Tag Archives: group

Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Morning Dance, Sandhill Cranes

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Morning Dance, Sandhill Cranes
A quartet of sandhill cranes dances in foggy morning light.

Morning Dance, Sandhill Cranes. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A quartet of sandhill cranes dances in foggy morning light.

About a week ago I made my first visit of the season to areas of California’s Central Valley where I like to photograph migratory birds in the late autumn and winter. Many birds have already arrived, but a month or so from now there will be all sorts of them (migratory and year-round residents) up and down the Great Valley: geese, cranes, ibises, herons, pelicans, egrets, and more.

This first visit was a brief one — I arrived early but left at midday. I had been thinking of making the trip for a week or so, but had not seen the weather I was hoping for. Then I heard that there might be a bit of tule fog — that’s my kind of weather! — so I quickly decided to get up hours before dawn the next morning and drive over there in darkness. It was still too early in the season to find the vast flocks of birds that will arrive later, but I did spot some large groups of sandhill cranes. This quartet was holding forth near a larger group, and at this moment had begun a vigorous performance of the crane dance.

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.

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Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Aspen Copse, Autumn

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Aspen Copse, Autumn
A stand of colorful Sierra Nevada autumn aspen trees against a rock face.

Aspen Copse, Autumn. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A stand of colorful Sierra Nevada autumn aspen trees against a rock face.

There are many ways to look at aspen trees. The autumn colors themselves are striking, whether you look at individual leaves, small groups of trees, or an entire forest. But the other distinct annual phases have their charms, too — the bare winter trunks and branches, the springtime eruption of new growth, the “quaking” green leaves of summer. Beyond that, I’m fascinated by the larger patterns of how groves of these trees spread across the landscape, sometimes seeming to “flow” across it, and at others to dot it in isolated groups.

This little group of trees is connected to several of those modes of seeing. This year groves like this on in the Eastern Sierra seemed a bit more likely to include the beautiful orange and yellow colors. The trees in the photo are part of a much larger pattern — this copse extends a line of trees that extends along and beyond the shore of a like, almost surrounding it and flowing above and below it. It lies right up against a rock face, and by early autumn the trees remain it its shadow well into the late morning, providing soft light that intensifies the color of the leaves.

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: Birds, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Cranes Above The Levee

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Cranes Above The Levee
A small group of sandhill cranes flies into a mist-filled early morning winter sky above a Central Valley levee.

Cranes Above The Levee. © Copyright 2012 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A small group of sandhill cranes flies into a mist-filled early morning winter sky above a Central Valley levee.

Light comes in infinite variations — bright, warm, cool, clear, misty, back, front, reflected, glowing, harsh, and on and on. (I wonder how many ways there are to describe light?) Photographers and photographers may be characterized by their favorite subjects, how they compose, elements of post-processing, and much more. But what light they prefer and how they handle it may be among the most important factors.

I have my preferences. One of them is for light coming through a glowing, mist or fog filled atmosphere, so bright that you almost cannot look straight at it. In this light the atmosphere almost becomes a tangible thing. This winter morning in California’s Central Valley had that quality as this small group of sandhill cranes flew past.

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.

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

Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Perching Finches

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Perching Finches
A flock of house finches perches on utility lines in winter morning sun.

Perching Finches. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A flock of house finches perches on utility lines in winter morning sun.

Looking at this little group of colorful birds hanging out on utility lines against a backdrop of perfect blue sky, you might image that this is a summer scene, photographed on a warm June day. You would be wrong. I made this photograph on a very cold January morning out in California’s Central Valley.

The reason I was there, of course, was to photograph much bigger and more impressive birds — the annual winter migration of geese and cranes and lots of other birds that over-winter here. I had been photographing those subjects since before dawn, and as the morning wore on the migratory bird action was slowing down. I had stopped to look at some cranes, but I looked up to find these wonderful little birds.

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.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question.

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