Tag Archives: patterns

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Dunes and Shadows

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Dunes and Shadows
Low angle light casts shadows across sand dunes, Death Valley.

Dunes and Shadows. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Low angle light casts shadows across sand dunes, Death Valley.

Sand dunes provide a virtually infinite range of photographic subjects, from the shapes of the tallest dunes down to the footprints of tiny creatures. In many ways, they are canvas on which the light paints, creating changing patterns of light and shadow and changing colors throughout the day. Sometimes the changes are very slow and the scene can appear static, for example during the midday hours. At other times the light changes so fast that it is easy to miss.

I photographed this dune scene when the sun was low in the sky, casting long and deep shadows across the large and small patterns. Not all dunes are so extensive, but these stretched away into the far distance.

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

Patterns in Rock

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Patterns in Rock
Complex patterns in rocks along the California coast.

Patterns in Rock. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Complex patterns in rocks along the California coast.

If you are hoping for a scientific explanation of what you are seeing in this photograph, I’m not qualified to provide it. I’ve visited this little area of small geographic wonders at Point Lobos for decades, and much of it remains a mystery to me. I know bits and pieces of information, but far from the whole story.

I find something new every time I visit this spot, even after all of these years. This little vignette impresses me with its variety of features. The underlying rock seems to be some kind of sandstone, in vertically oriented layers that must have been uplifted and distorted at some point. Other rocks are embedded in it, and in this spot there is this odd bit of angular patterns.

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

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

Sand Patterns

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Sand Patterns
Varied sand patteres on a fold in dunes at Death Valley National Park.

Sand Patterns. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Varied sand patterns on a fold in dunes at Death Valley National Park.

One of the myths about sand dunes is that their features are in motion, being blown across the landscape by winds. The fact that so many features — ripples, waves — remind us of water reinforces the illusion. But here the fluidity is of a largely static sort, and these features tend to remain in much the same place over long periods of time.

The reasons that dunes come into existence begin to be obvious when ou get to know them. They tend to be in windy places where natural features obstruct, divert, and slow the winds, causing them to drop their load of airborne dust and sand. While these broad features are easy to understand, I remain mystified by the smaller scale features like those seen in this “intimate landscape” photograph — the waves, ridges, valleys, drop-offs that also tend to remain fixed.

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.

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

Dunes, Evening Sky

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Dunes, Evening Sky
Evening sky above trackless sand dunes, Death Valley National Park.

Dunes, Evening Sky. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Evening sky above trackless sand dunes, Death Valley National Park.

On our late-March to these sand dunes we arrived late in the day under sky that was starting to fill with high clouds in the west. At times the clouds were thick enough to block the light and lower the contrast to an extent that seemed “beyond subtle.” But as the clouds moved thinner areas passed in front of the sun, and this was enough to give the light at least a bit of directionality. In clearer skies, the sand here would have been extremely bright, and the background sky with thin clouds would have appeared much darker.

In the end, I came away with some files that held enough contrast to work with in post, where I could focus attention on the variations in light and color on the curved dunes. By moving close to the base of the dunes I was able to angle the camera upwards and eliminate everything from the background except for the sky.

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.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)

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