Tag Archives: nature

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Winter Shadows on Tiles

1 Comment
Winter Shadows on Tiles

Winter Shadows on Tiles. San Jose, California. January 20, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The shadow of a winter tree falls on a tile wall in San Jose, California.

I was originally thinking of photographing redwoods yesterday, but instead I decided to save some gas and again photograph within walking distance of my home. (I may try the redwoods today – it seems like time to do some landscape photography again.) As I walked , the winter shadows of trees that appear nearly everywhere in the low angle mid winter light caught my attention and became the subject of perhaps half of the photographs I made. This is a very simple photo – simply the shadows of a nearby tree falling obliquely across some stone wall tiles.

On a slightly technical note, I took along a new lens, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 prime. I’ll have more to write about this lens in the blog before long, but for now I’ll say it is performing a bit beyond my expectations.

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: winter, season, shadow, tille, wall, grout, leaf, branch, tree, squares, pattern, geometric, swirl, rock, stone, yellow, red, abstract, nature, urban, street, willow glen, san jose, california, usa, stock

Ideas, Morning Musings

What the Heck is Dan Shooting!?

2 Comments

Some of you who like my landscape/nature work may wonder what the heck I’m doing with the “urban photography” that I’ve posted here during the past few weeks. Get ready for more – there are currently about 10 photographs of similar subjects in the pipeline. Perhaps some explanation is in order.

This isn’t really a new thing for me – I’ve posted urban and “industrial” photographs in the past. (See the night photography section in my Gallery for some obvious examples, and also take a look at some of the “City” photographs while you are there.) Quite a few of them are what I think of as urban landscape photography, and to some extent I approach making these photographs much the same way I approach nature and landscape shooting. I wander about looking for stuff that appeals to me, often looking for effects of light, pattern, or color – and then I photograph it.

Besides the obvious subject differences – yes, I do realize that dilapidated buildings are not the same as aspen forests – I shoot differently, at least for some of this photography. While I do sometimes cart a tripod into urban environments, more often I travel light – ironically perhaps, usually lighter than I do when I go out for a weeklong pack trip! I generally do not use a tripod, I virtually never carry all of my lenses, and sometimes I just go out with a prime or two.

I hope you enjoy this change of pace, and that in some way you can see connections to my photographs of the natural world. (There is actually a long philosophical discussion I could have about that very topic, but I’ll spare everyone…) In any case, I’m sure that the flow of landscapes and nature photographs will resume in a week or so.

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.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Oaks and New Grass, Evening

Leave a comment
Oaks and New Grass, Evening

Oaks and New Grass, Evening. Calero Hills, California. January 1, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Early evening on the first day of 2009; winter oak trees and new grasses in the Calero Hills, California.

Vertical format photograph from the same location as the previous landscape orientation photograph posted earlier. This was shot in slightly foggy conditions near dusk in along a favorite trail in the Calero Hills.

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:oak, trees, grove, forest, meadow, grass, brown, gold, green, new, trunk, branch, fog, mist, ravine, hill, slope, calero, santa clara, county, park, central, california, usa, nature, landscape, scenic, travel, season, stock

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

New Years Day 2009: Oak Trees and New Grass, Winter

Leave a comment
New Years Day 2009: Oak Trees and New Grass, Winter

New Years Day 2009: Oak Trees and New Grass, Winter. Calero Hills, California. January 1, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Early evening on the first day of 2009; winter oak trees and new grasses in the Calero Hills, California.

As in my tradition, I started the new year with a hike today – in this case a short hike in my favorite local Calero Hills. It was late in the day and foggy when I got there, so the conditions were what I think of as typical California winter weather. These trees are on a hillside on a trail that I frequently travel. This is a typical California scene in that you see simultaneously what would be regarded as two separate seasons in many other places – the last colorful leaves of autumn and the first new grass of spring.

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: oak, trees, grove, forest, meadow, grass, brown, gold, green, new, trunk, branch, fog, mist, ravine, hill, slope, calero, santa clara, county, park, central, california, usa, nature, landscape, scenic, travel, season, stock