Tag Archives: plant

Photographs: Nature

Conifer Bark and Moss

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Conifer Bark and Moss
Most grows on the thick bark of a Yosemite Valley conifer.

Conifer Bark and Moss. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Most grows on the thick bark of a Yosemite Valley conifer.

Sometimes the texture of tree back can almost take on the appearance of a landscape, especially when it is the thick and textured bark on large, old trees. This example, from alongside a trail in Yosemite Valley, almost looks to me like a set of parallel valleys, with forest or meadows represented by the green most growing in the darker cracks. I’m also fascinated by the texture of the lighter sections, which seem to be build up in layers.

I suppose, to some extent, that this photograph may be yet another in the “record shot” category, at least if you don’t find the textures and shapes of the bark fascinating.

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

Photographs: Macro, Photographs: Nature

Foxglove Buds

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Foxglove Buds
Foxglove buds about to bloom.

Foxglove Buds. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Foxglove buds about to bloom.

We visited this garden in late May to photograph spring flowers. Lots of things were in bloom, particularly roses and foxglove. The foxglove blooms intrigued me, and I began by trying to photograph individual blooms and the dense collections of flowers. Eventually I noticed that a few of the plants had not entirely blossomed yet, and I became intrigued by the groups of buds at the tops of the plants.

There’s an interesting and useful photographic fact demonstrated by this photograph. One way to highlight a subject is to place it in sharp focus against an out-of-focus, diffused background. The usual advice — which has some validity — is to use an extremely large aperture to make the background soft. But if you are close enough to the subject and the background is far enough away, you can also get a nice background blur with smaller apertures, too… as I did here. (Note, too, that color and luminosity differences between subject and background can also help it stand out.)

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 | Twitter | 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: Macro, Photographs: Nature

Cattail

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Cattail
A spring cattail growing along a trail in the San Francisco Bay hills.

Cattail. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A spring cattail growing along a trail in the San Francisco Bay hills.

I made this at a place where I usually hike in the morning, a nearby park with trails where I can quickly get away and put in some miles. I don’t go primarily for photographic reasons, though I always carry a camera. This time my schedule made it possible to take an evening hike. I started after the dinner hour, set a turn-around time so that I’d get back to the car before the gate was closed, and I was off.

I went a couple of miles before my alarm reminded me that it was time to turn around. I retraced my steps, but now the soft evening light was starting to look interesting. Eventually I came to a large patch of dense cattails growing along the trail, something I had completely missed on the first half of the hike. I took a look at my watch, figured I could spare a few minutes, and set to work making close-up photographs of the lime-green cattails. (Note: I realize that I don’t know the actual definition of “cattail” plants…)

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 | Twitter | 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: Macro, Photographs: Nature

Seed Pods

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Seed Pods
Seed pods in the San Francisco Bay Area hills.

Seed Pods. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Seed pods in the San Francisco Bay Area hills.

This is a very subtle photograph, with a small range of tones and nothing that is quite pure white or even close to black. The early evening light was quite soft. I almost decided not to try to photograph this subject — the colors were so subtle, the light was low, and I was working handheld. But there I was, there the seed pods were, so I decided to give it a try.

The pods belong to some very tall wild grasses that grow along a trail that I frequently hike. Perhaps only weeks ago this would have been a very green subject, but here in California we move pretty quickly from the green of April to the brown, tan, and gold of the drier seasons of the year.

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 | Twitter | 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.