Tag Archives: lush

Photographs: Nature

A Spring Garden

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A Spring Garden
“A Spring Garden” — A green corner of the Japanese garden at Hakone Estate and Gardens.

In early spring we found time to spend an evening at the Hakone Estate and Gardens, where a celebration of spring in general and cherry blossoms specifically was taking place. One can go there at almost any time of day, but evenings are special. We arrived in late afternoon light and then, as we wandered the garden, the light faded to sunset and then twilight as colorful lights came on to illuminate the cherry trees.

Of course, there is much more to see there than just the cherry trees. The buildings of the estate are fascinating, there are pools and streams, bridges, and also sorts of flooring plants, bushes, and trees. In one corner of the garden, on a hilly path, I came upon this corner filled with extremely lush spring plants.

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: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Green and Brown

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Green and Brown
A dry fallen leaf rests on lush green leaves on the forest floor.

Green and Brown. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A dry fallen leaf rests on lush green leaves on the forest floor.

When I visit gardens to ostensibly photograph flowers, I inevitably find myself photographing other things — structures and objects, trees, fallen flowers, people, and ground plants growing in lush and shaded areas. The beautiful and very green leaves often seem like they would be easy to photograph, but I almost always realize that finding just the right arrangement can be challenging.

The stroke of luck here was finding this one light brown leaf lying atop the larger green leaves. This was spring, not autumn, and old, dry leaves are pretty rare. And, no, I did not put it there — I found it the way you see it.

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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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Trees in Flooded Meadow

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Trees in Flooded Meadow
Yosemite Valley trees stand in a meadow flooded with spring snow run-off.

Trees in Flooded Meadow. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Yosemite Valley trees stand in a meadow flooded with spring snow run-off.

At first glance, this photograph might look like something from the Florida Everglades. But as the spring snow melt switches into high gear, many typically dry places in California are distinctly wet. During my pre-Memorial-Day visit to Yosemite Valley many meadows and even low forest areas were flooded by the rising Merced River. More than once as I hiked in the Vally my trails simply disappeared under water!

I know this spot well and have photographed here often in the past — when it was a dry forest along the banks of the Merced. But this week the water came almost to the roadway and flooded the trail in places. In fact, I had to set up on some rather spongy and unsteady ground in order to frame this scene!

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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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: New England

New England Woods #6

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New England Woods #6
Lush undergrowth and ferns, with a tinge of late-season color, along a Vermont roadway.

New England Woods #6. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Lush undergrowth and ferns, with a tinge of late-season color, along a Vermont roadway.

Most likely no one noticed, but I have jumped from #4 straight to #6. What happened to #5? It is coming, but I felt like sharing this one first! Like most of the “New England Woods” photographs from our August visit to (mostly) Vermont and (a little bit) Massachusetts, I made this one while walking along the edge of the woods. I recently remarked to an East Coast photographer (while recording for a B&H Explora podcast about photographing fall color) that I was challenged by the density of these woods. Somewhat to my relief, he sympathized and mentioned something that I was starting to discover — it isn’t always easy to find a camera position, and that walking into the forest or along its edge can be a good idea. I made this photograph while walking along a rural Vermont road.

In California it can be hard to find subjects with this much green by the time August arrives. Out here we usually don’t see much rain in the summer months, and our green season is winter. (I often tell people who visit from other places and are surprised by our dry summer landscape, “Come back in winter!”) About the only place here to find such a natural scene full of ferns is in the redwoods, though sometimes I can find small examples near sources of water elsewhere.

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 | Facebook | Email

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.