Tag Archives: lake

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Rock Garden

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Rock Garden
Hardy plants grow in a crack at the base of a rocky Sierra Nevada face.

Rock Garden. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Hardy plants grow in a crack at the base of a rocky Sierra Nevada face.

A group of us recently spent a week base-camped at a Sierra Nevada backcountry location, photographing extensively all around our location. It was quite a week — great time with friends, hikes up into beautiful alpine terrain, wild weather, brilliant sunsets, and lots of beautiful subjects to photograph. The spectacular nature of the surrounding terrain, with broad valleys and high rocky peaks, suggested photographs of the monumental landscape. However, there were plenty of more intimate subjects, too.

At some point on almost any excursion like this one I spend time photographing small things, and near the beginning of this trip I spotted some fascinating rocks nearby and made a mental note to devote at least an evening to photographing them. These rocks were quite colorful, with combinations of warm and cool tones. Opportunistic plants grew along the base of the rocks and extended up fractures in the rock.

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: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Elephants Head Flower

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Elephants Head Flower
Elephants head flower against the backdrop of a flower-filled Sierra meadow.

Elephants Head Flower. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Elephants head flower against the backdrop of a flower-filled Sierra meadow.

I’ve always had a somewhat challenged relationship with the identification of flowers (and trees and a few other things) in the natural world. While certain facts stick in my mind (locations, elevations, etc.), it has always been hard for me to hold onto accurate information about plant identification. I usually do recognize the plant, tree, or wildflower… down to the level of knowing exactly where it grows, when it flowers, even what it looks like in its dormant seasons… but when it comes to recalling the plant’s name I’m often at a loss. But this one was new to me on all counts.

I’m told by a usually-reliable source (thanks, Patty… via Keith Walklet) that this is an elephants head flower. I did not know that when I photographed it. I was just attracted by its complex shape, its subtle colors, and its vertical extent against the background of a meadow full of other kinds of wildflowers in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.

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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Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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

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

Alpine Lake, Sunset Moonrise

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Alpine Lake, Sunset Moonrise
The half-moon rises over a ridge above a Yosemite backcountry lake.

Alpine Lake, Sunset Moonrise. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

The half-moon rises over a ridge above a Yosemite backcountry lake.

This rugged ridge rises above the lake at which I camped for several days of Yosemite backcountry photography. During the day these slopes have an entirely different appearance, glowing brightly in the harsh daytime sunlight. Later they become blue as the sun leaves and evening shadows take over. But for a brief moment just before the sun dropped over the western horizon, the slopes were washed with this beautiful pink light as the moon rose over the ridge.

We often imagine that landscape photography is a slow, thoughtful process. It can be slow, and there are times when I wait a long time in one spot for the right thing to happen. But other times the landscape changes with remarkable speed. The edge-of-the-day morning and evening times often are in this category, as the light undergoes profound changes in minutes or even seconds.

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.

Blog | About | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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

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

High Country Sunset

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High Country Sunset
Sunset light on trees along the shoreline of an alpine lake below talus fields.

High Country Sunset. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Sunset light on trees along the shoreline of an alpine lake below talus fields.

This is the highest of a small series of three Yosemite backcountry lakes — the lowest in forest, the middle right below steeping terrain, and this highest lake surrounded by alpine meadows and rocky slopes and ridges. When I visit I usually camp at the lowest lake and then day-hike to the upper at the times of best light.

This time I went up late in the day, planning to stay through sunset and then hike back down to my camp in the gathering darkness. This lake sits just below a high, shattered ridge covered with slabs, talus, and boulders. It catches the late light and produces a wonderful backdrop to the lake, the green shoreline meadows, and the trees catching the golden hour colors.

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.

Blog | About | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)

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