Tag Archives: monochrome

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Valley to Mountains

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Valley to Mountains
An expansive view of rugged Death Valley National Park desert mountain landscape.

Valley to Mountains. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

An expansive view of rugged Death Valley National Park desert mountain landscape.

I don’t think most people think of Death Valley as a “mountain park” along the lines of Yosemite, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia-Kings Canyon and similar places. Most of the popular routes and sights are in valleys, including the great one that gives the park its name. But there are mountains, spectacular and very tall mountains, and it is possible to venture into them. This view comes from a place high in the Panamint Range, to the west of the main valley, topped by 11,000+’ Telescope Peak.

I made the photograph close to sunset, when long shadows began to highlight the textures of the terrain. This high perspective reveals features that are difficult to fully appreciate close-up. For example, it is very hard to get a sense of that remarkable terrain formed by flowing water at the bottom of the frame. Desert mountains rise behind, and beyond them is the Amargosa Valley and even more distant mountains.

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

Two Trees, Grassland

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Two Trees, Grassland
Two spring trees on Northern California grasslands on a cloudy day.

Two Trees, Grassland. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Two spring trees on Northern California grasslands on a cloudy day.

These trees are old friends of mine. For decades I have gone to this place when I needed to get out for a local hike — it is one of the places that is close enough that I can get out for a couple hours of hiking in the morning and be home for lunch. It might seem odd, but some places like this mean about as much to me as the most spectacular national park.

I had gone out this time hoping to photograph wildflowers, but the conditions did not cooperate. Not only are the flowers just a bit later this year, but the weather was cloudy and windy — not quite ideal for that subject! Odds are that I’ll head back in a week or so when more flowers blossom, and I’ll pick a quiet morning without all of the wind.

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: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Badlands, Desert Valley

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Badlands, Desert Valley
The view across eroded badlands hill and up a broad wash toward desert mountains.

Badlands, Desert Valley. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

The view across eroded badlands hills and up a broad wash toward desert mountains.

This scene has intrigued and challenged me for quite a while, and this is certainly not the first time I have photographed it. I is near an area where I frequently photograph in Death Valley, and for a variety of reasons I typically arrive at this spot after completing work in nearly locations. The view opens suddenly from a high perspective at a turn in the route, and I hardly ever pass without stopping.

As can be the case in the desert landscape distance, atmospheric contact, lighting, and subjects of low contrast are both pluses and minuses. Landscapes that may look well-defined in person are not always easy to translate to a photograph. This time I decided to render this subject in monochrome, which gives me more control over some of these parameters and try to register the depth of the 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.

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: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Distant Mountains

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Distant Mountains
The east escarpment of the Panamint Range rises above Death Valley Hills in morning light.

Distant Mountains. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

The east escarpment of the Panamint Range rises above Death Valley Hills in morning light.

As I keep saying when I post Death Valley photographs (yeah, broken record…) the distances there are immense. As a result, atmospheric haze often has a distinct effect on photographs of the larger landscape. This can be challenging — the effect on colors is not always attractive. But it also can enhance the sense of depth in the image. A friend of mine refers to the effect as “atmospheric recession,” though I understand that the better known term may be “atmospheric perspective.” The colors shift, contrast decreases, and fine details can be diminished.

This photograph clearly makes use of the effect. I was photographing across Death Valley from an elevate position with a very long focal length. The low foreground hills are a good distance away, but not so far that they are strongly affected by haze — thus the greater contrast and especially the dark shadows. But the lower slopes of the Panamint are many miles away, and the haze has a big effect of their appearance.

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.

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.