Tag Archives: mountains

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

Afternoon Light, Lake Manly

Image Leave a comment
Afternoon Light, Lake Manly
“Afternoon Light, Lake Manly” — Light beams above the snow-capped Panamint Mountains and Lake Manly.

These beams of light — sometimes known among photographers as “God light” — are a common afternoon feature in Death Valley. The valley runs roughly north-south, and there are tall mountain ranges on either side, with summits rising up to 11,000’+ at Telescope Peak on the west side. Consequently, direct sunrise and sunset are blocked from much of the valley floor, However, some time after sunrise and before sunset the light passes though canyons and gaps in the mountains, and this is the effect when it illuminates atmospheric haze.

If you visit Death Valley, it s good to keep this geography lesson in mind, since it can affect your experience and photography potential. If you want to photograph sunrise/sunset, you can see sunlit peaks on west side mountains in the morning and the east side mountains late in the day. If you want light down in the valley, you’ll have to find it a bit after sunrise and well before chronological sunset. What to do in the middle of the day when the sun is harsh? I like to head for canyons, the deeper and narrower the better!

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 | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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

Far Desert Mountains

Image Leave a comment
Far Desert Mountains
“Far Desert Mountains” — High desert mountain ridges sretch toward the horizon under morning clouds.

I know I am repeating myself, but one of the most impressive things about Death Valley National Park is the sheer scale of the place — the distances are huge. The only place I’ve experienced that impressed me the same way was the near-arctic in the Yukon Territories and Alaska. Here mountains go on, range after range, into the far distance. (As a friend of mine might point out, the haze here is an obvious example of “atmospheric recession.)

This photograph is also an example of why I’m a big fan of long focal lengths for landscape photography. Some will tell you that “landscape lenses” have short to normal focal lengths, and that wide-angle lenses should be your standard tools. I beg to differ. The truth? While I own ultra-wide lenses, I use them sparingly… and my favorite landscape photography lenses are often telephotos. Here I used a very long lens to compress the distance and to isolate a small, interesting section of much larger terrain.

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 | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Winter Sunrise, Central Valley

Image Leave a comment
Winter Sunrise, Central Valley
“Winter Sunrise, Central Valley” — Winter sun rises beyond the Sierra Nevada as thin fog drifts among trees.

This photograph is one of the final remaining photographs from this past winter in California’s Central Valley. (Who am I kidding? There are probably more that I’ll uncover when I eventually revisit the archive.) I made it on my final visit of the season to photograph migratory birds. This photograph is the result of an unfortunate situation that ultimately turned out OK. I arrived before dawn to find that the gate was locked. As I listened to thousands of birds begin their fly-out beyond that gate, I decided that it made more sense to head off to find other opportunities, and I found this sunrise view a few miles away.

These Central Valley locations fascinate me for a variety of reasons — the migratory birds, the fog, the long views of the Sierra Nevada (as in this photo), the open vistas. Years ago I would never have imagined that such agricultural areas could provide so many photographic opportunities, but then I “discovered” the winter birds. I was hooked, and I’ve gone back every year since then.

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 | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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

Lake Manly, Mountains, and Haze

Image Leave a comment
Lake Manly, Mountains, and Haze
“Lake Manly, Mountains, and Haze” — Blue morning haze softens the contours of desert mountains beyond Lake Manly, Death Valley.

Haze is a factor to be reckoned with when photographing in a vast landscape like Death Valley National Park. It is there even on “clear” days, and over long distances its effects can be substantial. Details are muted (especially in shadows), the colors shift toward blue, and atmospheric instability can make subjects literally shimmer. (That makes it virtually impossible to get sharp focus in some situations.) It used to leave me nonplused, but eventually I thought about how to use these characteristics — after all, they are part of the scene.

When I made this photograph it wasn’t just a matter of distance — the atmosphere actually was hazier than usual. In this interpretation of the subject I decided to embrace that haze and its softening effect on the distant mountains. This contrasts with the rather more stark contrasts between the foreground waters of Lake Manley and bits of darker land. But overall, the image retains that blue coloration that I mentioned above.

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 | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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