Tag Archives: growth

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Chinese Houses Flowers

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Chinese Houses Flowers

Chinese Houses Flowers. Almaden Quicksilver Park, California. April 18, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A group of Chinese houses spring wildflowers growing alongside the New Almaden trail.

I also made this photograph along a nearby hiking trail at Almaden Quicksilver Park in Santa Clara County, California – in fact it was shot within a couple of minutes and perhaps 100 yards of the Sticky Monkeyflower photograph I posted yesterday. These flowers can be found all over the place in my part of Central California this time of year. To me they can be a bit tricky to photograph – sometimes some of the blossoms may be perfect while others have passed their prime, and they often grow in sunny areas against complex backdrops of foliage. Shooting flowers that include the color white in direct sunlight is really tricky – I hope for a bit of shade or some overcast – and shooting at anything but the largest apertures risks loosing the flower against background, yet shooting at these large apertures it can be tricky to get the whole flower head in focus.

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.

keywords: flower, wildflower, chinese, lantern, plant, foliage, spring, seaons, green, new, growth, bokeh, green, nature, leaf, santa clara, county, almaden, quicksilver, park, morning, spring, season, san jose, santa clare, county, stock, Collinsia heterophylla

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

New Tree Shoots and Moss

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New Tree Shoots and Moss

New Tree Shoots and Moss. Castle Rock State Park, California. April 19, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

New spring shoots grow against a bed of moss on the side of an oak tree.

As I walked a trail across a grassy hillside studded with oaks, I was not looking for this photograph – I was actually heading to a spot a bit further on where I’ve photographed lupine flowers in previous springs. But these small branches (very red in a non-black and white version) caught my eye, especially as they grew against a background carpet of moss. (I posted a black and white version of this photograph yesterday.)

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.

keywords: new, spring, growth, shoots, branch, leaf, red, white, twig, bud, oak, tree, moss, green, pattern, vein, nature, castle rock, state, park, california, usa, foliage, plant, stock

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New Tree Shoots and Moss

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New Tree Shoots and Moss

New Tree Shoots and Moss. Castle Rock State Park, California. April 19, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

New spring shoots grow against a bed of moss on the side of an oak tree.

As I walked a trail across a grassy hillside studded with oaks, I was not looking for this photograph – I was actually heading to a spot a bit further on where I’ve photographed lupine flowers in previous springs. But these small branches (very red in a non-black and white version) caught my eye, especially as they grew against a background carpet of moss.

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.

keywords: new, spring, growth, shoots, branch, leaf, red, white, twig, bud, oak, tree, moss, green, pattern, vein, nature, castle rock, state, park, california, usa, foliage, plant, stock, black and white, monochrome

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

Red Alder Leaves, Spring

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Red Alder Leaves, Spring

Red Alder Leaves, Spring. Muir Woods National Monument, California. April 11, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Spring red alder leaves branch out above the creek at Muir Woods National Monument, California.

More red alder leaves from Muir Woods National Monument. I’m fascinated by the delicate patterns of the branches of this tree – in fact I have photographed these very same branches (yes, the same tree) a couple of time previously.

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.

keywords: red, alder, leaf, leaves, branch, twig, green, spring, new, growth, delicate, bokeh, nature, tree, forest, grove, muir woods, national, monument, golden gate, recreation, area, marin county, california, usa, redwood, foliage, creek, stock, green