Tag Archives: haze

Photographs: Croatia, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Travel

Adriatic Coast, Dubrovnik

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Adriatic Coast, Dubrovnik
“Adriatic Coast, Dubrovnik” — dubrovnik, Croatia and its famous wall on the Adriatic coast, see from Fort Lovrijenac.

During the summer of 2023 we went on a very long trip in Europe. Over a 10-week period we were in France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Kosovo, and Croatia — with very brief visits/transits in Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Albania, and Montenegro. Many of the photographs from the trip sat in my raw file archive since then, never being worked up into final versions. (I suspect that in some cases I didn’t quite “see” them at first, and in some I moved on to other projects, intending to return.) This week I’ve been going through photographs from the Balkans.

We drove directly from Kosovo to Dubrovnik. I really liked Kosovo on a number of levels, perhaps more so because we stayed in the home of people who live there and who have a family connection. But there are few contrasts greater than that between Kosovo and the walled city of Dubrovnik, which has become quite the hot travel destination. (Evidence: many prices there are surprisingly close to those in the US.) Dubrovnik is a remarkable city, sitting on the beautiful Adriatic coast. The old city is completely surrounded by impressive walls, and much of the city is constructed of stone.

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.

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Photographs: Albania, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Travel

Afternoon Shower, Albanian Alps

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Afternoon Shower, Albanian Alps
“Afternoon Shower, Albanian Alps” — An afternoon shower in the Albanian Alps of the Valbona Valley.

My experience in Albania is extremely limited — a single day driving from Kosovo up into the Valbona Valley, to what I believe was the end of the road. We started in Kosovo lowlands, gradually ascended, and passed through small towns. Eventually the land became more rural, somewhere we crossed the border, and we saw signs of past military conflicts in the valley. At the end of the road there is a big lodge where we stopped to eat and admire the stunning panorama of alpine peaks looming above us.

The weather was the sort where it is sunny but there’s so much humidity that a shower could develop at any moment. That’s precisely what happened here as we headed back toward Kosovo – a cloud passed by and surprised is with some rain. (“Hey, it is raining! And the sun is out!”) This is some of my favorite light — dappled sunlight moving across the landscape of mountains and trees, with peaks looming overhead as mist swirls and gentle rain falls.

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.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


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

Photographs: Albania, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Travel

Albanian Alps, Valbona Valley

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Albanian Alps, Valbona Valley
“Albanian Alps, Valbona Valley” — Rugged Albanian alps rise above the Valbone Valley.

We visited Kosovo and Croatia and briefly entered a few other Balkan countries back in the summer of 2023 during a very long trip to Europe. There’s a lot to say about this remarkable and complex part of Southern Europe — more than will fit in one post. We stayed in Kosovo, at the home of people with extended family connections. Our closest Kosovo family contact enthusiastically showed us many places we would not have seen had we traveled on our own. One day we headed briefly into the mountains of Albania.

I have to admit to almost complete ignorance about this part of the world. Like most Americans, my knowledge was limited to very outdated Cold War history and a vague recollection of the war there during the Clinton administration. I knew literally nothing of the people or the landscape. Imagine my surprise when our drive took us deep into the Albanian Alps, where the scenery competes with the most spectacular mountains of my California Sierra Nevada.

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.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Winter Trees, Sunrise Fog

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“Winter Trees, Sunrise Fog” — Winter trees silhouetted against sunrise sky as tule fog begins to thin.

If I could illustrate the conditions for my ideal morning of winter photography in California’s Central Valley, this morning would tell the story. It was cold and damp, and the fog started out thick enough that it was difficult to drive. There were birds about — geese, cranes, and the other usual suspects. The fog was thick but not deep — while it was difficult to see a hundred feet forward, the sky was visible overhead. The fog began to thin a bit at sunrise, and the glow of the sun shone faintly through the murk.

When a few thousand geese take to the air at once in a frenzy of beating wings and sound, it can momentarily be quite exciting out here. But more often things move very slowly. The fog drifts. The sound of birds are heard in the distance. The cool, damp air shifts gradually, The sun slowly rises. A winter tree is silhouetted against the soft light.

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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