Tag Archives: pattern

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Monterey Cypress, Allan Memorial Grove

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Monterey Cypress, Allan Memorial Grove

Monterey Cypress, Allan Memorial Grove. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. August 21, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Beneath the canopy on a foggy afternoon in the Monterey Cypress forest at Allan Memorial Grove, Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

I am always intrigued by the patterns of the trunks and lower branches of the Monterey cypress trees when I walk through the Allen Memorial Grove at Point Lobos. I’m also intrigued – and challenged – by the nearly monochromatic nature of the scene, especially when fog mutes the light as it did on this afternoon. On the other hand, the fog also softens and diffuses the light and decreases the contrast between the light parts of the trees and the shadows.

It was in such conditions that I made this photograph in August on a very foggy – and getting foggier! – late afternoon. When I made the exposure I was pretty sure I would make a black and white print from this scene but I also kept open the option of a color version. When I worked up the two versions later I was surprised that to find that I liked this color version more than expected, so I made prints of both the color and black and white versions and lived with them a bit.

In the end I decided that the black and white version works best… I think. I’ll post it next. (I also have to point out that this photograph relies a lot of the inclusion of a ton of fine detail that just plain isn’t going to be visible in the small jpg version I can post online. Ah, well!)

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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keywords: monterey, cypress, tree, forest, grove, trunk, group, branch, afternoon, fog, pattern, point, lobos, state, reserve, california, usa, peninsula, big sur, carmel, pacific, coast, ocean, nature, flora, park, allen, memorial, trail, hike, walk, landscape, travel, scenic, stick, twig, stock

Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Kitchen Windows, Fort Mason

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Kitchen Windows, Fort Mason

Kitchen Windows, Fort Mason. San Francisco, California. August 8, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Kitchen windows of a Fort Mason restaurant, San Francisco, California.

A few weeks ago I was at Fort Mason, along the waterfront of San Francisco Bay between the Marina and the Fishermans Wharf area, and I had a few hours to wander around and make photographs. Near the end of my wandering I passed by this window on the side of Greens Restaurant and was attracted by a bunch of features: the basic geometric pattern, the barely visible “stuff” inside the window, the superimposition of subjects reflected from the building behind me, and the wonderful mess coming from the upper left part of the window.

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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keywords: kitchen, window, restaurant, greens, reflection, pane, frame, pattern, form, texture, architecture, urban, city, fort, mason, vent, light, book, utensil, bowl, pot, roof, corrugated, red, brown, rust, vent, building, street, sill, wall, san francisco, california, usa, travel, landscape, detail, bay, waterfront, pier, public, park, stock, screen, distort, historic, landmark

Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Detail, Contemporary Jewish Museum

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Detail, Contemporary Jewish Museum

Detail, Contemporary Jewish Museum. San Francisco, California. August 18, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Detail of the Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, California.

I’ve been watching this structure since the time it was under construction, and I have frequently walked past it, thought about making photographs… and not quite been able to figure out what to do with the subject. The building is an intriguing and slightly confusing combination of old-style (not shown here) and rather modern architecture, and it is embedded in a visually busy location surrounded by tall buildings and an old Catholic church. I actually have some earlier photographs of this same portion of the building (though shot from a different angle) that I haven’t posted, as I’m still pondering how to handle them.

On this visit, during a long “photography walk” across a good portion of The City, I passed by here and was intrigued with the juxtaposition of stark angles and different colors and textures.

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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keywords: san francisco, california, usa, travel, scenic, urban, city, contemporary, jewish, museum, cube, blue, modern, art, culture, window, pattern, structure, architecture, building, tower, perspective, downtown, urban, new, design, shadow, texture, stock

Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: People, Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Urban/Street

Man Walking Past Painted Brick Wall

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Man Walking Past Painted Brick Wall

Man Walking Past Painted Brick Wall. San Francisco, California. August 18, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A man walking on the sidewalk past a painted brick wall in Chinatown, San Francisco, California.

I was part way through my long San Francisco photography walk when I noticed this interesting painted wall on a side-street in Chinatown. (For those who wonder how the heck I made a photograph in Chinatown that only included one figure – who is not a tourist! – I was there very early.) The pattern of rectangles and lines made me think of some sort of “pastel Mondrian,” if that makes any sense.

As I was shooting the wall, this man politely wandered through the scene – and he was even wearing the right color hat for the shot!

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.

Web: G Dan Mitchell Photography
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keywords: san francisco, california, usa, travel, scenic, urban, city, brick, wall, painted, orange, green, beige, red, white, vent, screen, window, metal, grate, cover, pattern, sidewalk, hill, parking, meter, man, walking, hat, keys, jacket, glasses, old, slacks, chinatown, urban, street, stock, worn, dilapidated, run down