Tag Archives: license

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

Winter Surfers, Northern California

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California Surfers, Winter
California Surfers, Winter

Winter Surfers, Northern California. Between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, California. January 12, 2008. © Copyright 2008 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Two surfers near the edge of the winter surf in central California near San Francisco. Black and white.

As I write this description a half dozen years after making the photograph it is the day of another Mavericks surf competition, and I remember distinctly the day I made the photograph and the experience of making it. The location is somewhat typical of the California Coast Highway, along with the road alternates between ascending along the edges of high coastal mountains and dropping down to small beaches where creeks and rivers enter the sea. This beach is one of those latter locations, in this case one I frequently visit when I photograph along the coast south of San Francisco.

My favorite time of year along this coast is the winter, and for a diversity of reasons. Contrary to the expectations of non-Californians, summer is not the most beautiful time on the coast. In summer the coast is frequently socked in by fog, and the clear days are so clear that there may be no clouds – a lovely thought for all but perhaps the photographers, who often wants more “interesting” conditions. In the winter the ocean can become a powerful force, with winds whipping the tops of huge waves as storms near and far stir things up. While the summer coast can seem benign, the winter coast can present us with scenes of tremendous, awe-inspiring power. But it can also be quiet and moody as it was on this day. Yes, the surf was running high (which is why the Mavericks surf competition was going on a few miles north of this spot on the day I made the photograph), but winter clouds muted the colors, the sounds of birds and water were everywhere. These two surfers walked quietly along the beach, seeming a part of this beautiful scene. (Revised description written January 24, 2014)

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
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Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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

Cliffs, Surf, and Fog – California Coastline

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Cliffs, Surf, and Fog – California Coastline. South of San Francisco, California. January 12, 2008. © Copyright 2008 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Fog and winter light on cliffs and Pacific coast surf in winter. South of San Francisco, California

I have always been fascinated by light shining directly through the atmosphere, coming straight on towards me – the brighter and more luminous the glow the better. You frequently find me aiming my camera almost straight toward the sun. (I’ve become a master at shading lenses with hands, hat, pieces of paper, you name it.) I also love atmospheric recession, the illumination of distance by the haze, as more distant subjects lose contrast and detail. This scene had all of those things, and perhaps even more.

I had been driving the coast highway (highway 1) between Santa Cruz and San Francisco on this winter day, and in places it was very foggy – but here it was the kind of fog that, while dense near the ground, is shallow enough that the light from the sun shines though and can even make looking at the clouds almost unbearable. I pulled over at a place where it looked like I might be able to walk out onto a shoreline bluff high above the water and see over the edge to the water and cliffs below and beyond. A saw this line-up of receding cliffs dropping to the surf and decided to shoot along them towards the sun. (I was surprised to find later that hidden in the fog is a small creek dropping from one section of the cliff in a small water fall.)

From the original post: “This high key image is a bit different from what I usually do. The fog was backlit by some fairly bright sunlight and, although it is nearly impossible to see in this little jpg image, there is a lot of detail in the frothy white surface of the water on the right side.”

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
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Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: San Francisco

Three Ships at Anchor, San Francisco Bay (Black and White)

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Three Ships at Anchor, San Francisco Bay - Black and white photograph of three ships anchored beyond old dock pilings in luminous morning light on San Francisco Bay
Black and white photograph of three ships anchored beyond old dock pilings in luminous morning light on San Francisco Bay

Three Ships at Anchor. San Francisco, California. July 17, 2006. © Copyright 2006 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Three ships anchored beyond old dock pilings in luminous morning light on San Francisco Bay.

I frequently ride the Caltrain up to San Francisco on summer mornings and photograph along the Embarcadero waterfront (and other locations). I have been shooting this particular scene for several years now, and I never cease to be amazed when I find such a peaceful and serene subject… standing next to old concrete barriers as commuter traffic whizzes by a few feet away.

These ships are frequently moored out in the bay a bit south of San Francisco, presumably while waiting to go into port or perhaps leave the bay? They seem to drift and turn a bit as the tides flow, so their alignment and positions can change in interesting ways. On this morning I was lucky to spot three of them lined up so nicely!

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email

Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Cloud Shadows, Mount Winchell

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Cloud Shadows, Mount Winchell
Cloud Shadows, Mount Winchell

Cloud Shadows, Mount Winchell. Kings Canyon National Park. August 13, 2005. © Copyright 2005 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Late-afternoon cloud shadows race across the west face of Mount Winchell, Sierra Nevada.

Mt. Winchell is just south of Bishop Pass on the crest of the Sierra Nevada. I was intrigued by the repeating diagonals in this image along with the cloud shadow.

(Technical note regarding this photograph. I am frequently asked about prints of this image. It is available as a print, but the size must be limited to approximately 12″ x 18″ dimensions because the photograph was made with an early digital camera that could not produce image quality equivalent to that produced by cameras that I use today. This quality is appropriate for many electronic and print uses.)

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email

Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.