Tag Archives: hills

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

Amargosa Range and Transverse Dunes, Sunset

April 5, 2010 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Sunset light on lower reaches of the Amargosa Range and the Kit Fox Hills above the Transverse Dunes, Death Valley National Park, California.

The Amargosa Range lies east of Death Valley and the Death Valley Dunes, and its foothills (called the “Kit Fox Hills,” if I’m not mistaken) here from a backdrop for the “transverse dunes,” the lower eastern portion of the Death Valley Dunes near Stovepipe Wells. The dunes turn all sorts of interesting colors at and just after sunset on evenings when the light is just right, and the evening light brings out colors in the further hills and gullies that are generally washed out in the harsh midday light.

To get an idea of the scale of the scene consider that the photograph was made with a rather long focal length of nearly 400mm and that the very subtle line along the base of the hills is the roadway running north towards Scotty’s Castle. Walking out to the dunes along the lower edge of the photograph might take a half hour or so.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM at 370mm
ISO 200, f/8, 1/50 second

keywords: kit fox, hills, mountains, amargosa, range, alluvial, fan, desert, transverse, dunes, mesquite, gully, geology, grapevine, foothills, shadow, sunset, dusk, wash, evening, death valley, national, park, california, usa, north america, travel, scenic, wilderness, landscape, nature, barren, light, stock

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

Incoming Winter Storm, Point Lobos

February 1, 2010 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Black and white photograph of the leading edge of a winter storm passing over the Pacific coastline at Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

On this morning I thought the weather was going to be too rainy and cloudy to shoot – and I slept it. When I got up and saw that maybe it wasn’t going to be quite that bad I made a quick decision to head south and out toward the coast, and ended up at Point Lobos. The huge storm surf was beating against the coast and the leading edge of the incoming cold front was just passing over the coastline, putting some impressive clouds about the coast and the spray/mist from the big waves, and letting me shoot almost straight toward the sun.

Not all of my black and white photographs start out that way. In truth, while I sometimes have a pretty good idea that a particular shot is heading in the monochrome direction when I make the exposure, with other images I don’t “discover” this until I begin my work in post. With this one I had a pretty clear idea that the clouds and that receding layers for rock and bluff would work in black and white.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: point, lobos, state, reserve, park, california, usa, pacific, ocean, sea, coast, shore, carmel, highlands, big, sur, rocks, islands, sea stacks, surf, wave, rough, reflection, sun, light, winter, season, storm, front, edge, leading, cloud, sky, seascape, landscape, nature, scenic, travel, hills, cliff, bluff, bird, gull, cypress, trees, forest, weather, stock

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Winter Fog and Oak Covered Hills

January 21, 2010 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Winter morning fog settles over the oak covered Calero Hills landscape of central California.

On this early-January winter morning I headed to my “photographic backyard” in the Calero Hills area, knowing that I’d get to shoot my favorite hills, oak trees, and grasslands in fog, clearing fog, and perhaps even sunlight. Things didn’t pan out exactly as I expected, but it was a good morning of photography anyway.

After starting out by photographing a tree in the “lowlands” of the park, I could tell that the tule fog was starting to clear a bit along the ridges – the brighter light from above was one hint, and the occasional faint sight of blue sky and clouds through the low fog was another. So I decided to finish up my work on that tree and follow a trail that ascends to one of the many minor ridges running through the park.

Arriving at a familiar point on the ridge along a valley that drops away to the south, the fog began to clear from my location. I soon discovered that it wasn’t going to be a day for sunlit photographs – a weak weather system was approaching and high clouds muted the sunlight. In addition the fog didn’t exactly clear – it was more a case of the fog sort of washing back and forth. One moment my position and nearby ridges would clear and I’d see the overcast sky above (as in this photograph), but a few minutes later another wave of fog would expand out of the valleys and I’d be socked in again. So I set up and waited and watched and ended up with several photographs that I like.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: calero, county, park, santa clara, california, usa, hills, oak, tree, grove, grass, brown, golden, valley, fog, mist, clouds, silhouette, nature, ridge, mountain, sky, winter, season, central, grassland, emerge, clear, settle, landscape, soft, light, rock, plant, stock

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

Sunset Surf, Big Sur Coastline

January 17, 2010 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Panoramic photograph of winter surf and rough winter seas along the Big Sur coastline at sunset, California.

This is actually a photograph that I posted previously, but this time presented in a panoramic orientation. The last bit of sunset light is shining through a gap in the otherwise cloudy sky. (I didn’t realize it when I posted the original version, but I managed to get a good case of poison oak by clambering out onto the edge of this bluff to make this photograph…)

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: big, sur, coast, coastline, winter, season, seascape, pacific, ocean, california, usa, sea, water, surf, wave, stock, sunset, dusk, spray, mist, fog, cloud, sky, blue, road, highway, one, sea stack, bluff, poles, beach, rocks, landscape, nature, scenic, travel, hills, mountains, ridge

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.