Tag Archives: pond

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetlands, First Light

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Wetlands, First Light
“Wetlands, First Light” — Dawn sky and thinning tule fog above a reflecting wetlands pond.

Yes, I’m still working the winter Central Valley photographs — and I’m not done yet! As I have said many times, this is probably my favorite winter subject. Or perhaps I should write “subjects,” since these locations offer both landscape and wildlife photography subjects at this time of year. Although they are not featured in this photograph, this is a prime part of California for winter migratory birds.

You can never predict with certainty what the fog will do on these winter mornings. The surprise this time was a “hole” that opened in the fog, producing clear skies in our little area while our surroundings were still obscured. This photograph looks east, across a pond and the fog bank, toward the first dawn light above the Sierra Nevada.

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: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetlands, Dawn Light and Fog

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Wetlands, Dawn Light, and Fog
“Wetlands, Dawn Light and Fog” — Drifting fog obscures the distant view at dawn in Central Valley wetlands.

Yes, another foggy Central Valley morning landscape. What can I say? The subject is often on my mind this time of year. While it isn’t always that attractive in the summer, during the winter months this landscape is transformed by the arrival of migratory birds, the appearance of seasonal ponds, and the tule fog. The latter obscures some of the more mundane elements of this landscape and produces a mysterious, moody atmosphere.

I made the photograph just before sunrise. The early light was coloring the sky, visible through the shallow layer of fog. The fog was already starting to drift and thin, and it glowed with the colors of the sunrise clouds overhead. The wetlands were quiet, except for the sounds of birds, and a solitary black-necked stilt stood nearby in the shallow water.

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 | BlueSky | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Reeds, Sky, Reflecting Pond

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“Reeds, Sky, Reflecting Pond” — The sky above reed-covered wetlands islands is reflected in the surface of a pond.

On the right day, in the right conditions, these wetlands can sometimes feel like they are all about the sky. Standing next to a large pond that extends into the distance, the sky above and its inverse reflective twin stretch out in front of you. They meet at the horizon, with may be defined by a thick line of vegetation, as here, or the water and the sky may merge into a single thing.

It may not be immediately apparent, but a conjunction of atmospheric effects is behind this photograph. Above, the sky is filled with thin blue-gray clouds. Lower down in the distance, a rather thick fog bank still lurks. The foreground reeds are catching a beam of direct sunlight, almost appearing stark against the background of clouds and fog ad their reflection in the pond.

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 | BlueSky | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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

Photographs: Nature

Water Plants, Fog

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Water plants
“Water Plants, Fog” — Water plants in a wetlands pond enveloped by tule fog.

When I photograph in the wetlands I am always fascinated by plants that grow in the shallow water, and especially by the stark forms of winter-dormant plants. The background of water — often reflecting sky — lets us see the forms of the plants without the distractions that would render them hard to see in dry areas.

Here I had an added advantage from tule fog that obscured anything more than a few yards away from me. (The slightly more distant plants at upper left are already muted by the fog.) The air was also still — or the fog would have dissipated — and this helped smooth the surface of the water, leaving just enough rippling to add a bit of texture suggesting the watery background

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 | BlueSky | 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.