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Abandoned, Rio Dell

Abandoned, Rio Dell
An abandoned building in the twon of Rio Dell, California.

Abandoned, Rio Dell. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An abandoned building in the twon of Rio Dell, California.

On this last full day of our recent visit to the far Northern California coast we took a long drive through varied terrain out along a section of the so-called Lost Coast. While the mileage would have made for a one-hour urban drive on almost any California freeway (at least if it weren’t rush hour), the nature and condition of the roadway, along with the need to stop to look and make photographs, turned this into a full-day affair.

This is a very different California than what we see in the Bay Area, Southern California, or even the Central Valley for that matter. Most of the area is quite rural, and the effects of over a year of pandemic isolation are clear in small communities with many closed businesses. (Though a new business, one based on certain formerly-illegal agricultural products, seems to be thriving in some of the backwoods areas.) We came back to US 101, the main through-route, near here and decided to stop of coffee in the small town of Rio Dell. As we left town this building caught my eye. I’m guessing that it was originally a gas station before being turned into something else and then more or less abandoned. But what a paint job!


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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Hauptstrasse, Heidelberg Altstadt

Hauptstrasse, Heidelberg Altstadt
Pedestrians walking along a street in the Heidelberg altstadt

Hauptstrasse, Heidelberg Altstadt. Heidelberg, Germany. August 16, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Pedestrians walking along a street in the Heidelberg Altstadt

During last summer’s stay in Heidelberg we managed to walk over the hill, up the river, and across the bridge quite a few times to get to the Altstadt. Yes, it is a bit touristy, especially on the main street, but it is also a wonderful place with narrow streets and old buildings and lots of people.

I don’t recall the specific context of this photograph, but it was one of a series made along this street and others nearby in which I waited as people walking into and out of the scene, populating this urban landscape. The low afternoon sun produced long shadows as several people walked up the street and further away from 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 and Amazon.
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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Heidelberg Hauptstrasse

Heidelberg Hauptstrasse
Heidelberg Hauptstrasse

Heidelberg Hauptstrasse. Heidelberg, Germany. July 12, 2013. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Looking down the Haupstrasse of Heidelberg, Germany from the Heidelberger Schloss

The “Altstadt” (old town) of Heidelberg is packed together in all of the interesting ways that seem so very different from what we typically find in the USA, where many towns, especially in the west where I live, mostly evolved in the post-automobile era. Heidelberg is, to say the least, considerably older than that! Very narrow streets (what Americans might call “alleys”) twist and turn and the buildings are packed closely together and right up to the edge of the street. Where the “road” portion of the streets is (barely) wide enough to let a vehicle pass, the sidewalks have been reduced to little more than a foot or two wide.

I made this photograph from the hill above the town where the famous Heidelberg Castle sits. We had walked up there for the obligatory tour of the castle – and an impressive thing it is! – and afterwards we walked along the hillside beyond the castle to where there is a park and some clear overlooks of the town and the Neckar River. For this photograph I put a long lens on the camera and focused on the hauptstrasse (main street) that runs the length of the old town, here running from near the Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit) and on towards the newer portion of the street.

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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Bunker Entry Door, Mare Island

Bunker Entry Door, Mare Island
Bunker Entry Door, Mare Island

Bunker Entry Door, Mare Island. Mare Island Naval Ship Yard, Vallejo, California. May 30, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Entry door to old bunkers at Mare Island Naval Ship Yard.

I was surprised to find this bunker door open. Typically this area of old cement bunkers at the historic Mare Island Naval Ship Yard seems to be sealed up tightly – in fact, most of the doors (or what I presume to be doors) have been covered with metal plates. Although this images has the look of soft daylight, perhaps that of an overcast day, the effect is the result of shooting during very late twilight when there was a combination of diffused light from the sky and some artificial light spilling into the scene from nearby.

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.

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Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM at 73mm
ISO 200, f/16, 30 seconds

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