Tag Archives: leaves

Globe Lilies

Globe Lilies
A cluster of spring globe lilies in the San Francisco Bay Area hills.

Globe Lilies. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A cluster of spring globe lilies in the San Francisco Bay Area hills.

Every spring I make a point of visiting these flowers in a little valley in the hills not far from where I live. I thought I might miss them this year, but the heavy winter rainfall delayed the bloom and made it more extensive than usual. The first time I visited I thought the flowers were good. When I went back a few weeks later I expected them to be gone — but instead there were even more of them, more than I remember ever seeing here before.

They can be a little tricky to photograph. Because the plant isn’t too tall and because the flowers hang down at the end of spindly branches, it can be tricky to get a good camera angle on them. They also tend to grow in sheltered places that are at least partially shaded, so the light can be low. On the other hand, when there are as many as I saw this year, if I just stick with it I’m bound to find a few photogenic flowers!


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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Dogwood Blossoms, Forest

Dogwood Blossoms, Forest
Spring dogwoods bloom under the canopy of a Yosemite Valley forest.

Dogwood Blossoms, Forest. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Spring dogwoods bloom under the canopy of a Yosemite Valley forest.

I am almost embarrassed to admit that I wasn’t thinking about dogwood blossoms when I made plans to visit Yosemite Valley the week before the Memorial Day holiday. I was so focused on going to photograph the effects of the historic snow melt runoff that I completed forgot that the dogwoods would still be in bloom. On the bright side, it was quite a wonderful surprise to get to the Valley and be reminded!

This was, as I have previously written, a quick one-day up-and-back trip. Since I had a four-hour drive ahead of me at the end of the day, I finished up in the Valley right around sunset, and this grove of dogwood trees was my final stop of the day. I have photographed here before, and I’m especially fond of one of the big conifers hiding behind the leafy dogwoods.


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 to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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Central Park, Spring

Central Park, Spring
A meadow and trees in spring, Central Park, Manhattan.

Central Park, Spring. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A meadow and trees in spring, Central Park, Manhattan.

This photograph is evidence. Allow me to explain. We frequently visit New York City, as our sons and their wives live and work there. The running joke is that we always go in the two worst months, August and December. And on every visit they tell us that “you should really come in fall or spring when it is beautiful.” So a few weeks ago I took them up on this and visited at the end of April. You know… spring. It rained almost the entire time. There was thunder and lightning. Roads flooded. Until the last morning.

I had a few hours on my final morning since I didn’t need to get to the airport until afternoon. So I headed toward Central Park and found… sunshine, pleasant temperatures, clear skies, and spring greenery. It was quite pleasant — for a few hours. I headed to the airport and flew back to the West Coast where… it was raining. Someone is playing a cruel joke on me. ;-)


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 to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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Spring Fairy Lantern Plant

Spring Fairy Lantern Plant
A fairly lantern plant with buds forming.

Spring Fairy Lantern Plant. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A fairly lantern plant with buds forming.

The fairy lantern flowers are among my favorite in my part of California. For decades I did not know of them, but one year I hiked down a particular little canyon not far from where I live and discovered them, their ball-like shapes hanging beneath the pointed leaves of these plants. Every year I head back to that spot to photograph them again, and this year was no exceptions. However…

… it seems that I arrived too soon this year! Or perhaps, I was on time but the spring transition came a bit later following our very wet and colder-than-normal winter. In any case, it seemed like all of the wildflowers were blooming late and my fairy lanterns were only at the early bud stage.


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 | FacebookEmail

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.