Tag Archives: hill

Photographs: Mono Lake Basin, Photographs: Nature

Black Point

Image Leave a comment
Black Point
Mono Lake and Black Point

Black Point. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Mono Lake and Black Point.

Mono Lake and the basin it occupies make up a huge and diverse area with all sorts of attractions. The lake itself is usually regarded as the most striking feature — it is a massive, landlocked body of water filled by runoff from the eastern Sierra, whose peaks form the backdrop to the west. It sits on the western edge of the basin and range country that stretches east for many hundred of miles. And there are subjects on a more intimate scale, too, ranging from tufa towers to the abundant birdlife. It is also a place of volcanism, with craters in and extending south from the lake. And for me one of the most impressive features is the expanse of the place, with views extending across vast distances.

This feature, also volcanic, sits along the northern shoreline of the lake. While is easy to view from afar, it isn’t quite so simple to get to it, and consequently it is not a crowded place at all. In the lower portion of the photograph the lake’s waters meet its gentle shoreline, where water levels have dropped, in more recent times largely due to water withdrawn from tributary streams and sent to the LA area.

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.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Spring Growth, Stormy Sky

Image Leave a comment
Spring Growth, Stormy Sky
New spring grass and flowers on a hillside beneath a stormy sky

Spring Growth, Stormy Sky. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

New spring grass and flowers on a hillside beneath a stormy sky.

This scene somewhat took me by surprise. When I went to the Carrizo I was expecting to experience sunny, dry conditions, and even a bit of warmth. But as I approached I drove through occasional light showers, and soon after I arrived at my campground it began to rain lightly. (This forced a decision – sleep in the back of my 4Runner or set up my tent. The prospect of having to repack a wet tent the next morning forced the decision.) I set up my minimal campsite — which mainly consisted of putting out a few objects to make it clear that the site was occupied — and then I headed out to make late afternoon and evening photographs.

As I headed down the gravel road it was clear that the afternoon weather was going to be “interesting.” At times it was sunny, but then moments later a shower would arrive and drop some rain. As I drove past this flower-covered hill, the sky behind it was covered in very dark clouds, so I stopped to make a photograph emphasizing the contrast. As I set up, beams of sunlight passed over the foreground scene, lighting it up against the darker and more dramatic sky.

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.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Wild Horses

Image 1 Comment
Wild Horses
A herd of feral horses in high desert hill country east of the Sierra Nevada

Wild Horses. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A herd of feral horses in high desert hill country east of the Sierra Nevada.

Those of us whose orientation to the Sierra Nevada and points east comes mainly from visits as outsiders can overlook aspects of the culture and history of the area that we weren’t looking for. As someone who came to these mountains, starting many decades ago, as a camper and backpacker (and, at times skier, climber, and photographer) my orientation held that the range was mainly a place about wilderness. It is that, in many ways, but that’s not all it is. Over time I learned and accepted that there are other threads: prospecting and mining, fishing (I tried, but little luck!), ranching, and more.

This herd of feral horses is probably a remnant of some of those “other” threads. Over decades a number of horses managed to get free, and they also managed to survive rather well in some of the areas east of the Sierra. (I first saw them decades ago way out in Nevada.) I ran into this herd on an exploration into less-visited areas roughly east of Yosemite a few years back. I had rumors, but wasn’t necessarily expecting to see them — but was thrilled when I came over a low saddle and spotted them up ahead. (It might seem surprising to some that I’ve put this photograph in the “wildlife” category, but these horses are no longer domesticated critters.)

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.

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Point Sur, Sunlit Ocean

Image Leave a comment
Point Sur, Sunlit Ocean
“Point Sur, Sunlit Ocean” — Point Sur is silhouetted against the brilliantly bright sunlit ocean

Point Sur is one of the most striking landmarks along the rugged Big Sur coastline south of Monterey, California. There is plenty of striking and remarkable seascape and landscape here, but this feature is pretty much unique. It consists of a rocky, rounded hill right at the edge of the ocean, and it is (barely) connected to the mainland by a narrow, sandy peninsula. (I often wonder how many times the peninsula has been overridden by tsunami waves over the millennia.)

The spot also has a long human history. Over a century ago a lighthouse was established on Point Sur, and since it was so isolated — there was no Pacific Coast Highway back then — the residents had to be essentially self-reliant. The lighthouse workers were let go decades ago when automated lights replaced the old lighthouses, but the place is still there and much of it has been restored. I am in the area often, but the view changes a lot, and this time I photographed it from hills to the north as giant waves approached the coast and the brilliant sun glinted on the surface of the Pacific Ocean

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.