Tag Archives: merced

Photographs: Agriculture, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Orchard, Morning Fog

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Orchard, Morning Fog
Morning fog begins to form about a Central Valley orchard.

Orchard, Morning Fog. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Morning fog begins to form about a Central Valley orchard.

While I think this may be just about the last photograph to emerge from this season’s trips to photograph migratory birds, there’s always a chance that I’ll return to the file archive and find another. During this early March trip to California’s Central Valley the birds were more widely dispersed than usual, and I found myself looking for other subjects late in the morning. That took me to nearby agricultural country and the Valley’s immense orchards.

I saw this orchard in the distance as I drove down a (sort of) main road, so I found a turn-off onto a beaten-up old side road that took me that direction. A fog bank was developing as I approached, and it dramatically darkened the sky beyond the trees full of white blossoms.

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: Agriculture, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Blossoms, Almond Orchard

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Blossoms, Almond Orchard
Almond trees blooming in California’s Central Valley.

Blossoms, Almond Orchard. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Almond trees blooming in California’s Central Valley.

On this early March morning I was out in Central California photographing the last of the season’s geese and a few of their feathered colleagues. Because of the recent heavy rains there were pools of water everywhere. This provided the birds with more than the usual number of ponds, and many of them chose to land it places inaccessible to me. Eventually I decided to look around for other things to photograph.

As I headed up a nearby road I noticed that the vast orchards were blooming. It is quite a sight, and I understand that these regions are now starting to promote the almond blossom season as an event. The location I visited was fairly remote, and the road I took to this orchard was not one that many city folks would want to drive! I pulled over next to an orchard and photographed the backlit blooms.

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: Agriculture, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Orchard in Bloom, Country Road

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Orchard in Bloom, Country Road
A narrow country road runs past a Central Valley orchard in bloom.

Orchard in Bloom, Country Road. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A narrow country road runs past a Central Valley orchard in bloom.

In general, most people don’t think of the Central Valley as the scenic highlight of California. I suppose that makes sense in a state that includes redwood forests, the Sierra Nevada, the beautiful desolation of deserts, the Pacific Ocean coast, and some great cities. Many Californians think of the Great valley as something to drive through on the way to some other place. But there are beautiful things out there, even in some of the agricultural areas — and recently I have heard that “going to see the almond orchards in bloom” has become a thing.

Every winter when the trees suddenly blossom it seems like “they bloomed early this year.” I finally realized that, no, this is just when they blossom — though the sudden appearance still takes me by surprise. I took a break from bird photography on this morning to drive around a bit, and I found this scene of a narrow road heading down the edge of one of these huge orchards, in morning sun but with sky muted a bit by thin fog.

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.

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Orchard, Fog

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Orchard, Fog
Thick winter tule fog spreads through a Central Valley orchard.

Orchard, Fog. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Thick winter tule fog spreads through a Central Valley orchard.

The primary goal of my visit to the Pacific Flyway on this early-January day was to photograph migratory birds in the tule fog. I regularly check the weather predictions at this time of year, since it is the time of “interesting weather,” and this can make all the difference when it comes to the photographic potential of a location. On the day before I made this photograph, my check revealed a very good chance for dense tule fog — the kind that sane drivers try to avoid but which attracts photographers. So I was up very early, ready to drive through the fog for the chance to photograph it.

Local conditions can vary a great deal on days like this. Out where I was photographing birds the sky was beginning to clear, but I still wanted fog. So I drove a ways in a direction where the sky seemed darker, and before long I was once again engulfed. I had this orchard in mind as drove, and when I got there I took a gravel side-road to a spot where I could see an uninterrupted expanse of tree silhouettes fading into the distant fog where the sun was trying to break through.

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.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)

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