Tag Archives: inyo

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

Aspen Path

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Aspen Path
“Aspen Path” — A path winds through a grove of autumn aspen color, Eastern Sierra Nevada.

I had been thinking about photographing in this grove for two days prior to making this photograph. I had looked it over while driving past, and had even gotten out and wandered through it without taking pictures. What finally brought me back was wind — a tremendous wind storm that was making it difficult to photograph out in the open.

My first idea about this location and the wind was that I would photograph the fallen leaves. But as I entered the grove I did not see the shot I was looking for, so I kept walking. I finally came to what looked like the end of the path at the base of a tree-covered hill. Still not seeing a photograph, I turned around and started back. It was only then that I saw the glow of the backlit canopy of leaves and found this composition.

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

Tall Aspens, Fall Color

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Tall Aspens, Fall Color
“Tall Aspens, Fall Color” — A large grove of big aspen trees with autumn color, on an Eastern Sierra Nevada hillside.

This is a type of autumn aspen photograph that I think of as a “wall of color.” Here there are more of the tall and straight trees than we see in many places in the Sierra, and the entire grove is at or near its fall peak. It helps that I had a somewhat elevated vantage point to make the photograph, part of what lets me fill the frame with color.

To look at this photograph you might imagine a scene almost like New England fall colors. However, while such colors there can go on for miles and cover successive mountains (hills, really) and valleys, in the Sierra the color is more concentrated. Groves, many of which are small, can stand out brilliantly against the predominant background of dark conifer trees or rocks or sagebrush.

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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: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Trees and Reflection

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Trees and Reflection
“Trees and Reflection” — Trees in morning light are reflected in the surface of a subalpine Sierra Nevada lake.

There is a wonderful morning moment in the mountains when the sun finally rises above surrounding high ridges and the first direct light strikes trees and meadows and rocks. Not only is the warmth appreciated, but when the light strikes trees from behind it sets them off against the still-shaded mountain slopes.

Of course, you do have to get up early to see this. And I can attest to how difficult it can be to struggle out of a warm sleeping bag in the dark, dress in the cold, and leave that comfortable tent. But I guarantee that the results are almost always worth the effort.

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

Aspen Leaves and Morning Frost

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Aspen Leaves and Morning Frost
“Aspen Leaves and Morning Frost” — Fallen aspen leaves rimmed with frost, Eastern Sierra Nevada.

I ended up doing something a bit unusual with this subject. Instead of selecting one version from the several images I captured, I have now shared three of the same subject. Usually I arrive at a favorite when this happens, but in this case I’m actually torn about which version that is! ( You can find the other two among my recent posts.) Two are, like this one, in landscape orientation and the other uses portrait format.

The tyical fall color photograph focuses on peak color leaves, with their red, orange, and yellow colors. This photo goes in a bit of a different direction. While a few of the fallen leaves exhibit classic fall colors, overall this photograph features much “cooler” light and a different color palette that includes frosty blue and other dark leaf colors.

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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.