Tag Archives: landscape

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Winter Tree and Pond

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Winter Tree and Pond
“Winter Tree and Pond” — A winter-barren tree at the edge of a foggy pond.

Winter Tree and Pond. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A barren winter tree at the edge of a foggy pond.

This scene was an unexpected opportunity on my Central Valley visit during the first week of March. When I arrived in the predawn light, the sky was completely clear — so clear that the sunrise photography was actually a bit disappointing. But I try to make the best of what I have to work with, so I did some photography in the first dawn light and then moved on. Then, perhaps an hour later and to my complete surprise, tule fog began to develop, and before long the visibility was down to, well, what you see in this photograph.

I headed back to this spot, which I had passed without bothering to pause in that earlier light, and now the fog turned this bare tree and pond into quite an atmospheric scene. The fog often transforms rather unremarkable scenes into something much more interesting, mostly by muting the visibility of distracting elements and leaving the main features and forms.

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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

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Photographs: Agriculture, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Orchard in Bloom, Country Road

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Orchard in Bloom, Country Road
A narrow country road runs past a Central Valley orchard in bloom.

Orchard in Bloom, Country Road. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A narrow country road runs past a Central Valley orchard in bloom.

In general, most people don’t think of the Central Valley as the scenic highlight of California. I suppose that makes sense in a state that includes redwood forests, the Sierra Nevada, the beautiful desolation of deserts, the Pacific Ocean coast, and some great cities. Many Californians think of the Great valley as something to drive through on the way to some other place. But there are beautiful things out there, even in some of the agricultural areas — and recently I have heard that “going to see the almond orchards in bloom” has become a thing.

Every winter when the trees suddenly blossom it seems like “they bloomed early this year.” I finally realized that, no, this is just when they blossom — though the sudden appearance still takes me by surprise. I took a break from bird photography on this morning to drive around a bit, and I found this scene of a narrow road heading down the edge of one of these huge orchards, in morning sun but with sky muted a bit by thin fog.

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: Birds, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Winter Pond, Birds and Fog

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Winter Pond, Birds and Fog
Thick tule fog obscures the view of a winter pond, a small island, and birds in flight.

Winter Pond, Birds and Fog. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Thick tule fog obscures the view of a winter pond, a small island, and birds in flight.

From time to time I make the point that there is always an element of serendipity in nature photography — no matter how much we calculate and plan, in the end there are always things that we cannot control. This photograph is a fine example. I “knew” there would be no fog when I traveled to this location last week. And when I arrived there was none — the sky was almost completely clear in the hours after sunrise. Then, to my astonishment, tule fog spontaneously developed, and within a half hour the area was socked in.

But that’s not the only unanticipated good luck in this photograph. The active flock of red-winged blackbirds just happened to show up on a small island of reeds where I was, at just the right distance to let the fog mute their forms but not render them invisible. They remained just long enough for me to make a few exposures before they departed.

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: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Winter Tree, Evening Sky

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Winter Tree, Evening Sky
A bare winter cottonwood silhouetted against dusk sky, California Central Valley.

Winter Tree, Evening Sky. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A bare winter cottonwood silhouetted against dusk sky, California Central Valley.

This photograph is an example of why I always try to remember to not get so focused on the primary subject that I forget to look around. I was here to photograph migratory birds, and at this point in the evening they were putting on quite a show, rising and flying in giant circles directly in front of us in the evening light. But when I took a moment to look behind I saw the trees and the colorful evening sky.

This was an “interesting” day in weather terms. I didn’t actually have very high hopes for it as no fog was forecast (and I love to photograph these subjects on tule fog day) and early clouds from a incoming weather system were predicted to turn the sky gray, with extreme winds predicted for the afternoon. All of that happened, but it turned out that the sky cleared again in the afternoon, and the winds may have slowed the birds a bit is struggled to overcome its strength.

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.