Tag Archives: mount

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert

Dry Mud Formations, Death Valley Dunes, Mount Tucki

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Dry Mud Formations, Death Valley Dunes, Mount Tucki

Dry Mud Formations, Death Valley Dunes, Mount Tucki. Death Valley National Park, California. April 4, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Dry mud formations at Death Valley Dunes near Stovepipe Wells, with Mount Tucki in the distance.

I came across this scene after I had pretty much finished my morning shoot of the dunes and was starting to head back to my car. These formations are found in the lower areas around the dunes – suggesting to me that they may underly a good portion of the dune area. Mount Tucki, in the distance, it a high point that dominates the landscape behind Stovepipe Wells.

keywords: mount, tucki, dry mud, formations, outcropping, desert, death valley, dunes, national park, plants, mountains, sand, sky, clouds, stovepipe, wells, spring, morning, light, stock, landscape, scenic, travel, california, usa

Photographs: Night, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Moonlit Cove, Thousand Island Lake

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Moonlit Cove, Thousand Island Lake

Moonlit Cove, Thousand Island Lake. Ansel Adams Wilderness, California. July 27, 2007. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.

I spent a few hours on this cold, clear July evening photographing the light of the full moon, star trails, and reflections on the surface of Thousand Island Lake.

When using a digital camera to make such long exposures one must adopt a very patient attitude. First, find the spot for your photograph and set everything up in the dark. Then make an exposure of perhaps 15 minutes. Because DSLRs are subject to noise on these long exposures, you then wait another 15 minutes while the camera completes a “dark frame” exposure to determine how to compensate for the noise in the original exposure. Yes, it takes 30 minutes (and lots of battery power!) to make a 15 minute exposure.

You could become impatient. Or you could, as I do, sit back and enjoy the peace and quite of a beautiful moonlit Sierra night.

keywords: thousand, island, lake, cove, shore, surface, reflections, ritter, banner, peak, mount, mountains, alpine, night, black and white, photography, backpacking, john muir, trail, backpacking, landscape, scenic, california, usa, outdoor, stock, ansel adams, wilderness

Photographs: Night, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Moonlight, Thousand Island Lake, Mounts Ritter and Banner

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Moonlight, Thousand Island Lake, Mounts Ritter and Banner
Moonlight, Thousand Island Lake, Mounts Ritter and Banner. Ansel Adams Wilderness, California. July 26, 2007. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.

Photographed on a full moon summer evening in the Ansel Adams wilderness. Taking these photographs was a wonderful and unusual experience – I had to find the shot and then still silently for many minutes as the camera exposed the frame – as long as 15-20 minutes. It is rare to simply sit quietly for such a long time in such surroundings. :-)

(The posting of this photograph is somewhat timely since I’ll be participating in a night photography shoot a Mare Island Naval Shipyard this weekend sponsored by The Nocturnes.)

keywords: black and white, thousand island, lake, mount, ritter, banner, peak, ansel adams, wilderness, night, photography, star trails, full, moon, light, reflection, rocks, forest, alpine, mountains, landscape, scenic, travel, camping, hiking, backpacking, stock, california, usa

Photographs: Central California

Mission Peak: First Light on Mount Diablo

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DiabloFirstLight2006|11|23: First Light on Mount Diablo. Mission Peak, California. November 23, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved.

First Light on Mount Diablo. Mission Peak, California. November 23, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The story: This photograph was made just before sunrise at the top of Mission Peak, on the ridge above Fremont in the southeast San Francsico Bay Area. Here the sun is already striking distant Mt. Diablo, a landmark peak in the East Bay and Delta area. A group of us had climbed Mission Peak for the sunrise onn this Thanksgiving Day morning.

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