Tag Archives: line

Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Textures, Photographs: Urban/Street

Wall, Door, Handrail, and Shadows

March 19, 2010 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Photograph of architectural elements and shadows at Union Square, San Francisco, California.

This is a photograph of an interesting (to me, anyway!) juxtaposition of the texture and lines of the concrete wall, the smooth surface and slight coloration of the metal door, the angled shadows from a trellis structure above, and the countering angle of the shiny hand rail. I just happened to notice this as we briefly walked across busy Union Square on this weekend afternoon.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
ISO 200, f/8, 1/800 second

keywords: San Francisco, California, USA, north america, union, square, downtown, urban, abstract, street, cement, concrete, metal, wall, texture, line, diagonal, shadows, hinge, door, handrail, pattern, shape, structure, street, light, stock

Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Textures, Photographs: Urban/Street

Brightly Painted Wall, Mission District

March 1, 2010 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Detail of a brightly painted red, yellow, blue, and white wall in San Francisco’s Mission District.

One sub-category of my photography focuses on businesses and shops and so forth that are not cookie-cutter chains. I love the way that these businesses seem to collect their own character over time, and I also like the wild and diverse ways that small business owners present themselves. I spotted this wild conjunction of brightly painted colors as I walked along 24th street in the Mission District of San Francisco on a Sunday afternoon. In this version of the photograph (yes, there is another) I framed a small section of the building wall closely to try to fill the frame with these colors.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
ISO 200, f/8, 1/25 second

keywords: the, mission, san francisco, california, usa, north america, street, urban, city, texture, pattern, stripe, line, red, yellow, white, red, vertical, bright, painted, paint, district, 24th, wall, wood, city, stock, color, primary, reflection

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

Three Pelicans Skimming the Beach

January 28, 2010 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Three pelicans skim just above Waddell Beach along the California Pacific coast.

Considering just how many of the motion-blur pelican shots I’ve posted, I should probably have titled this one “Three MORE Pelicans Skimming the Beach.” ;-)

Besides the in-motion quality from the blur from camera motion, bird motion, and flapping wings, one thing that really struck me about this set of three pelicans was just how close to the sand they were flying. The lead bird was about as close as it could come without touching the sand with its wingtips.

A sight like this often makes me recall other encounters with animals in which they seemed to be doing something for the sheer joy of it: a bear I once saw travel across alpine rock fields to a high point on a ridge, where it stopped to take in the view for a minute or two before racing back down into a valley; a coyote in a high canyon in the eastern Sierra singing duets with its echo at dawn; and more. Of course I have no proof of this, but I like to imagine that these birds must find this low level flight to be exciting.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: motion, blur, pacific, ocean, sea, coast, highway, one, coastal, california, usa, motion, blur, in, flight, pelican, bird, wildlife, nature, surf, wave, sand, reflection, wing, low, skim, beach, diagonal, silhouette, winter, waddell, beach, state, park, big, basin, shore, line, stock

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Southern California

Columns, Wall, and Walkway

January 11, 2010 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Columns, wall, and walkway on a rainy day at the Getty Center, Los Angeles, California.

I have photographed this spot before, and it is a bit strange that I shoot it regularly when I visit the Getty. It is not exactly a prominent location at the Center – it is at the bottom of the stairs near the entrance to the cafe. I’m sure most people would just walk right past it, and I wouldn’t blame them given all of the obviously spectacular settings at the Center. However, I’m attracted to the three light colored poles, the reflective floor (especially in light rain), the angles of the walkway, and the way the far wall is lit.

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.

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