Tag Archives: national

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Trees, Ridges, and Clearing Storm

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Trees, Ridges, and Clearing Storm
Mist floats among ridges as a Sierra summer storm clears.

Trees, Ridges, and Clearing Storm. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Mist floats among ridges as a Sierra summer storm clears.

This is (yet another) photograph from the evening when our two days of rainy weather finally broke. The rain stopped, the clouds thinned, openings appeared, and fog drifted back and forth among the peaks and ridges as sunset approached. I found a high, exposed place with a clear view of the surrounding terrain and settled in to photograph the show.

To our south the terrain rose toward higher lakes and then to a long and jagged high ridge. At first the view in this direction was obscured by fog and clouds, but as the evening wore on gaps appeared. At times the sky was briefly visible and the more distant peaks began to appear a bit more clearly.

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.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Young Trees, Boulders, and Stream

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Young Trees, Boulders, and Stream
A silt-choked stream flows past angular boulders and young trees in morning light, Ansel Adams Wilderness.

Young Trees, Boulders, and Stream. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

A silt-choked stream flows past angular boulders and young trees in morning light, Ansel Adams Wilderness.

Below our camp was a flat area around which flowed a river draining the alpine basins to our west. The stream flowed along the edge of the area where the rocky slopes rose toward higher ridges. Boulders were everywhere in this terrain, likely due to the effects of both flowing water and deposits of material from ancient glacial moraines.

We were quite attentive to this stream. Crossing it had been a challenge when we first arrived, and after heavy rains the water had risen and some of the boulders we had hopped across had been moved. (You can see in the photograph that the stream was still full of silt.) On this sunny morning I made a slow loop along the stream and photographed trees and boulders along its course as the morning sun began to arrive.

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.

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Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Trees in Morning Light

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Trees in Morning Light
Trees in monring light, backed by rocky slopes, Ansel Adams Wilderness.

Trees in Morning Light. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Trees in morning light, backed by rocky slopes, Ansel Adams Wilderness.

Have I mentioned that I like backlight and that I especially like trees in morning backlight? Well, yes, I think I have. Even more, I like this subject when the background is filled by distant, rocky mountain slopes in shadow. This little group of trees was nestled against a rocky promontory not far from our camp.

After nearly two days of rain, this was the first morning when we had sun. All of us were more than ready for this development, and soon everyone was out and about, enjoying the dry weather and warm light. (We also continued to be impressed by the unusually high creek levels and the nearby lake that was now completely full of sediment washed down from the peaks.)

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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Forest and Meadow, Morning Light

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Forest and Meadow, Morning Light
The first morning light on a subalpine forest and meadow below rugged High Sierra peaks.

Forest and Meadow, Morning Light. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

The first morning light on a subalpine forest and meadow below rugged High Sierra peaks.

Earlier this week we returned from an extended backcountry visit with friends and fellow photographers. Our goal was to explore and photograph the area around our basecamp… and to spend quality time hanging out during the times of day when the light was less compelling. (Our goal was not to experience the worst Sierra thunderstorm I’ve ever seen, but I digress…) We stayed near a subalpine lake, and from there we wandered off to higher places every day, in search of scenery and light.

Not far above our camp the terrain opened up into glacial bowls that gradually rose above timberline — my favorite sort of Sierra country! On several mornings I followed one of these up a succession of meadows and forested knolls toward the high peaks beyond. I made this photograph just as the first morning light glanced across a rise with larger trees while the more distant slopes remained in shadow.

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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)

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