Tag Archives: pond

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Water Plants, Reflections

December 8, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Water plants reflected in the surface of a wetland pond

Subjects like these are almost easy to find and almost irresistible to photograph when I’m out chasing wild geese in the California Central Valley wetlands. While the birds are the main subject, or so I tell myself, there is much else to look at — the trees and grasses, the immense sky, the effects of fog and haze, and the patterns and reflections on the surface of the wetland ponds.

This was a very foggy morning, somewhat to my surprise. I always check the weather conditions before heading out here, usually in the hope that there will be at least some fog. But this time there were no indications that it would be anything but sunny and clear, at least not until my pre-departure final weather check, where I found one report of ground fog at a nearby airport. And, sure enough, once I got within a half hour of my destination the fog began to develop, and after my arrival in continued to build. So much of my morning was spent photographing in Central Valley tule fog.

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Wildlife

Arrival of Geese, Dusk

December 6, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Geese land in a wetland pond at dusk

In an earlier post I alluded to my occasional good fortune in being the recipient of unanticipated events while out photographing, in this case the unexpected arrival of a dusk flock of geese right in front of the spot where I was standing and quietly watching the dusk light fade, thinking that I had finished my photography for the day. In that last moment, a flock took to the air a good distance away across wetland ponds, expanded the circle of its flight, and without warning began to land in the pond next to my position.

The relationships between luck and skill and preparation are complex, but there is no denying that luck plays a role in photographing the natural world. While I could tell that the sky was becoming beautiful, and while I am prepared to make technical and esthetic decision about how to photograph things as they happen, the fact that this flock took off in the dusk light and then landed perhaps fifty feet from my position is certainly nothing for which I can take credit. It does pay to be prepared, to have done this enough times to have a good chance of making the right decisions quickly when the opportunity arrives and, perhaps most of all, to be out there in the field as much as possible. One moment like this one makes it worthwhile.

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

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

Cranes in Rain

November 7, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A group of sandhill cranes stands in a wetland pond during a rain storm

As fall arrives I look forward to many interesting photographic opportunities: the storms and surf along the California coast, the dramatic effects of fog and clouds on the landscape, the return of migratory birds to the state, especially in the Great Central Valley. The bird photographer really doesn’t begin in earnest until perhaps late November or December, with some of the best opportunities coming even a bit later, but that doesn’t stop me from testing the waters earlier if I hear that birds have arrived.

In fact, I had heard reports that sandhill cranes have been showing up in the valley for weeks, and a late-October visit to the Sierra provided me with an opportunity to do a bit of reconnaissance. On my way across the valley to the mountains I paused at a wetland area to see what I could find. It turned out that the main thing I found was rain! It wasn’t raining when I arrived, but soon a front moved through and absolutely poured on me, to the point that I was only able to make a few photographs. One of them was this photograph of a somewhat forlorn group of sandhill cranes, hunkered down in a pond,facing into the wind, and waiting out the storm.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Mammoth Peak, Kuna Crest

August 26, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Mammoth Peak and Kuna Crest tower above the Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River

I have photographed this mountain a number of times. It is a weakness, but I know that the weakness is shared by quite a few other photographers, too! If you approach Tioga Pass from the east, as you pass Tioga Lake and ascend the last stretch toward the summit of the pass, this beautiful mountain lies directly ahead, straight across the pass.

It is often photographed from the pass or very close to it, and for good reason. There are several lovely tarns at the pass, and it is quite possible to include them and even the reflection of the peak in their waters. However, I wandered off in a different direction, a bit below the pass, spending a couple of hours exploring the upper reaches of Dana Meadows, which line the Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River as it begins its journey to the confluence with the Lyell Fork and points to the west.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: pond

Water Plants, Reflections

Arrival of Geese, Dusk

Cranes in Rain

Mammoth Peak, Kuna Crest

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.