Tag Archives: heavy

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Islands, Fog

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Islands, Fog
“Islands, Fog” — Two small reed-covered wetlands islands in thick winter tule fog.

At times I like to make photographs that contain as little detail as possible, photographs that might suggest more than they tell. The most distinct feature in this scene is the darker island at the left. Beyond that we see (barely) one more island and then nothing. Any further detail is masked by the thick Central Valley tule fog.

It was a remarkably foggy day. I drove over there from my home about two hours away, and the last half hour or so of the drive was in fog so thick I could barely see the roadway. I had initially hoped that I might get a bit of sunrise color and then a late-morning clearing, but neither happened. If anything, the fog got thicker after noon!

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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. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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

Great Blue Heron, Fog

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Great Blue Heron, Fog
A great blue heron, photographed on a winter morning of heavy fog along the Paciic Flyway.

Great Blue Heron, Fog. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A great blue heron, photographed on a winter morning of heavy fog along the Paciic Flyway.

Fog can make for lovely, evocative atmosphere when photographing birds. In fact, I often try to time my winter bird photography for foggy days. On the best of these days, the sunrise hours begin with slightly translucent fog, colored by dawn light. Then a transition begins as the sun rises and begins to make the shallow tule fog layer glow. The fog continues to thin and the light becomes more directional. Every one of these stages in the evolution of the light has its attractions, and such mornings are often quite busy.

Then there are the foggy days like this one. There is such a thing as too much fog, especially when it comes to bird photography. On this morning conditions were verging on the “I can hear them but I can’t see them” state — and at first I was unable to see most of the birds that I could hear off in the fog. I finally came across this magnificent great blue heron near the edge of a pasture, and I almost missed seeing it in the murk.

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: Agriculture, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Structures and Objects

Feed Lot

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Feedlot
“Feed Lot” — A series of shelters over a feedlot on a foggy Central Valley winter morning.

One of the benefits of photographing in fog is that it can make almost any subject mysterious and moody. Another is that the limited visibilities can mute or eliminate distractions from the visual focus on the elements that are the most interesting. It is hard to imagine a stronger illustration of these principles than a photograph of this particular subject.

I photograph quite a bit in California’s Great Central Valley during the winter months. During much of the year, this is perhaps not an obvious photographic destination (though looking closer may be worthwhile!). But in winter, when dense tule fogs often settle on the landscape, the place can be transformed in magical ways. If you have passed by one of these feedlots on a warm, sunny day… you probably rolled up your windows and held your breath. But morning tule fog on a winter day might can make it worthwhile to stop (while trying hard to ignore the smell!) and make a few photographs.

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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. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Panamint Lake

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Panamint Lake
Panamint Lake spreads across Panamint Valley following heavy winter rains

Panamint Lake. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Panamint Lake spreads across Panamint Valley following heavy winter rains.

Death Valley National Park visitors who arrive from the west or southwest almost certainly drive through Panamint Valley — whether traversing a good part of its length when driving north from Ridgecrest and Trona arriving after driving across from Owens Valley and US 395. The area was not originally part of the park but was added more recently. Despite being framed by big, rugged mountain ranges on either side, it is more typically a place people drive “through” rather than “to.”

It is also generally a very dry place. But near its upper end there is a typical desert playa… which necessarily implies that the area is periodically flooded during wet periods. This spring I passed through twice on visits that were about a month apart. The first time followed a very wet period and the usually dry playa was covered by a very large, shallow lake… of which there were virtually no traces one month later.

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.

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