Tag Archives: meadow

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Lake and Peaks, Dawn

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Lake and Peaks, Dawn
The first light touches high peaks above an eastern Sierra Nevada lake, John Muir Wilderness.

Lake and Peaks, Dawn. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The first light touches high peaks above an eastern Sierra Nevada lake, John Muir Wilderness.

There is an earlier photograph of this scene that is very similar to this one, so similar in composition that you might have to see them side-by-side in order to recognize the differences. Due to exposure challenges (deeply shadowed foreground and brightly lit peaks) I made a series of exposures. Recently, while working on a project, I went through the group of images again and decided that this one had some promise, too. I think I’ve decided that I like this one better now!

Our group was camped for a week at this location, a place almost completely surrounded by high, rocky terrain that extended all the way to the Sierra crest. It is a lovely place, full of varied subjects. In fact, I made this photograph less than a minute’s walk from my tent! It almost seems like cheating when I can roll out of my sleeping bag in the morning, crawl out of the tent, walk a 100 feet and start photographing.

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: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Cathedral Peak, Autumn Sunset

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Cathedral Peak, Autumn Sunset
Cathedral Peak in early autumn sunset light.

Cathedral Peak, Autumn Sunset. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Cathedral Peak in early autumn sunset light.

Everyone needs a photograph of Cathedral Peak at sunset, right? Although I’ve been to this place quite a few times — in a wide range of circumstances — I haven’t photographed the peak all that much. Perhaps it is because I haven’t often climbed up these slopes above the lake at this time of day. But on this visit some years ago, I did find myself in the right spot at the right time as a result of doing a bit of late-afternoon exploration.

The peak presents lots of opportunities for beautiful late-day light essentially at the end of the Cathedral range, leaving lower terrain open to the west and allowing the evening sun to shine directly on the mountain. Because the bowl is higher than surrounding terrain, gaining a it of elevation reveals lots of distant peaks, too, and the lake can reflect the mountain’s colors. Because this visit was late in the season — just a few days before the end of September — the meadows are golden-brown, too.

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: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Peak, Lake, and Boulders, Sunset

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Peak, Lake, and Boulders, Sunset
The last light of the day touches the top of Sheep Peak in the McCabe Lakes Basin, Yosemite National Park.

Peak, Lake, and Boulders, Sunset. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The last light of the day touches the top of a peak in the northern backcountry of Yosemite National Park.

This is not a new photograph — rather, it is a reconsideration of one that I made almost a decade ago and recently looked it with new eyes. The location is in the northern backcountry of Yosemite National Park, in a somewhat remote area characterized by high ridges, rocky terrains, and some lovely lakes. I was there with a group of friends and photographers for a few glorious days during which we took our time and explored the surrounding terrain.

We were camped at a lower lake among forest trees, in a location that gave us shelter but also access to tons of higher, more alpine terrain. Often we headed off individually to photograph, but on this late afternoon we all headed to the same place, ascending a slope at the upper end of “our” lake to arrive at the next lake up the valley. Sequences of lakes like this are common in many backcountry areas, and I enjoy the individual personalities of the lakes as they are affected by terrain and elevation. This lake was surrounded by alpine meadows, very small and sparse trees, lots of talus, and towering peaks.

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Shoreline and Slabs

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Shoreline and Slabs
Glaciated granite slabs rising from shoreline meadows reflected in the still water of a backcountry Yosemite lake.

Shoreline and Slabs. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Glaciated granite slabs rising from shoreline meadows reflected in the still water of a backcountry Yosemite lake.

This photograph comes from the early morning hours, before the sun had risen high enough above the surrounding peaks to directly light the immediate landscape. The light is soft and blue-toned, the water is smooth, and the entire scene at this backcountry lake was serene. My recollection is that I had been up at the first hint of light, and that I spent the next few hours exploring the periphery of this lake. .

The photograph comes from very early autumn back in 2009, when I hiked in solo to join a larger group of my friends who were starting a weeklong photography visit to this area. I had teaching responsibilities back in the “real world,” so I was only able to remain for a few days before heading out to civilization. I later found out that I has missed some, uh, “special” weather… that brought the temperatures at this location down to about 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Ah, autumn in the Sierra! Most of the time it is pleasant and comfortable, but every so often an early bit of winter sneaks in to bite you!

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 | 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.