Tag Archives: landscape

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

Winter Oak, Cliff

March 26, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A dormant winter oak in back-light, against the backdrop of granite Yosemite cliff

Near the end of February I spent a few days in and around Yosemite Valley. I scheduled my visit to coincide with the opening reception of the 2017 Yosemite Renaissance exhibit at the Yosemite Visitor Center Museum Gallery. The annual show features work by artists focusing on Yosemite and the Sierra, including almost every medium imaginable — and one of my photographs was in the show this year.

Almost any visit to Yosemite Valley calls for photography, so I arranged my schedule to be there for three days. While I hiked a lot on some days, on this day I hopped in my vehicle and headed down the Valley to visit various areas including El Capitan Meadow with its beautiful winter-bare trees and the backdrop of huge cliffs. The face of Sentinel Rocks, almost always in shade at this time of year, rises behind this single back-lit dormant oak tree.

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

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: The Southwest, Photographs: Utah

Mixed Forest, Brian Head

March 24, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Mixed aspen and conifer forest, autumn

Back in 2012 we made our first serious autumn photography foray into Utah, spending several October weeks traveling around the southern part of the state. Among other things, this was the first time I started to understand the differences between the patterns of California fall color that I know so well and the patterns in Utah and similar places. For me the biggest annual fall color event is the turning of the eastern Sierra aspens, which typically reaches is peak by or perhaps a bit before the middle of October. We began this trip with a much earlier than usual visit to those California mountains and, sure enough, we arrived for the very beginning of the serious color in the locations I would typically visit a week or more later. After spending just a couple of days there — I did not want to completely miss the California aspen season! — we headed east across Nevada to Utah.

Our first stop in Utah was in the Brian Head vicinity. (One draw was that the off-season lodging prices were extremely good.) I had not been here before and did not really know what to expect, though I knew that Cedar Breaks National Monument was nearby. We soon discovered that here, unlike in the Sierra Nevada, the big, high elevations aspen trees had already reached and passed their color peak, perhaps even by the end of September. Lesson learned! (We subsequently did learn that there are plenty of other fall color opportunities in the state at lower elevations, and that they can extend all the way into November.) This ridge of mixed conifers and aspens is just outside of the Brian Head area.

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Trees, Morning Light

March 21, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Sunlight illuminates trees on a spring morning at Pinnacles National Park

On this first return visit to Pinnacles National Park in about three decades — the last time I visited the place it was still called Pinnacles National Monument — I approached from the west through the small Salinas Valley town of Soledad, heading east into the low, grass-covered hills, ascending wooded valleys, and then passing through vineyard country where I had my first good views of the pinnacles. Until that point much of the drive did not bring back any memories, but that view was much as I remembered. I continued a bit further, passed the expected national park entrance sign, arrived at the kiosk, and went into the nearby ranger station to show my permit. This faculty seemed new to me, and it certainly had not been there years back when we simply drove up the end of the road and camped. This time I got back on the road and continued toward the end of the road.

One expects to simply ascend to the end of this road, but the route surprised me by descending into the valley where that old campground (now gone over twenty years) was once located. Along this descent the road passed by the beautiful California “impossible green” spring landscape of new grass, budding trees, and a few wildflowers. At one point the road turned to the right and descended, and in front of me was a high ridge with back-light flowing over its summit and striking the trees from behind. Those who know me know that I’m completely unable to resist back-lit trees, so I pulled over and paused to make a few photographs before continuing the short distance to the trailhead.

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

From the High Peaks

March 19, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Central California spring terrain viewed from the High Peaks Trail at Pinnacles National Park

When I was a lot younger I used to visit what was then Pinnacles National Monument, a quiet little park well south of the San Francisco Bay Area, known for its remarkable rock formations, for being too hot to visit in the summer, for spectacular spring wildflowers, and as a place for rock climbers. For various reasons the place had sort of slipped out of my consciousness, and I had not been back there in the past thirty years or so. A few years ago I began to think that I should return and begin to photograph the place, especially now that it has been promoted to national park status, and it was this month that I finally returned for the first time.

Many things were largely as I remember them, though there have been changes – to the park and to my recall! I arrived at the west side trailhead (where there was a campground when I last visited — but no more) and decided to begin the renewal of my relationship with the park by doing the High Peaks Trail. The photograph was made near the high point of this trail. The hike begins with a 1500 climb from the parking area to a high ridge, followed by a traverse through ridge top terrain of giant towers and sheer drop-offs. I chose to take the “steep and exposed” route, and was surprised that I had forgotten just how steep and exposed it really is. There were some spots where getting past while carrying my large and heavy camera pack was a bit tricky!

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: landscape

Winter Oak, Cliff

Mixed Forest, Brian Head

Trees, Morning Light

From the High Peaks

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.