Tag Archives: plants

Arch, Stairs, and Plants

Arch, Stairs, and Plants — Trogir, Croatia
“Arch, Stairs, and Plants” — Plants line stairs leading to a doorway above an arch, Trogir, Croatia.

Trogir is an intense and fascinating place. The historic old town is on an island that sits in a narrow passage between the Croatian mainland and a much larger island. It was quite crowded during the days and evenings when we visited, not only with those of us who drove (or walked) in but also those who anchored their boats right next the town.

It seems like the whole place is built of stone. The sidewalks/streets are cobblestone, walls are made of stone, and it is by far the most common construction material for buildings. I made this photograph on one of the occasions where we were able to escape the crowds (hint: go in the very early morning) and photograph with fewer distractions.

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

2 responses to “Arch, Stairs, and Plants”

  1. Jan Avatar
    Jan

    Nice memories!!

    1. G Dan Mitchell Avatar
      G Dan Mitchell

      For sure!

      Dan

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Green and Yellow Tulip

Green and Yellow Tulip
“Green and Yellow Tulip” — A yellow tulip begins to open, wiht some of its green bud color intact.

Yes, another tulip! I made a lot of tulip photographs on our early-spring visit to the garden of a historic estate on the San Francisco Peninsula. I won’t share all of them, but I will continue to gradually release a set that includes different colors, settings, and states of development.

As I have previously mentioned, I particularly enjoy the appearance of the buds before they fully blossom, and I rarely photograph them once they are mature flowers. This one takes me about as close to that final stage as I can go and still claim that it is (sort of) a bud. This specimen is right on the edge of blooming fully, and we can almost see it opening up. A bit of the bud’s green color is retained, but the yellow of the flower predominates.

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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Woman in Red Coat

Woman in Red Coat, Paris
“Woman in Red Coat” — A woman in a red coat sits on steps outside a Paris building.

This is another of the “grab shots” that I often come away with when I’m doing street photography. Here things appear and disappear quickly, and it is often more a matter of grab-that-shot than careful and slow consideration of the subject. Here I simply spotted this women on the steps and wearing the striking red coat as we walked past.

It can sometimes be hard to articulate precisely what I see in a photograph that I make. Here, I think that the color of the woman’s red coat is pretty important, as it stands out against the cooler colors in the rest of the scene, especially the color blue. I also was attracted to the somewhat melancholy feeling of the woman sitting alone on the steps in front of the badly weathered doorway. Form is also important, and here the mirrored shapes of the planter boxes create a kind of background rhythm.

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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Mesquite Plants, Dunes

Mesquite Plants, Dunes, Death Valley
“Mesquite Plants, Dunes” — Mesquite plants growing on sand dunes, Death Valley National Park.

Mesquite manages to survive and occasionally prosper in very unlikely conditions. This thriving instance is growing in the middle of dunes in Death Valley, not exactly the most friendly environment. In the dunes, isolated clumps of vegetation like this create their own little ecosystems. The plants interfere with the windblown passage of sand, and in their shelter you can often find evidence of animal life — insects, lizards and snakes, occasional tracks of small mammals.

If you spend much time out in the dunes you soon realize that a lot of these plants are dead or nearly so, existing now just as snags. It is a tough environment! This little clump of mesquite is one of the healthiest I have encountered.

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

2 responses to “Mesquite Plants, Dunes”

  1. hokkum Avatar
    hokkum

    Clarity is of course terrific, but even more interesting is the contrast between life and apparent death.

    1. G Dan Mitchell Avatar
      G Dan Mitchell

      That contrast is never far away in the desert, is it?

      Dan

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