Tag Archives: nature

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Oak Pasture Near Dutch Flat

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Oak Pasture Near Dutch Flat
Oak Pasture Near Dutch Flat. Grant Ranch County Park, California. April 20, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of oaks and pasture near Dutch Flat in the Diablo Range mountains east of San Jose, California.

This grove of trees sits on a flat area (e.g. – “Dutch Flat”) on top of this ridge with the Santa Clara Valley below.

keywords: oak, tree, pasture, meadow, grass, cow, cattle, silhouette, santa clara, valley, county, san jose, joseph, grant, ranch, park, california, usa, nature, scenic, landscape, view, fence, hike, outdoor, stock, photo, photograph

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Quicksilver Wildflowers

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Quicksilver Wildflowers
Quicksilver Wildflowers. Almaden Quicksilver Park, California. April 12, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Deep purple spring wildflowers at Almaden Quicksilver Park, California – photographed on an early spring hike near the peak of the central California wildflower season.

The flowers are larkspur, or delphinium. They are interesting flowers and somewhat difficult to photograph. Their color is a very deep purple, so it is almost necessary to photograph them against a much lighter background. These were photographed along the New Almaden Trail, not far from the Mockingbird Hill entrance.

keywords: wild, flowers, wildflowers, deep, purple, five, petals, trail, hike, nature, spring, almaden, quicksilver, county park, santa clara, san jose, california, usa, stock

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Oak Tree and Fence, Dutch Flat

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Oak Tree and Fence, Dutch Flat
Oak Tree and Fence, Dutch Flat. Grant Ranch County Park, California. April 20, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of an oak tree and fence on the ridge near Dutch Flat in Joseph Grant Ranch County Park.

This is a wonderful and, I suspect, infrequently visited location high above Santa Clara Valley. This trail begins in Joseph Grant Ranch County Park and in fairly short order ascends to the top of a oak and grass covered ridge overlooking Santa Clara Valley.

keywords: oak, tree, silhouette, wood, fence, meadow, hill, black and white, dutch flat, joseph, grant, ranch, santa clara, county, park, diablo, range, nature, photo, photography, stock, grass

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Purple Wildflowers

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Purple Wildflowers
Purple Wildflowers. Grant Ranch County Park, California. April 20, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Spring purple wildflowers photographed in the grasslands of Grant Ranch County Park east of San Jose, California.

I’m told that these are Vicia villosa or winter vetch. All I know for certain is that the hillside was covered with these beautiful small flowers, and that I had to get down very low on the ground to photograph them. :-)

For those interested in photo equipment issues, this photo is evidence, I think, that you can get decent out of focus background bokeh from the Canon 24-105mm f/4 L.

keywords: purple, wildflowers, wild, flowers, grant ranch, santa clara, county, park, joseph, green, leaf, grass, stem, bloom, blossom, spring, nature, stock, california, usa, photo, photography, Vicia villosa, winter vetch