Tag Archives: path

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Structures and Objects

Leaf, Stone, Weathered Paint

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Leaf, Stone, Weathered Paint
“Leaf, Stone, Weathered Paint” — A leaf lies on a stone sidewalk marked with weathered paint, Hakone Gardens.

This photograph was most certainly not the thing I came here to photograph. We went to the Hakone Japanese Gardens this spring, timing our visit for the peak of the cherry blossom season, and arriving in the late afternoon so that we could photograph these and many other blossoms on into the evening. Photographing old and worn out steps and dead leaves was not the main goal!

As we walked some of the hillier paths the route followed a series of old stone steps. It appeared that at one time some of the steps may have been coated with paint — red in some spots and yellow in others. But that paint was apparently not renewed, and today there are just scattered bits of it here and there on the rocks.. The single dead leave seemed to evoke a feeling quite at odds with the spring theme we were there for.

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

Fern and Rocks

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Fern and Rocks
“Fern and Rocks” — A fern plant grows from cracks in a rock wall, Hakone Gardens.

This is another photograph from our visit to the Hakone Gardens here in the San Francisco Bay Area. We went in the early evening on spring day when the garden was open to celebrate cherry blossom season. The sun was still up when we got there, but during our visit the light transited through sunset to twilight.

The garden is packed with fascinating details, accessible by winding paths that climb and descend the property. later in the evening we climbed to one of the higher points and I stopped to photograph these ferns in fading light.

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: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Forest Path, Autumn

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Forest Path, Autumn
A Yosemite Valley trail winds among big trees and dense autumn foliage.

Forest Path, Autumn. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A Yosemite Valley trail winds among big trees and dense autumn foliage.

My feelings about Yosemite Valley, the location of this photograph, are… complicated. The place is in my bones. I first visited decades ago when I was just a child — yes, I watched the original firefall. I’ve gone scores of times since then, and I have seen the place in all seasons and all kinds of conditions. There’s no question that it is an utterly remarkable, almost unbelievable landscape. On the other hand, the human impact can be troubling. There are traffic jams, the increasingly necessary rules and regulations are jarring, it can be smoky and smoggy. Honestly, I avoid the place as much as possible udring the summer months. And yet…

… it IS “in my bones.” And I keep going back. Autumn may be my favorite season, and on the right day and in the right places it is possible to escape the impediments to the enjoyment of the Valley’s beauty — perhaps during a quiet moment along a mostly-deserted trail that passes big trees, with the space between them filled by delicate branches of maples and dogwoods transitioning to autumn colors.

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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Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Canyon Bend

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Canyon Bend
A bend in the canyon narrows, Death Valley National Park.

Canyon Bend. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

A bend in the canyon narrows, Death Valley National Park.

Slot canyons and “narrows” are among the most compelling desert landscapes. Most desert spaces tend to be exposed, open to the sky and wind, and blasted by the midday sun. The spaces seems horizontally oriented, often with a distant horizon and perhaps low mountains ascending from playas. The canyons contrast with this in almost every way. They are places of shade, often protected from wind, and the distant horizontal views are cut off, replaced by close surfaces covered with angles and curves.

It turns out that there are many smaller canyons in Death Valley. In fact they may be among the least-known and most interesting features of the place. There are a few that are popular, but most are a bit off the beaten path and some are downright difficult to get to. Their lonely quality is part of their charm, and I hope it stays that way. This particular spot presents a fascinating combination of the blue-light shadowed stratified walls, the water stained face in the warmer light above, and the canyon floor covered in gravel washed down by flowing water.

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 | 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.