Tag Archives: light

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Crane in Sunrise Light

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Sandhill Crane in Sunrise Light
“Crane in Sunrise Light” — A lesser sandhill crane flies into the sunrise light, Central Valley.

Several things had to come together for this photograph of a lesser sandhill crane to work. Obviously, the bird had to fly above me at a relatively low height. That’s not as simple as it sounds, as cranes usually divert to avoid flying over people. The light was also special — it was the warmly colored light just after sunrise, when the sun is low enough to illuminate the underside of the bird. On top of that, the bird was flying toward the sun, so the light hits it almost head-on, while appears as side light from the camera position.

Cranes can be quite beautiful birds in flight. In contrast to some of the geese and ducks found in the Central Valley of California, they tend to move their wings more slowly and often simply glide. They are big, impressive birds, too — they stand several feed tall when on the ground.

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” from Heyday Books, is available directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: New York City, Photographs: Travel

Winter Scene, Central Park

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A winter scene in Central Park, Manhattan
“Winter Scene, Central Park” — A winter scene in Central Park, Manhattan

We visited New York City during the holidays at the end of 2024. We got lucky and had just the right sort of minor snow storm — one that left perhaps an inch or two of snow on the ground, lending atmosphere to he place, but which wasn’t serious enough to snarl traffic. Here in Central Park the meadows were covered with shallow snow.

We went out for a morning walk to meet our oldest son and grab a bite to eat. After that we headed north and ended up passing through the lower portion of the park on the way to our hotel. Here the trees were winter-bare, and their silhouettes contrasted with the hard-edged forms of the buildings beyond.

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” from Heyday Books, is available directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Night, Photographs: Spain, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Rounding the Corner

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Photo of a women walking on a darkened street in Madrid
“Rounding the Corner” — A woman walks around a corner on a quiet Madrid street at night.

Madrid is quite active at night — you’ve perhaps heard about the very late dinner hour there? We visited during the December holiday season, when the sun sets early, so there were even more hours of nighttime activity. I love to photograph urban areas at night, and these factors gave me lots of opportunities. Here a woman walks through a beam of light as she rounds a corner on a quiet street.

While it was possible to find quiet moments like this, many places in Madrid were packed with people during the holiday season, especially in the late afternoons and evenings. Major streets were filled with pedestrians and restaurants and bars were packed.

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 G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetlands Morning, Tule Fog

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Clearing fog at dawn in California wetlands.
“Wetlands Morning, Tule Fog” — Tule fog begins to clear above wetlands just beore a winter sunrise.

Some of my favorite photography conditions happen when it is difficult to see. I love photographing directly into the sunlight, in fog and mist, in marginal light, and at night. This is partly just my fascination with the complex lighting. But I think it is also about making photographs that don’t quite show it all, and which leave it to the viewer to wonder about the subjects and imagine what else might be there.

This is another of my winter Central Valley photographs, made in a place I often visit to photograph migratory birds in the late autumn and winter months. In full sunlight these landscapes can sometimes feel rather mundane. But at dawn or dusk, especially when tule fogs forms, they are transformed into moody and mysterious places.

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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