Tag Archives: morning

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

Gullies in Soft Light #2

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Gullies in Soft Light #2
“Gullies in Soft Light ” — Eroded gullies and ridges in soft light, Zabriskie Point.

In the right light (and perhaps with a certain amount of post-processing) the geological patterns in a place like this can be drawn out and emphasized. But most of the time they are rather subtle, with pastel colors and low levels of contrast. This is especially true early and late in the day when the formations are not in direct sunlight. In this series of photographs from Zabriskie Point I decided to embrace the low contrast light and allow subtleties of shape, texture, and color to predominate.

Previously I mentioned that I ended up here because in the predawn twilight I thought I saw the potential for a spectacular sunrise sky. You cannot predict such things with certainty, and this time the colors did not develop as I hoped. Since I was there and set up to make photographs, I decided to use a long lens and focus on smaller details of this area’s landscape.

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


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

Dunes and Desert Hills

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Dunes and Desert Hills, Death Valley
“Dunes and Desert Hills” — Early morning light on sand dunes and eroded desert hills, Death Valley.

Sand dunes were the primary attraction when I first visited Death Valley a couple of decades ago. They are visual icons of the place, and any new visitor would want to see them. For me, a person whose wilderness experience had been almost exclusively focused on the High Sierra, the dunes were exotic and new. Over time I discovered that there is a much more to this place, and the dunes are no longer at the top of my list of Death Valley destinations. Yet, I can’t let a trip go by without at least a brief visit.

This time my hour of dune photography was a prelude to other activities. I got up in darkness so that I could in position a half hour before sunrise. There is no denying that morning light in the dunes can be spectacular. After all these years, I’m still caught off guard by how quickly the dunes go from pre-dawn soft shadows to morning light and by the short period of extremely saturated colors right around sunrise. I photographed for perhaps 45 minutes, then hiked back to my car and headed to my real target for the day.

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


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

Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Snow Geese in Formation

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Snow Geese in Formation
“Snow Geese in Formation” — A group of snow geese in flight and lined up vertically.

Most of these migratory birds will likely have departed from their winter homes in Central California by the time you see this photograph. They arrive in the fall, overwinter, and then depart some time in early March. Back in the pandemic year of 2020 I visited one of the places where I photograph them about one week into March, and they were still there. I went back one week later, and they had all departed. The place seemed awfully lonely!

This group was part of a much larger flock that was in motion above wetland ponds — thousands of birds swirling around as they contemplated where they might land. The light was just right for this group — it came from the side and from down low, illuminating the birds’ undersides. (Often photos of birds overhead end up too dark against the bright sky.) I also like the fact that the five of them together demonstrate every phase of their wing flapping.

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


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

Gulllies and Strata, Morning Light

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Gulllies and Strata, Morning Light, Death Valley
“Gulllies and Strata, Morning Light” — Highly eroded gullies and strata, Death Valley National Park.

Some geological formations in Death Valley National Park are simply otherworldly. The sparse vegetation lays these features bare — they are more visible than in places covered by forests and other vegetation. The landscape has been uplifted, split, warped, and eroded in remarkable ways. Here tilted strata emerge in deeply eroded land, and morning shadows add more contrast.

I’ve often noted the irony that this place, known for its dryness and heat, is one of the best places to clearly see the effects of water on the landscape. The material in these formations was laid down under water millennia ago. And the diagonal gullies were created by water erosion. If you have your eyes open, you’ll see that the evidence of water’s effect on the landscape is visible everywhere in this park.

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


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