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Sunset, Carrizo Plain

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Sunset, Carrizo Plain
A sunset view down toward the edge of the Temblor Hills toward Carrizo Plain, lakes, and distant mountains

Sunset, Carrizo Plain. Carrizo Plain National Monument, California. April 2, 2017. © Copyright 2017 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A sunset view down toward the edge of the Temblor Hills toward Carrizo Plain, lakes, and distant mountains

This has been — and likely will continue to be — and exceptional spring for California wildflower color. After an extended and historic drought that lasted roughly five years, the rainy season now coming to an end has been record-setting in the opposite direction. We’ve had floods, washing out highways, remarkable snowfall, and as of this week the state produced an all-time record for seasonal precipitation in portions of the norther Sierra Nevada. The natural world seems to have come back to life again, and in places that have been arid for the past few years we are now seeing lush green spring growth and lots of wildflowers.

Many of us decided to visit some of the interior locations where the seasonal grasslands can produce impressive wildflower blooms. On my way to Death Valley during the first week of April I detoured to join friends who were already in the Carrizo Plains region, and I managed to do one evening and one morning of photography there. On the first evening we found a somewhat remote area in the hills alongside the plain where we could see some large fields of flowers above, and we headed up into the hills to photograph them. From this elevation the views of the Plain opened up, and I made this photograph during the final minutes before sunset.

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.
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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: Sequoia-Kings Canyon, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Alpine Tarns

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Alpine Tarns
Alpine tarns at the base of talus slopes, Kings Canyon National Park

Alpine Tarns. Kings Canyon National Park, California. September 15, 2013. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Alpine tarns at the base of talus slopes, Kings Canyon National Park

The meaning of the term “tarn” is somewhat varied. Two technical definitions I’ve heard include (rather precisely) a small lake in a depression scooped out by glacial action, or (more informally perhaps) simply any very small body of mountain water too small to qualify as a real lake. Yes, that’s pretty subjective! Aside from their tendency to produce mosquitos, I love tarns, and I especially love areas where they are embedded in a rocky landscape broken by small meadows and occasionally trees.

I photographed this spot with its tarns (or small lakes, if you prefer) in shaded, soft light. There was sun, but it was low enough in the sky that its direct light was blocked by a tremendous rocky ridge to our west. Down here at the base of the small valley where we camped, everything was quiet and soft, including the light.

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 | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Email

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sequoia-Kings Canyon, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Alpine Rain

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Alpine Rain
Midday rain at alpine Sierra Nevada lakes, Kings Canyon National Park

Alpine Rain. Kings Canyon National Park. September 13, 2013. Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Midday rain at alpine Sierra Nevada lakes, Kings Canyon National Park

Back in 2013 a small group of us escaped to a lake-filled basin high in the Kings Canyon National Park backcountry, in a location not that far from the crest. We set up camp at 11,000′ and spent most of a week exploring and photographing the surrounding region.

There are many differences between quickly photographing such a place as you pass by and lingering over it for a week. Most obviously, we had time to slowly meander across the landscape, looking for and finding things that would escape the notice of a more hurried visitor. In addition, conditions change over such a time period, especially this late in the summer. We had beautiful blue sky days and warmth, and we also had days with wind and clouds and rain. This was mixed day. When I headed out there was a combination of clouds and sun, but before long I could see rain working its way up the valley. Sure enough, it arrived as I photographed.

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 | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Email

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sequoia-Kings Canyon, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Alpine Granite and Trees

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Alpine Granite and Trees
Afternoon light on a landscape of alpine trees and granite ridges

Alpine Granite and Trees. Kings Canyon National Park, California. September 15, 2013. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Afternoon light on a landscape of alpine trees and granite ridges

Four of us camped out in this back-country valley high near the Sierra crest in Kings Canyon National Park, all told spending more than a week in the area. We set up a base camp at the entrance to a beautiful lake-filled basin, and then we gradually pushed out the boundaries of our exploration. During our stay we probably photographed a dozen lakes, and we experienced almost the full range of late-summer Sierra conditions, ranging from beautiful sunny days to days of thunder and lightning and rain.

Late on this beautiful afternoon I headed out on a lazy meander up our valley and past a series of small lakes along a stream coming down from the higher benches and valley. I walked up the valley the last direct light before the sun dropped behind a tall ridge to our west, and near the upper end of the string of lakes I stopped to make a photograph of the banks of this small lake, the surrounding forest, and the granite terrain ascending towards alpine ridges far above.

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 | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Email

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