Tag Archives: layer

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: The Southwest, Photographs: Utah

Autumn Foliage and Red Rock Cliffs

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Autumn Foliage and Red Rock Cliffs
“Autumn Foliage and Red Rock Cliffs” — Red rock cliffs tower above early autumn color and a creek, Capitol Reef National Park.

It took me several visits to get a feel for Capitol Reef National Park. The appeal of the beautiful sandstone towers, cliffs, and mountains is undeniable, but at first the park seemed sort of… small to me. As I learned more about this part, I think I see why that is and understand that it may be something of a conscious decision. The casual visitor arrives on a road that passes across the narrow width of the park, and then they visit the area around Fruita and one visitor road that enters the park from there. That doesn’t cover a lot of ground.

But much (most, by far) of this park is off the beaten path. It is accessible by vehicle, but only on long gravel roads, some of which involve challenges such as stream crossings. And the areas at the ends of those drives are relatively undeveloped. You are on your own out there, and I think that it intentional… and I approve.

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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: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Sunrise Clouds, Searles Valley

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Sunrise Clouds, Searles Valley
“Sunrise Clouds, Searles Valley” — Fascinating cloud shapes at sunrise, above Searles Valley and the distant Panamint Mountains.

This photograph was a bit of an accident, an example of switching gears to take advantage of an unexpected opportunity. I had stayed in Ridgecrest, California the night before, with a plan to leave very early and photograph the Trona Pinnacles at sunrise. I’ve been there many times, but I have never quite gotten the light I was hoping for, and I thought this might be my chance. But I arrived to find clouds, lots of clouds! It was apparent that I wasn’t going to get the sunrise light on the pinnacles that I hoped for. However, interesting things were happening in the distance.

The highest peaks of the Panamint Range are visible to the north, including Telescope Peak. This mountain is the highest in the Death Valley area with a summit at over 11,000 feet. Lenticular clouds were forming above the ridge and soon colorful sunrise light began to reach them, producing a striking contrast with the dark mountains and more distant clouds.

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: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Dawn Clouds, Lake Manly

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Dawn Clouds, Lake Manly
“Dawn Clouds, Lake Manly” — Dawn clouds and the distant Panamint Mountains reflected on the surface of Lake Manly, Death Valley.

I was not surprised to see quite a few people when I visited Death Vally earlier this month. Not only is this the peak season in any year, but the temporary reappearance of Lake Manly has been all over the media. In fact, that’s one of the big reasons I chose to go at this particular point. Over the years I have learned that it is often possible to escape the hordes just by going to a slightly different location than the most obvious ones. So I bypassed the “usual places” when I went out to photograph the lake on this morning — and I went very early, while most people were still sleeping!

There was not really enough light to photograph yet when I arrived here. My first intended target was the early light on the peaks of the Panamint Mountains along the opposite side of the valley. But before the light reached those summits it began to illuminate beautiful clouds forming above the terrain. I like that the absence of detail in the mountains and their reflection accentuates their abstract forms.

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: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Coastal Bluffs, Clearing Fog

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Coastal Bluffs, Clearing Fog
A coastal inversion layer is visible as fog thins above the rugged Big Sur coastline

Coastal Bluffs, Clearing Fog. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A coastal inversion layer is visible as fog thins above the rugged Big Sur coastline

The quality of the Big Sur coast is, I think, the sum of a lot of contributing factors. As you drive south (my usual direction of approach, as a San Francisco Bay Area resident), the expanse of the Pacific Ocean extends to your right, and it may be brilliantly lit, completely fogged in, full of storm clouds, or just plain blue. Because the route alternately drops to the water level and climbs up above the headlands, this view expands and contracts. Surprisingly, it can be quite warm here, especially when the fog clears on a summer day and the road climbs. Views may be intimate as you pass through forested sections and around tight turns, or they may stretch to the horizon and far to the north and south.

On this mid-summer visit remnants of fog were still dissipating as I passed through. In places it sat thickly on hilltops, while elsewhere it had cleared and the light was brilliantly bright. This view appeared as I began my descent from one of the high places, and the top of the coastal inversion was clearly visible.

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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” 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.