Tag Archives: high

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

Boulders, Tuolumne Meadows

Image August 21, 2025 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

This is another of those locations that are best photographed very early or very late in the day, and preferably without the distraction s of large groups of photographers. It was evening, and I drove to Tuolumne Meadows from my camp to look for quiet light on meadows, boulders, and domes.

The Meadows are beautiful in the late-day light, which softens and can turn golden. Here a pile of large rocks, almost certainly glacial erratics, dominates the scene, and light from the setting sun comes from just outside the camera’s frame. In the distance we see peaks of the Cathedral Range.

Leave a comment or question using the form. (If you are reading this on the home page, click the article title to see the full article and the comment form.

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: Mono Lake Basin, Photographs: Nature

Dawn Sky, Mono Basin

Image July 23, 2025 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

It is difficult to resist a visit to immense Mono Lake when I visit the Eastern Sierra, even when it isn’t the main goal of my trip. OK, it is actually just about impossible to resist making at least a quick stop there. In early July I spent a few days around the Sierra crest along the eastern boundary of Yosemite National Park, and one morning I decided to head down to Mono Lake before dawn and spend a few hours photographing in the early light.

I hade this photograph near dawn, when the pre-sunrise light was deeply coloring the sky, which was reflected in the waters of the lake. I love how the apricot-olored sky near the horizon fades to blue far above. The distant mountains are on the far side of this gigantic lake, many miles away, and this cluster of tufa towers stands a good distance out in the water.

Join the discussion — leave a comment or question. (Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. Links in comments may be removed.) Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

(All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.)

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Winter Trees, Dawn Sky

Image February 8, 2025 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

The large tree in this scene has been the subject of at least one other recently-shared photograph of mine. The earlier image focused almost exclusively on the tree. It was shot with a longer focal length, and the tree nearly fills the frame. Here I used a wide angle lens and worked from a distance, showing the tree it the context of its landscape surroundings.

This was a lovely morning at this Central Valley location. Thick pre-dawn tule fog began to drift and thin at first light, revealing muted views of the landscape. The fog was shallow, and overhead the sky was streaked with lines of clouds catching the first colorful light of the new day.

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.

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

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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

High Desert Autumn Aspens

Image December 20, 2024 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

This is a bit of a different sort of aspen photograph from me — not the first one like it but there aren’t many others. After photographing at another location at sunrise I packed up and went exploring in the foothills below the eastern escarpment of the range. (The base of the range is visible at the top of the frame.) This area feels less like “the mountains” and more like high desert. It is less steep, drier, and covered with what we sometimes refer to as sagebrush country.

I made this photograph in direct sunlight and the trees are not even backlit. The light comes from the side, and that does highlight the color of the leaves a bit, but this is closer to what aspen trees look like in “normal” light. This little line of trees grows along the course of a small stream that comes from much higher up in the mountains. The little stream brings just enough moisture to this dry area to support the trees and other plants.