archives: green

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Lupine, Upper Sabrina Basin

August 19, 2009 G Dan Mitchell 7 Comments

We had hiked up through this meadow filled with plants and wildflowers earlier in the day while walking a circuit that included Hungry Packer Lake (beyond the saddle seen in the distance and below Picture Peak), Moonlight Lake, and Sailor Lake. At that time the early afternoon light had been far too harsh for photography, so I made plans to be back here early in the evening. I had hoped for some “golden hour” light, but I have to admit that I could see that a ridge to the right was going to cast a shadow here too early for that. Fortunately, the light on the peak came from the side such that it wasn’t as much brighter as it might otherwise have been, and it seemed like it might be possible to capture the huge dynamic range of this scene.

That last point brings up a difficult technical issue with this photograph – that tremendously large dynamic range. Although my eyes/brain could take in the full scene while standing there, no camera that I’d be carrying on the trail can possibly deal with this in a single shot. In the foreground the meadow plants were in early evening/late afternoon shade while the cloud above the peak was brightly lit by the direct sun. In the film days the only real option would have been to use a graduated neutral density (GND) filter to reduce the light from the sky. However, with digital capture we have another alternative – capturing several exposures of the scene optimized for the bright and dark areas and then combining them in post-production. That is precisely what I determined to do here.

In this case I made a main exposure that handled the middle of the dynamic range of the scene. I also made two more; one optimized to barely contain the brightest levels in the cloud and the second optimized to capture all of the details in the darker foreground meadow. The three versions of the scene were combined in post-processing to recreate something much closer to what I actually saw. (Yes, this was a complex photograph to realize!) in addition to using three exposures, I was also able to carefully customize the boundaries between them issuing masks – both of which would be impossible with a GND filter.

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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. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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

Spring Azaleas, El Capitan Meadow

August 3, 2009 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Spring azalea blossoms beneath the black oaks in El Capitan Meadow, Yosemite Valley.

I found these white azaleas growing beneath the black oaks in El Capitan Meadow during my early June visit to the Valley. I photographed these same flowers last year during the fall when the flowers were long gone and the leaves were turning gaudy shades of red and yellow and eventually brown.

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

G Dan Mitchell Photography

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Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Iceberg Lake, Minarets

July 28, 2009 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Submerged boulders along the rocky alpine shoreline of Iceberg Lake in front of the spires of the Minarets as afternoon thunderclouds begin to build.

This is an older photograph that I’ve been thinking of working on and posting for some time. Two summers ago in late July I was on a backpack trip into Ediza Lake and then on to Garnett and Thousand Island. We spent a few nights a beautiful Lake Ediza and on one of the layover mornings I decided to wander on up to Iceberg Lake. Iceberg Lake (along with Cecile Lake) is located along a high and almost cross-country route between Ediza and Minarets Lakes, and it passes very close beneath the east side of the imposing ridge of the Minarets. I made it as far as Iceberg when I noticed that that the thunderclouds were already building quickly at noon – so I stopped for a few photographs before high-tailing it back down to camp. (I almost made it back before the rain and hail started! :-)

My history with this lake goes back to some earlier trips as well. Many years ago I decided to do a sol0 backpack trip beneath the Minarets, comprising a loop up to Minaret Lake, then up into the rough country above the lake, across it, and down past Iceberg Lake to Ediza Lake. (I have been to the latter lake many times!) It was, as I recall, early in a season that was a reasonably snowy one. When I picked up my permit the range tried to warn me of the dangers of crossing while there was still a lot of snow in a few spots, but being younger than I am now and foolish in very different ways, I decided to ignore him. The climb above Minaret Lake went well, once I found a route through rocks that went up to the right. I had a small accident that left some scars that I still bear—I stepped into a hole between rocks and managed to bang up one leg a bit. I continued on and eventually found myself at the top of the saddle at the upper left corner of this photograph, looking down at a very steep slope that was covered with snow that dropped right into the lake. I was without any of the aids to mountain travelers that might have come in handy here such as trekking poles (didn’t use them back in those days), an ice ax, or crampons. I found a small piece of wood that I might use for an emergency self arrest—or so I imagined— and stepped gingerly down this slope.

Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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

Meltwater Pond and Grasses, Mount Gibbs and Kuna Crest, Tuolumne Meadows

July 24, 2009 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Evening sky is reflected in a meltwater pond at the edge of a Tuolumne Meadows with Mount Gibbs and the Kuna Crest beyond, Yosemite National Park, California.

A rather peaceful evening scene, again at the seasonal runoff ponds near the west end of Tuolumne Meadows on and early July evening. I’m always intrigued by the patterns that the partially submerged meadow grasses make in these ponds, and here in the way they interrupt the sky reflected in the surface of the pond. On this evening I was also struck by the unusual coloration of the clouds about the summit of Mt Gibbs (at the left) and Mammoth Peak and barely-sunlit Kuna Crest in the center and right half of the frame.

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

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