Tag Archives: pond

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

Aspen Grove and Pond

Image Leave a comment
Aspen Grove and Pond
“Aspen Grove and Pond” — Autumn aspen trees on the shore of a small Eastern Sierra Nevada pond.

I came to this spot rather late in the day, though that was partially intentional. I knew that rows of aspens here can glow in backlight in the late afternoon, and there is a short window of opportunity between the time that the sun moves behind them and when it drops behind the surrounding peaks. I arrived and quickly went to work, since I had my eyes on several of the groves.

These trees grow in a row on the far side of a beaver pond. You wouldn’t know it from the photograph, but it can be a bit difficult to find a camera position with a clear view across the water — lots of stuff grows along the near shoreline, and much of it is so wet and muddy that it isn’t easy to get to the water’s edge. When I made the photograph the far slopes of the upper valley had already fallen into shadow, and before long the light would disappear from these trees, too.

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.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetlands, Winter Clouds and Fog

Image Leave a comment
Wetlands, Winter Clouds and Fog
“Wetlands, Winter Clouds and Fog” — Winter clouds and fog mute the colors and details of a wetland landscape.

Who can resist the symmetry of clouds and their reflections in still water? I know I cannot. I have photographed such things many times, but more typically the photographs feature some kind of overpowering sky — thunderstorms or a brilliantly colorful sunrise or sunset. (In fact, I’ve made a few of the latter at this very location.) But here I wanted to focus on something different, a subject that suggests the quiet and stillness of this wetlands landscape.

It was a foggy winter morning. As the fog began to thin the high clouds and their reflections became visible, although the horizon just beyond the rushes was still obscured by tule fog. Aside from the sounds of birds, it was quiet. The air was nearly still, and the scene was almost static — though to be accurate, it was simply changing very slowly.

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.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Winter Cloudscape

Image Leave a comment
Winter Cloudscape
“Winter Cloudscape” — Clouds and their reflections produce a minimalist landscape on a foggy winter morning in Central California.

Recently I went back and reviewed photographs from the winter migratory bird season, a time when I head to California’s Central Valley as frequently as possible. The birds are the trigger for this annual focus, but my interests go well beyond the wildlife. I’m fascinated by the flat, wide-open landscape, the immense sky, the long views, and the fantastic tule fogs. “Normal” people steer clear on foggy days out there, but that’s my cue to head to the Valley!

This morning began with fairly thick fog. But as is common, it began to clear shortly after sunrise. This is a slow process. The fog may thin in one area but remain impenetrable nearby, or after clearing it may drift back again. Because tule fog isn’t very deep, the sky above is often visible before the surrounding land. That’s the case here, as the soft overhead winter clouds are visible against a blue sky, even as the horizon is obscured by fog. One thing that seems magical about these scenes is that almost nothing is solid and tangible — it is a vague landscape of mist, clouds, and reflections.

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.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetland Reflections, Winter Morning

Image Leave a comment
Wetland Reflections, Winter Morning
“Wetland Reflections, Winter Morning” — Fog envelops a wetland marsh reflecing the soft light of sunrise on a quiet winter morning.

Am I alone in always looking forward (or sometimes backwards) to the season that is not the current one? In summer I anticipate fall. In winter I look forward to spring. For some reason today I got to thinking about last winter, and I dug into some photographs I made back in January when regular trips to photograph this cold, foggy landscape and migratory birds were part of my routine.

The photograph reminds me of the other sensations of this place at that time of year. It was cold and the air was still and damp with tule fog. The opaque fog muted the landscape more than a few hundred feet away, except that the tule fog was shallow enough to barely reveal the sunrise and high clouds. You might think it was silent, but the sounds of winter birds filled the air.

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.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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