Tag Archives: mist

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetlands Morning, Tule Fog

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Clearing fog at dawn in California wetlands.
“Wetlands Morning, Tule Fog” — Tule fog begins to clear above wetlands just beore a winter sunrise.

Some of my favorite photography conditions happen when it is difficult to see. I love photographing directly into the sunlight, in fog and mist, in marginal light, and at night. This is partly just my fascination with the complex lighting. But I think it is also about making photographs that don’t quite show it all, and which leave it to the viewer to wonder about the subjects and imagine what else might be there.

This is another of my winter Central Valley photographs, made in a place I often visit to photograph migratory birds in the late autumn and winter months. In full sunlight these landscapes can sometimes feel rather mundane. But at dawn or dusk, especially when tule fogs forms, they are transformed into moody and mysterious places.

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: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetland Plants, Tule Fog

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“Wetland Plants, Tule Fog” — Tule fog clears over wetlands plants at dawn.

We arrived here well before sunrise, paused long enough to assemble our photography gear, and then started on a slow drive along narrow gravel levee roads through a landscape of wetlands and scattered trees. Tule fog was still drifting about, but it was thinning and the clouds overhead in the colorful sky were visible. Before long we arrived at a spot along the west side of the ponds, where we had a view to the east and the light of dawn.

In the winter this is a slow and quiet place… except for the many thousands of migratory birds who arrive here every fall and leave right before spring. Most of them were off in distant parts of the landscape when I stopped here, so this became a pure landscape photograph featuring the colors of the predawn sky and the thinning fog drifting across the ponds.

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 | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | BlueSky | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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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

Winter Trees, Sunrise Fog

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“Winter Trees, Sunrise Fog” — Winter trees silhouetted against sunrise sky as tule fog begins to thin.

If I could illustrate the conditions for my ideal morning of winter photography in California’s Central Valley, this morning would tell the story. It was cold and damp, and the fog started out thick enough that it was difficult to drive. There were birds about — geese, cranes, and the other usual suspects. The fog was thick but not deep — while it was difficult to see a hundred feet forward, the sky was visible overhead. The fog began to thin a bit at sunrise, and the glow of the sun shone faintly through the murk.

When a few thousand geese take to the air at once in a frenzy of beating wings and sound, it can momentarily be quite exciting out here. But more often things move very slowly. The fog drifts. The sound of birds are heard in the distance. The cool, damp air shifts gradually, The sun slowly rises. A winter tree is silhouetted against the soft light.

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 | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | BlueSky | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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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

Sierra Rain

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Sierra Rain
“Sierra Rain” — Gentle rain falls on granite mountains, sparse trees, and a meadow in the Ansel Adams Wilderness.

It is easy to be a bit afraid of backcountry rain — worried that you might get your clothes wet, you could slip, it isn’t good for your gear. In our civilized lives we usually stay inside when it rains, and when we must go out we scurry between dry places. But when the rain comes to the mountains, at least in most cases, it can be better to embrace it. (Of course, it is also important to not get dangerously wet or cold!) Back in my serious bicycling days, those of us who rode all year long had a rain philosophy: “Once you are wet you are wet.” It reflected the recognition that — accounting for keeping warm enough — ultimately getting wet isn’t that big of a deal. And, yes, I was getting wet when I made this photograph.

We had been pretty much stuck in camp for close to 24 hours when a truly major weather system came through unexpectedly, Sending streams of water under our tents and raising nearby creeks. On the second day we were ready to get out and make some photographs, light rain be damned! I walked to a nearby high point with an open view of our alpine surroundings — and I stuck it out long enough to make this photograph of a squall working its way down from the ridges above.

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 | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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