Tag Archives: national

Photographs: Coastal Redwoods, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Redwood Forest, Morning Light

November 1, 2009 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Morning light in the redwood forest at Muir Woods National Monument, California.

On a late October weekend when I had intended to photograph in Yosemite Valley, I instead ended up shooting at Muir Woods National Monument in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area north of San Francisco. I shoot here frequently – in fact, some of my photos are sold in the gift shop at the monument – and I’m working on building up a body of work representing a lot of different subjects at different times of the year and in varying conditions.

I often prefer to shoot there when there is overcast or even in fog or rainy conditions. However, on this morning it was sunny! This poses a real challenge when shooting in the redwood groves, since the shaded areas can be quite dark but where a beam of light finds its way to the forest floor or hits plants or trees it can be extremely bright, creating some very wide dynamic range conditions. In order to capture this – and create a photograph that suggests the way I saw the scene at the time of the exposure – I often combine two (and sometimes more) exposures in order to deal with this, which is what I did in this photograph.

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.

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Photographs: Coastal Redwoods, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Red Alder Leaves, Autumn

October 31, 2009 G Dan Mitchell 2 Comments

Sunlight filtering through the canopy of the redwood forest back-lights overhead red alder leaves at Muir Woods National Monument.

I posted a black and white version of this photograph yesterday – and I still go back and forth on which I prefer. The luminescent green color of the backlit alder leaves against the pattern of the branches on which they grow is what first attracted me to this subject, but I like the more abstracted nature of the black and white version. I probably won’t be able to decide until I print the photographs… if I can even decide then!

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: muir, woods, national, monument, recreation, area, golden, gate, marin, san francisco, california, usa, forest, tree, leaf, leaves, branch, twig, spider, web, thread, glow, bokeh, nature, flora, foliage, landscape, red, alder, redwood, coast, sun, light, sunlight, filter, canopy, back, overhead, stock

Photographs: Coastal Redwoods, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Textures

Red Alder Leaves, Autumn

October 30, 2009 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Sunlight filtering through the canopy of the redwood forest back-lights overhead red alder leaves at Muir Woods National Monument.

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.

I made a black and white and a color version of this image – since I think I prefer the black and white version I’m posting it first.

This year I have been returning to Muir Woods in all seasons and, among other things, I’ve watched the red alder trees as they have gone through the cycle from the first spring leaves to the deterioration of the leaves as they begin to change color before dropping from the trees as winter approaches. In many places along the main trails at Muir Woods the path travels directly beneath a canopy of these trees and when the light comes through the trees, filtered by passing through the upper levels of the forest, it highlights the curving and twisting shapes of the branches.

keywords: muir, woods, national, monument, recreation, area, golden, gate, marin, san francisco, california, usa, forest, tree, leaf, leaves, branch, twig, spider, web, thread, glow, bokeh, nature, flora, foliage, landscape, black and white, red, alder, redwood, coast, sun, light, sunlight, filter, canopy, back, overhead, stock

Commentary, News, Photographers, Publications

First Light: Five Photographers Explore Yosemite’s Wilderness

October 27, 2009 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

So, you like landscape photography, right? And you are aware that some of the most beautiful photographic subjects can be found in the back-country of California’s Yosemite National Park, right? And you very much enjoy looking through and absorbing the work of photographers who know the place especially well, right?

You need to pick up a copy of First Light: Five Photographers Explore Yosemite’s Wilderness, published by Heyday Press.

The book features the wonderful photography of a group of photographers whose experience in the park is extraordinary and varied: Charles Cramer, Karl Kroeber, Scot Miller, Mike Osborne, and Keith S. Walklet. Right now copies of the book autographed by all five photographers are available from the Ansel Adams Gallery.

(For the record, I have no financial interest in this book and if you purchase through the links in my post I receive no compensation from the sale. I just like the book and the photographers a lot and think you might, too!)

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.