Tag Archives: mountains

Mesquite Dunes, Dusk

Mesquite Dunes, Dusk

Mesquite Dunes, Dusk. Death Valley National Park, California. April 1, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Mesquite Sand Dune folds recede into the distance into the distance beyond foreground desert plants in Death Valley National Park, California.

This is a slightly different take on a scene that I have posted previously. The photograph of the Mesquite Dune complex near Stovepipe Wells was shot near twilight on the first evening of my 2008 visit to Death Valley. My brother and I had just met up at the Stovepipe Wells campground, set up camp and eaten dinner, and noticed that it was far closer to the end of the day than we had realized. We quickly hightailed it down the road a couple miles to an area close to the dunes and had just enough time to make some long lens photographs from the road side as the light faded.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: death valley, national park, california, usa, landscape, scenic, travel, stock, mesquite, dunes, stovepipe, wells, sand, folds, pattern, light, pink, blue, green, foliage, dusk, sunset, twilight, footprints, prints, steps, waves, funeral, mountains, range, desert

Panamint Range, Light Beams

Panamint Range, Light Beams

Panamint Range, Light Beams. Death Valley National Park, California. April 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Light beams over the Panamint Range beyond the salt flats, Death Valley National Park, California.

Last April (2008) I was in DV for few days to photograph all around the area. One afternoon my brother and I drove to the south with a plan of photographing the salt formations near Badwater in the late afternoon and early evening light. As we got there we saw these tremendous light beams (a.k.a. “God Light”) coming through the clouds that had gathered over the ridge of the Panamint range to the west, and illuminating the arroyos along the east side of the range and occasionally the valley floor in the distance.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: salt, flats, death, valley, national park, playa, light, beams, god light, panamint, mountains, range, telescope, peak, ridge, atmospheric recession, clouds, sun, light, snow, arroyo, wash, sky, scenic, travel, landscape, stock

Dogwood Tree, Autumn – Yosemite Valley

Dogwood Tree, Autumn - Yosemite Valley

Dogwood Tree, Autumn – Yosemite Valley. Yosemite National Park, California. November 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A Yosemite Valley dogwood tree takes on pastel autumn colors.

I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I shot this dogwood from Northside Drive in the Valley – that’s right, just pulled the car off the road, set up the tripod, and made a photograph. I had been looking for autumn dogwood trees that were set against a darker forest background and while I had found thick groves of dogwoods elsewhere, this was the best one I saw that stood apart.

keywords: dogwood, tree, leaves, leaf, autumn, fall, season, forest, pastel, color, green, pink, yellow, yosemite, valley, national park, california, usa, landscape, nature, foliage, travel, scenic, stock, sierra, nevada, mountains

Autumn Oak Leaves, Rain – Yosemite Valley

Autumn Oak Leaves, Rain - Yosemite Valley

Autumn Oak Leaves, Rain – Yosemite Valley. Yosemite National Park, California. November 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Yellow oak leaves during autumn rain in Yosemite Valley, California.

Late in the afternoon – before finding my spot to shoot evening light – I was wandering about in a section of The Valley where there were colorful oaks and dogwood trees when I stopped to shoot this group of yellow and green leaves on a very young oak in a dark section of the forest in the light rain.

keywords: oak, leaf, leaves, tree, grove, forest, fall, autumn, color, yellow, green, season, foliage, yosemite, valley, national park, california, usa, sierra, nevada, mountains, scenic, stock