Tag Archives: mountains

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Kosovo, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Travel

Kosovo Mountains

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Kosovo Mountains
“Kosovo Mountains” — Mountains haze in Kosovo— the “Accursed Mountains.”

This photograph comes from a wonderful day in the “Accursed Mountains” of Kosovo west of Pec. It is full of great memories, though short on specific location details. We headed into the mountains from Pec, following a narrow and rugged river valley. Eventually we passed through a mountain town and continued to ascend. We took a narrow side road and eventually got out and walked… right to the Montenegro border. From there we somehow ended up at a remarkable “lodge” where we had a stupendous lunch on a grand outdoor covered deck.

I made the photograph at the lodge, looking back up towards the summit of these beautiful mountains and directly in to the haze- and sun-filled atmosphere. Side note: I read that there is some difference of opinion regarding how these beautiful mountains came to be known as the “Accursed Mountains.” From what I saw and from some subsequent reading, it would not surprise me if this area becomes a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts.

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. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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Photographs: Albania, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Travel

Albanian Farm Valbona Valley

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Albanian Farm Valbona Valley
“Albanian Farm Valbona Valley” — A gravel road leads toward an Albanian farm in the Valbona Valley.

This is another photograph from our fascinating but brief foray into Albania from our Kosovo home base back in the summer of 2023. A member of our “European family” who is from Kosovo took us on a tour up in to the Valbona Valley where we saw the spectacular Albanian Alps. On our return trip down the valley we briefly paused at this spot.

If I’m remembering the event correctly — and not superimposing two separate stops — we spotted a rural mosque across the river in this beautiful valley with the peaks in the distance. I wanted to photograph it, of course, so we all stopped and briefly walked around the area. Just upstream from a bridge across the river I saw this farm — or is it a homestead, or something else entirely?

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. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Kosovo, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Travel

Mountain Haze, Kosovo

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Mountain Haze, Kosovo
“Mountain Haze, Kosovo” — Forest-lined river gorge along the road to the Accursed Mountains, Kosovo.

This photograph came late on a day when we traveled far into mountains to the west of Peja, Kosovo. I have vivid memories of the day, of what I saw, of what we did – but it is now extremely difficult to identify specific locations and features. I know that we traveled west into a narrow river gorge, and eventually climbed out of it, that we ended up on a tiny road that dead-ended at the Montenegro border… which my Kosovo host warned me not to approach. After other adventures we returned down that same narrow canyon.

As we descended, the scenery was often spectacular. Here the river descended steeply over rocks between steep, tree-covered canyon walls. We paused briefly, and I hopped out of the car to stand at the edge of this lush canyon and make a few photographs… of a river whose name I do not know.

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. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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

Canyon Light

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Canyon Light, Death Valley National Park
“Canyon Light” — Direct light, reflected light, and deep shadows as a canyon winds through desert mountains, Death Valley.

We love fantastically narrow and twisty slot canyons, but those are more of the exception to the rule. You can find those in Death Valley, but more likely you’ll find a scene like this one, at least in canyons that run through steep, rocky mountain ranges, like this one on the east side of the valley. Through much of its length it is more than wide enough that a vehicle could pass, if they were allowed here. Note also the very rugged and broken rock formations — this is not your smooth-walled Utah red rock canyon!

At this spot the canyon takes a couple of very sharp bends around the tall face to the right. When the trend of the canyon lines up the right way, very little direct sunlight penetrates all the way down. Instead the canyon bottom is often in shade, but that shade is filled with soft, reflected light that has bounced between the canyon walls. When I hike these canyons I always look forward to passing through these spots.

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. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

4 responses to “Canyon Light”

  1. Charlie Colladay Avatar
    Charlie Colladay

    Love this shot! The longer I look at it the more I like it. Forgive me for being such a pendant, but I am so moved by the intricacies of the light in this photo.

    Nice, tight composition of three separate layers: the far layer in direct sunlight; the middle, golden layer and the “giant’s foot” in the foreground. At first glance my eye was drawn to the well defined textural striations of the foreground in a seemingly softer, bluer, open shade type light. But no! It’s actually strongly directional (from the left, reflected by ?) which makes the vertical striations really pop. The far layer is being illuminated by the sun’s direct rays coming from the right, which is how we know the foreground light from the left is reflected (assuming no auxiliary lighting). The middle golden layer is the real mystery. The bright gold color and intensity of the light is greater at the left edge and gradually falls off into open shade light at the far right. The reflected light source must be something close by and behind the “giant’s foot” that is strongly reflecting the sun’s rays. It’s almost like the photographer laid out a large gold colored tarp to act as a reflector. But I doubt that. More likely it’s a warm colored rock formation that is serving as the reflector. Beautiful.

    Whatever the case…this is an amazing photo! I love it when a photo strikes you at first and then even more so as your eye roams around and you try to figure out why you like it so much. In the final analysis, it’s no surprise how often it comes down to the “Light” and we are then reminded that the Greek root of “photography” is “light drawing”.

    Nice work Dan!

    Charlie Colladay

    Reply
    1. G Dan Mitchell Avatar
      G Dan Mitchell

      Thanks Charlie,

      YOu certainly have an eye for light!

      The combination of layers and light is pretty much what this photograph is “about.” As you surmised, there are three kinds of ight (at least) at work in the photograph. OK, maybe four.

      There is the direct sunlight on the far canyon wall. Then there is the light reflected from a(n out of sight) reddish section of cliff that illuminates the middle face. The foreground light is coming from behind and above my camera position — a combination of more reflected light and light from the open sky. The forth kind of light? The deeper shadows with the more blue tones.

      One of the things I love about these canyons is precisely that variety of lighting, and especially the way that the light picks up colors from the sky and from whatever surface reflects it.

      Dan

      Reply
  2. Greg Avatar
    Greg

    Dan:

    It reminds me of Dedeckera Canyon over at the Eureka Dunes.

    Reply
    1. G Dan Mitchell Avatar
      G Dan Mitchell

      Thanks for sharing that. I’ve been to Eureka several times, but I have never investigated that canyon.

      Dan

      Reply

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