Tag Archives: photography

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Hitchcock Lakes

Leave a comment
High Lakes, Trail Crest
Terrain to the west of Whitney Trail Crest

Hitchcock Lakes from the Mt. Whitney Trail. Sequoia National Park, California. August 11, 2008. © Copyright 2008 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Hitchcock Lakes seen from the Mt. Whitney Trail.

I climbed Mount Whitney – again – on August 11, 2008 after crossing the Sierra Nevada from west to east on Sequoia National Park’s High Sierra Trail. I’ve been to the summit a couple times in the past. Last year I swore I would not climb this peak again, mainly because there are so many other beautiful things to see in the Sierra and I didn’t feel a strong need to do this again. But my friends proposed a trip that concluded with the Whitney ascent, and I couldn’t say no.

A traditional starting point for ascents from the west is Guitar Lake, a small – and often somewhat crowded – little lake in a truly alpine setting just above timberline. From here the trail ascends the valley containing these lakes, leading to the junction with the trail from the east side just before reaching the ridge, and then a lateral trail traverses out to the summit of Whitney.

It won’t surprise anyone if I say that there are some wonderful panoramas to be seen from almost any point on this climb. One of my favorite is this view back across the valley from which the trail ascended and towards high elevation Hitchcock Lakes and the ridge between them and the Crabtree Basin beyond.

(Oddly, I often find the summit view to be photographically uninspiring, and I usually end up just making some “record” photos there and a perfunctory pano or two.)

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email

Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: San Francisco

Giants vs. Rockies, ATT Park at Twilight

Leave a comment
Giants v. Rockies, ATT Park at Twilight

Giants v. Rockies, ATT Park at Twilight. San Francisco, California. August 25, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Twilight photograph of ATT Park field, lights, and stands and the San Francisco Bay beyond from the upper deck during August 25, 2008 Giants versus Rockies game. Giants lost… again… sigh…

The view is beautiful from almost any point in this ball park, but especially from the upper deck seats – from which you can watch the twilight fade over San Francisco Bay. And that’s a good thing, because for Giants fans these days the view over the Bay is often much more appealing than the action on the field. A dog, garlic fries, and a beer help, too.

keywords: giants, rockies, att, park, baseball, national league, team, night, twilight, evening, field, stadium, stands, seats, fans, people, players, lights, sign, san francisco, bay, california, usa, waterfront, stock, sports, travel, scenic, urban, bay area

Photographs: Central California

Cypress Forest Path

Leave a comment

Cypress Forest Path
Cypress Forest Path. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. August 24, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Trail with steps and cypress tree at Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

This is the same location in several other photographs I have posted recently, all shot during a late August 2008 visit to this central California coastal park. In this version I have taken the liberty of doing some (to me, at least) significant post-processing of the photograph in order to create a particular type of mood that seems appropriate for this location.

keywords: california, nature, point lobos, summer, monterey, state, reserve, carmel, peninsula, trail, steps, stairs, cypress, tree, forest, path, usa, coast, shore, steps, stairs, plants, flowers, wildflowers, rocks, branch, stock

Photographs: Central California

Cypress Tree and Steps

Leave a comment

Cypress Tree and Steps - Point Lobos
Cypress Tree and Steps. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. August 24, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of rock steps leading to a lone cypress tree. Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

I’ve visited this spot many times in the past. It is along a short trail at Point Lobos that leads through the Monterey cypress forest and right along the tops of the coastal cliffs. I’ve always been intrigued by this little section of trail with this carefully constructed stone stairway leading to a small lone cypress right on the edge of the cliff. It was foggy on the day when I made this photo – I set up the camera and tripod and waited for some light to begin to filter through the thinning fog.

keywords: black and white, monochrome, cypress, tree, branch, trunk, steps, stairs, trail, path, rock, boulder, plants, point lobos, state, reserve, california, usa, ocean, park, carmel, monterey, peninsula, travel, scenic, landscape, detail. stock, nature