Tag Archives: plants

Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Red-winged Blackbird

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Red-winged Blackbird
“Red-winged Blackbird” — A red-winged blackbird perched in wetland plants, San Joaquin Valley.

I photographed this red-winged blackbird perching on wetland plants on New Year’s Day, 2024. (In this light and with the wing in this position, it is possible that it could be a tri-colored blackbird.) Anthropomorphizing animal behavior can be a mistake, but these birds always impress me as a happy bunch. Perhaps that is because their cries and their flight patterns make me happy. They also do a pretty good job of producing synchronized-flight “murmurations.”

They are not easy to photograph. They are small birds, and they fly quickly and often erratically. They hang out in vegetation and retreat to more obscure spots when you come close. And the black plumage of the male birds can lose details in a photo. (I usually over-expose them a bit to retain some detail.) A combination of quiet patience and quick reactions is required if you want to get the shot.

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: Croatia, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Travel

Window, Trogir

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Window, Trogir
Plants grow behind a small obscured-glass window in Trogir, Croatia.

Window, Trogir. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Plants grow behind a small obscured-glass window in Trogir, Croatia.

As another photographer once wrote, “There’s always something to see!” We all occasionally discover that we aren’t “seeing” like we used to, and perhaps we feel like there is nothing to photograph. But there is always something. It may not be the thing you were looking for, but if you keep at it, perhaps looking in places that you don’t normally pay attention to or possibly thinking about what you could do differently.

I was not planning to photograph tiny windows with plants behind obscured glass when I went out to photograph in Trogir, Croatia last August. I was in “street photography” mode, looking for people in interesting places and poses, against the backdrop of this very old city. But by opening my eyes and taking a bit more time I was able to see things like this that are easy to overlook.

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: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Aspens and Cliff, Autumn

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Aspens and Cliff, Autumn
A small copse of autumn aspens, surrounded by green plants and brush and backed by a rocky cliff.

Aspens and Cliff, Autumn. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A small copse of autumn aspens, surrounded by green plants and brush and backed by a rocky cliff.

This photograph comes from a location that I have visited for years, initially mostly for one particular view that I would rarely try to photograph these days. But it turns out — as always! — that there are other things to see and photograph close to this “one thing,” and I continue to enjoy going back and photographing them. Every time I go I discover something new.

This little group of trees, however, doesn’t really fit into that “something new” category, since I have photographed them before. Years ago, intrigued by the juxtaposition of trees and rocks, I tried to photograph them from very close up. I had some success, but it was eventually unsatisfying. The main issue was with camera angles — I ended up with two choices: either photographs of small elements in the scene (somewhat successful) or angling up to take in the whole tree (less successful!). But it turns out that I can work from a much greater distance and narrow the amount of cliff included behind the trees.

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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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Italy, Photographs: Travel

Courtyard and Stairs

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Courtyard and Stairs
An arched passageway, a courtyard, and stairs — Orvieto, Italy.

Courtyard and Stairs. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

An arched passageway, a courtyard, and stairs — Orvieto, Italy.

Because we were on such a long trip (ten weeks!), we scheduled some time in quieter, slower places between our visits to the “big name” destinations. After Florence we visited two places that are a bit less overrun, Arezzo and Orvieto. Neither is quite immune to tourism, but the difference is striking — especially in Orvieto, which seems to be visited by a lot of day-trippers. While certain areas are pretty busy in the middle of the day, in the morning and evening the place is quiet.

This photograph comes from Orvieto, a really lovely place. It is a “hill town,” built on the top of a mountain above the surrounding land and surrounded by old walls. While there is more modern stuff outside the walls and on the lower surroundings, the town itself is almost entirely old structures, including a really beautiful duomo. Walking around Orvieto we found little vignette like this at every turn.

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.