Tag Archives: pre-dawn

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Sea of Sand

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Sea of Sand
Waves of sand dunes in soft pre-sunrise light.

Sea of Sand. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Waves of sand dunes in soft pre-sunrise light.

As per the usual plan, we headed out into the dunes in darkness, arriving at a likely location for photography while the sun was still below the horizon. At this hour the light is very soft and the colors subtle — the intense color of sunrise doesn’t arrive until a bit later. Often it is nearly silent, especially on a windless morning, and the sunrise light show begins quietly.

There is only a short interval between not-enough-light and the saturated sunrise colors, during which the light changes rapidly. I was intrigued by the view across these lower dunes toward the Kit Fox Hills, so I put on a long lens and went to work, looking for interesting arrangements of the wave-like dune forms.

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: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Desert Wash, Before Sunrise

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Desert Wash, Before Sunrise
Pre-sunrise light gently illuminates badlands and desert sky, Death Valley.

Desert Wash, Before Sunrise. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Pre-sunrise light gently illuminates badlands and desert sky, Death Valley.

This is perhaps not the most common light that I photograph, although I experience it frequently. The time is just before sunrise, when the growing light turns the sky pink but the shadows remain blue, as do the lower reaches of the sky which are still in the “earth shadow.” The light is soft and, as is often true in such places, it was completely silent. (Some may recognize this scene from another photograph I shared recently.)

The light at this moment is not as spectacular, at least not in the familiar way, as that what is destined to arrive when the first direct sunlight strikes the landscape. I suppose that the anticipation is part of what makes it special. Making it even better, I was here alone, in complete solitude. (Some may recognize this scene from another photograph I shared recently.)

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

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

First Light, Dunes and Creosote

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First Light, Dunes and Creosote
Blossoming spring creosote plants among the sand dunes at first light.

First Light, Dunes and Creosote. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Blossoming spring creosote plants among the sand dunes at first light.

I love early morning in the sand dunes. When photographing there I typically arrive well before sunrise, when there is just a hint of light in the sky. In Death Valley this is mostly a very quiet time of the day, often with few other visitors, when the winds have died down yet the temperatures are still comfortable. The ideal morning is preceded by a windy afternoon the day before and into the evening, which may wipe away many of the footprints from the previous day’s visitors. However, walking into the dunes I always find new “footprints” — of mice and reptiles and other desert residents.

The transition of morning dusk light to full sunlight always amazes me, even after experiencing it many times. At first things move slowly though inexorably as the overall sky begins to gradually lighten. Well before actual sunrise there is quite a bit of light, but it is soft and gentle light, generally with a blue tint from the pre-sunrise sky. (I made this photograph at just about this point.) Then the pace accelerates as the first direct sunlight strikes some high point, generally to my west, and the light begins to transition to the saturated reddish colors of sunrise and work its way to lower elevations. By this time I’m engaged in photographing and usually working fast as the light changes very quickly. As the sun rises above the horizon or a mountain ridge a brief moment of soft, direct light begins, but the light quickly becomes intense and the difference between shadow and highlights becomes very large. Before long the coloration of this intense light diminishes and conditions move toward “just plain daylight.” I photograph a bit longer… and then it is time for a break!

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 and Amazon.

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Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Geese in Pre Dawn Sky

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Geese in Pre Dawn Sky
Strings of migratory geese fly high above farm country before dawn

Geese in Pre Dawn Sky. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Strings of migratory geese fly high above farm country before dawn.

I never know exactly what I’ll find when I show up to photograph birds. It might be foggy or the sky might be clear from horizon to horizon. There might be thousands of geese… or none at all. (And when there are none… they might show up later in the day.) The rising sun may produce brilliant colors, or it may be muted by low clouds.

If I recall correctly, we had hoped for fog on this morning — New Year’s Day — but instead found fairly clear weather. There was some thin fog hanging around, but it had more of the quality of a sort of atmospheric haze than of regular fog. And above this haze the clear sky was visible and changing colors in the first light. High above the geese were already active, and long chains of them flew high above us.

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 and Amazon.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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