Tag Archives: grove

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

Black Oaks and Ghost Trees

May 7, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A pair of skeletal dead “ghost trees” behind a row of black oak trunks

This is a subject familiar to virtually anyone who has spent much time in Yosemite Valley, and especially to photographers who have worked there. Generally, the black oaks of the Valley are one of its most characteristic features, tied to its relatively low elevation in the Sierra Nevada. Oaks are lowland trees, but they are still abundant at the elevation of the Valley. You’ll find them in warmer, open areas, often near meadows.

While they are not the most colorful trees, in the right light they can be fascinating. Early in the season the backlit leaves can be intensely colorful, and the same effect is possible in autumn light. Their curving, skeletal trunks can be quite beautiful in snow, where they contact with the near-perfect verticals of conifers. This group of trees grows unusually close together. As a result they have strongly vertical character, likely created as they compete with one another for access to sunlight. I photographed these in early spring, when brown autumn leaves remained on the branches and before the new spring growth appeared.

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

Forest Scene

May 5, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

The trunks of tall conifers trees in afternoon light

I had initially stopped near these trees to photograph an entirely different subject in the opposite direction, behind my position as I made this photograph. I spent a good deal of time on that other subject, but in the end it didn’t (at least not as of this date) end up seeming to “work” quite the way I envisioned. As I finished I saw this row of strong, side-lit tree trunks and thought it might make a photograph. Ironically, I almost didn’t both — at first the light wasn’t remarkable, and I knew that I had photographed similar subjects in the past with success. I wasn’t sure that this version was going to work.

But, this being a cloudy day in the Valley, the variable light began to play on the trees, alternately lighting them and putting them in shade. At the same time, the variability extended to the complex pattern of more distant forest. I’m always intrigued by the challenge of making a workable composition out of very complex and “busy” subjects, and here the momentary light makes all the difference. (And, yes, I do seem to be in a bit of a “black and white mood” with some recent photographs. Maybe this is to balance out some of the other highly colorful images.)

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

Black Oaks, Spring Snow

April 26, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Spring snow falls on a black oak grove, Yosemite Valley

It is hard to pick a favorite season in Yosemite Valley. Fall brings much cooler temperatures, diminishing crowds, and autumn colors. Winter brings snow and clouds drifting among peaks and across meadows. In spring the waterfalls flow strongly again as rivers rise, and the Valley’s vegetation comes back to life. Perhaps the ideal time is the transition between winter and spring, when on the ideal day you can experience a bit of both seasons. (Identifying the least favorite is easy. That would be summer, on account of the sometimes extreme heat and the frequent crowds of tourists. I generally stay away between June and mid-September.)

This was one of those spring days that briefly felt more like winter. A quick snow storm came through, dropping temperatures and leaving a few inches of snow on trees and on the ground. (It was almost all gone before noon the next day, when spring returned.) These black oak trees, with their graceful trunks and branches, are always lovely, but when snow falls they are special. There was just enough snow to coat the upper branches of these trees, and snow and mist swirled beyond among the cliffs surrounding the Valley.

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

Oak Tree, Falling Snow

March 12, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Snow falls around a black oak and a grove of trees with autumn leaves, Yosemite Valley

It was a cold week in Yosemite Valley, which was actually positive news following a string of too warm days on which not enough precipitation fell in January and February. But during this week near the end of the month, someone flipped the on switch for winter. It turned cold — highs in the low twenty degree range — and there was intermittent snow. On this afternoon a small weather front arrived, and quickly scattered snow showers began around the Valley.

Photographing in falling snow can be a beautiful experience, but it is also presents some challenges. Not only is it cold, but the snow collects on lenses and other gear, and it can be hard to operate the equipment. And, unlike rain, the white flakes and pellets of snow can obstruct the view of the subject. Later in the day I found myself along a Yosemite Valley meadow as a heavy snow shower passed by. I made this photograph as the snow came down harder, muting the colors and details of the scene A single old oak tree stood against the storm, collecting new fallen snow on its trunk and branches.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: grove

Black Oaks and Ghost Trees

Forest Scene

Black Oaks, Spring Snow

Oak Tree, Falling Snow

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