Tag Archives: haze

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

Tall Black Oaks, Autumn

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Tall Black Oaks, Autumn
“Tall Black Oaks, Autumn” — Tall black oak trees in autumn colors in Yosemite Valley.

I think I photographed these oak trees at just about the peak of their fall color, and I also managed to show up when the light was just right. Autumn oak leaves tend more toward brown than golden, but in the right kind of backlight they can glow and even produce a rich golden color. The light here was quite soft, which is also beneficial, but with cloud-softened light on the trees in the middle of the frame.

The meadows of Yosemite Valley are marvelous places, even if these days our access to them is more restricted than it once was. In winter they are quiet and often filled with morning ground fog. In the spring new growth bursts forth and they are very green places. In summer the grasses turn that “California gold” color as everything dries out. And for a short time in autumn the golden colors extend up into the tree tops.

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: Mono Lake Basin, Photographs: Nature

Mono Basin Sentinels

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Mono Basin Sentinels
“Mono Basin Sentinels” — Rock towers in morning light on high desert hills above Mono Basin.

Mono Lake is immense, but it is dwarfed by the full extent of Mono Basin, the large valley it occupies. Prehistoric Mono Lake was much larger and deep enough to leave water marks along the base of mountains that are today quite dry. To get an idea of the full extent of the basin you must either travel around it (and learn how long it can take) or find a high place from which the whole thing is visible.

On this morning I was up in mountains south of the lake and the basin, mountains that form part of its border. I was there for some other photographic targets, including long views of the east side of the Sierra Nevada and some aspen groves. But as I worked I noticed these rock “sentinels” standing guard on a nearby ridge in morning light, and the view of the vast basin in the distance.

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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Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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

Valley Light, Autumn

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Valley Light, Autumn
“Valley Light, Autumn” — Autumn light on trees in El Capitan Meadow, Yosemite Valley.

By now this meadow and its trees and beautiful light seem like old friends. Over the years I have photographed these subjects many times — in winter snow, autumn color, spring greenery, and even in the hot, crowded summer months. Many things have changed during that time. A few trees have fallen and their trunks and branches decay, and a few young, new trees have appeared. Access has become more difficult as the Park Service tries to protect the vegetation, a change about which those of us who remember the “before times” have mixed feelings.

Ironically, the beautiful light streaming down through a gap in the upper cliffs and lighting the trees and meadows is emphasized here by smoke. It being autumn when I made the photograph, it was the season for managed fires, set in order to clear out excess undergrowth and promote a more healthy forest. But still, it was a bit disappointing to arrive in the Valley and find it full of smoke — until I noticed the beautiful effect it had on this 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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Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Mono Lake Basin, Photographs: Nature

Mono Lake Shoreline, Morning

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Mono Lake Shoreline, Morning
“Mono Lake Shoreline, Morning” — The Mono Craters rise beyond the shoreline of Mono Lake on an autumn morning.

Sierra Nevada autumn photographs often feature the colorful leaves of aspen trees, but this is what fall looks like at the base of the eastern escarpment of the range. The grasses have turned golden brown, there’s often a bit of haze in the air, and things seem to be quieting and slowing as the seasons change. I made the photograph on a fall color trip to the Sierra, but I also ended up spending a lot of time in spots like this.

The Mono Basin is a fascinating place and an interesting contrast to the Sierra Nevada. It is dry, even though gigantic Mono Lake stretches across much of it. It is also a place where the geology is laid bare, unlike parts of the Sierra where much of it can be hidden by trees. A string of old volcanic vents and craters begins near the north shore of the lake, includes two islands in the lake, and then continues south through the Mono Craters and on to points below Mammoth Mountain.

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.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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