Tag Archives: peaks

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Mono Lake Basin, Photographs: Nature

Two Peaks, Aspens

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Two Peaks, Aspens
“Two Peaks, Aspens” — Two peaks surrounded by autumn aspen forest.

When I became aware of the Eastern Sierra Nevada autumn aspen color spectacle a few decades ago, I became obsessed. I traveled there every autumn over a period of several weeks, often visiting three or more times, and photographing up and down the range. I got to know this subject quite well — so well that I eventually was asked to write a book about it! I still love those trees during fall, my favorite season in the Sierra. However, as the area became more popular I began to look to other areas besides the Sierra.

This photograph comes from one of many areas east of the Sierra where you can find fall color. I first spotted this general location years ago on a drive through a section of high desert, and wondered how to get up there. I figured it out before long, and on my first visit I found vast forests of aspens and great long views of the Eastern Sierra. As I continued to explore I found even more color, often in places that are barely visited.

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, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Alpenglow, Dissipating Thunderhead

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Alpenglow, Dissipating Thunderhead
“Alpenglow, Dissipating Thunderhead” — An afternoon thunderstorm dissipates above developing alpenglow on Sierra Nevada peaks and flower-filled meadow, John Muir Wilderness.

I remember this evening well. I’m not always sure why, but the details of certain specific days in the Sierra stick with me. As I recall, it was a quiet evening well into our weeklong stay near the lower end of this high basin. We were relaxed and enjoying the spectacle of large storms dissipating to our south as the evening approached.

These peaks and ridges and this meadow were our friends for that week, and we saw them in diverse conditions and light. Even though it was late summer, the wildflowers peaked near our arrival and were perhaps just beginning to fade. We viewed and photographed that ridge in morning and evening light, on days that were clear and when the view was obstructed by haze, clouds, or rain.

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 | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

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

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Alpine Ridge, Evening

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Alpine Ridge, Evening
“Alpine Ridge, Evening” — Golden hour light glances across a shattered, rocky ridge, John Muir Wilderness

There is a common notion that landscape photography is a slow and deliberate activity, that we stand in front of a static landscape and carefully work out the right composition as the landscape awaits. This can happen, but the landscape is often quite dynamic, particularly when it comes to changing light. Beams of light between clouds can move across the scene, sunset light is ephemeral, rain showers can momentarily reveal or obscure features.

I made this photograph near our campsite on a lovely late-summer evening. It was during the last half of our weeklong stay, so we were settling in. As the day ended we were all wandering about looking for photographs. As the sun dropped to the west, deep shadows began to fill the great valley in front of us and then creep up the slopes. A last beam of light fell across the near ridge, and then was gone moments after I photographed it.

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 | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

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

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Meadow to Mountains

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Meadow to Mountains
“Meadow to Mountains” — Wild onions grow at the edge of a subalpine meadow near Sierra Nevada peaks.

I made this photograph at the end of August several years ago, camped high in the John Muir Wilderness west of the Sierra crest. Experienced Sierra travelers are probably wondering about the flowers and all that greenery — by this point in a typical year much of this country is brown and dry, and the wildflower show is largely over. But this was an unusual year. The preceding winter had been very wet, and this sustained the lush growth all the way into early September.

Our basecamp location was on a rise above a meadow with a small lake. From there we had a clear view to high peaks on ridges to our south and southwest, a view that we got to know quite well during our stay. On this morning I walked down to the lower end of the meadow, past the lake, to just before the terrain dropped into a large canyon. Here the outflow from the lake watered an area of meadow and alpine willow bushes.

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 | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

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

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