Tag Archives: park

Surf, Rocks, Clearing Fog

Surf, Rocks, Clearing Fog
Morning fog begins to clear over rocky islands along the Pacific coast.

Surf, Rocks, Clearing Fog. © Copyright 2012 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning fog begins to clear over rocky islands along the Pacific coast.

One of my habits is, when possible, to head for the Pacific Coast sound of Monterey early in the morning, especially on days when I think that there will be coastal fog and it will likely clear at some point during the morning. The thickest fog can be dramatic, but it can also kill the light — but when it starts to clear and the light begins to come into the scene, the effects can be glorious. The fog may glow, colors on the water and hills can be enhanced, and views of the sky above the fog begin to emerge.

On this late-March morning I decided to make a stop at Point Lobos, where a big, early-spring surf was making things interesting. From a great distance I photographed this scene with a long lens as big breakers swept over the edges of the rocky islands and as the fog began to thin and reveal blue sky 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 and Amazon.

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Winter Desert Evening

Winter Desert Evening
Evening quiet comes to a wide desert valley in the northern reaches of Death Valley National Park.

Winter Desert Evening. © Copyright 2012 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Evening quiet comes to a wide desert valley in the northern reaches of Death Valley National Park.

Mostly this scene brings back a memory of utter silence and solitude at the end of a day that had been quite full. I had started far away in a very different part of Death Valley National park, photographing in locations where there were quite a few other people. In the late morning I broke camp and headed north, eventually driving many miles on a long gravel road, over some hills, and out on another road across flats to arrive at this place. There were a few people there when I arrived, but they soon departed.

So I had this entire immense valley to myself for the evening, the night, and the following early morning. I wandered slowly, making photographs along the edge of dunes, until the sun set. I continued photographing as the light became soft and everything became utterly still.


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 and Amazon.

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

Baby Blue Eyes

Baby Blue Eyes
Baby Blue Eyes flower against green spring plants.

Baby Blue Eyes. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Baby Blue Eyes flower against green spring plants.

Since the pandemic lockdown began almost three months ago, I’ve made it out into the “wild” only a couple of times. Recently the authorities in our area loosened things enough to permit visits to hiking trails in the surrounding hills. I’ve gone early in the morning on weekdays, when fewer people are there, and I’ve stuck to wider trails that used to be dirt roads. It was great to get out — as recently as last Friday — but I did miss most of this year’s wildflower season around here.

This photograph comes from a favorite place along a little trail through a small valley not far from the trailhead. The trail descends into this valley under a canopy of trees and frequently crosses small creeks. Even on warm days it is a place of quiet and dark refuge.


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 and Amazon.

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

Fairy Lantern, Spring Greenery

Fairy Lantern, Spring Greenery
A fairy lantern blossom among spring greens in the hills of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Fairy Lantern, Spring Greenery. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A fairy lantern blossom among spring greens in the hills of the San Francisco Bay Area.

This is not a fairy lantern blossom from the spring 2020 season. It is not news to anyone at this point, but my ability to get into the field was interrupted by stay-at-home orders more or less at the peak of the local wildflower season. Fortunately, I did get out a few times before the world came crashing down. And, truth be told, I have a lot of unfinished photographs sitting in the raw file archive from which this one comes.

While I know that this lovely flower can be found in quite a few places, I almost go back to the same specific location. It is along a trail in a local country park that drops down into a small canyon cut by a seasonal stream. The sides of the canyon are steep, and there is plenty of overhanging foliage, and on the right spring day the whole place is quiet and full of green.


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 and Amazon.

Blog | About | Flickr | FacebookEmail

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

Scroll down to leave a comment or question.


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