Tag Archives: lake

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Shoreline and Trees, Morning

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Shoreline and Trees, Morning
“Shoreline and Trees, Morning” — Warm morning backlight on trees along the shore of a subalpine Sierra Nevada lake.

This will be one of (but perhaps not quite the) last photographs I’ll share for now from my July backpack trip. A group of us went into the Eastern Sierra Nevada just outside of the northeast boundary of Yosemite National Park. sWe did a low-mileage four-day trip, which left me with plenty of morning and evening time for photography. But even with two mornings and two evenings in this particular spot I didn’t have all of the time that I could have used.

I have visited this area many times over the years, so I had some ideas about what I might photograph. This raised shoreline area, located between the lake and large meadow below it, was on my short list. I got distracted by other subjects on the first morning and missed the brief moment of ideal light when the shoreline is highlighted and the background remains in shadow. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again on the second morning, so I was there and ready when the light arrived.

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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, Photographs: Yosemite

Forest and Pond (Vertical)

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Forest and Pond (Vertical)
“Forest and Pond (Vertical)” — Forest trees reflected in the still water of a subalpine pond, Yosemite.

This is another photograph from my early July (the first day of the month!) camping and photography trip to the High Sierra just outside the eastern boundary of Yosemite National Park. Among other things, this positioned me for quick trips into the park to photograph in the high country. The landscape was still almost deserted — the snow and meltwater had recently diminished, campgrounds were not yet open, and new rules restricted the number of drivers entering the park.

Later in the season this little scene would look quite different, as everything in the high country begins to dry out near the end of a typical summer. But at this point the grasses were still green and growing, and there was some new growth on the trees, too. There are actually two versions f this photograph — I shared a horizontal (“landscape”) version of it a few weeks ago.

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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.