Tag Archives: rain

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

Desert Mountains, Morning Storm

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Desert Mountains, Morning Storm
A morning storm drops snow and rain on desert mountains, Death Valley National Park.

Desert Mountains, Morning Storm. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A morning storm drops snow and rain on desert mountains, Death Valley National Park.

In addition to being an example of beautiful morning light, this photograph is a reminder about an important principle of landscape photography. I’ll get to that point in a moment. I made the photograph on our final morning in Death Valley before packing and starting home. Things didn’t look promising when I got up before dawn — it was overcast and there was a small chance of rain. I headed out into the Valley to photograph where, indeed, it was cloudy and I did get rained on. But for a brief moment this beautiful light appeared over distant mountains.

The landscape photography principle? There might be more than one, now that I think about it. The first is that if something special happens and you are not out there, you aren’t going to photograph it. So even on days when the prospects seem unpromising, you go. It helps to remember that not all days are astonishingly beautiful, and you’ll have to deal with the less-amazing days if you expect to be there for the miracles of light. Another principle? The most interesting light often arrives in the least promising situations — for example, on a gray, cloudy morning when beams of light unexpectedly break through a gap in the clouds and light up desert peaks against that dark, dramatic 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.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Spring Cloudburst

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Spring Cloudburst
A spring cloudburst moves across a Southern California grassland landscape.

Spring Cloudburst. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A spring cloudburst moves across a Southern California grassland landscape.

At the end of March we detoured though mountains west of the San Joaquin Valley on our way home from Death Valley, looking for grasslands where the spring wildflower bloom was starting. After a few false starts — two dead-ends that forced us to turn around and try different routes — we finally made it to this big valley where wet years produce an immense carpet of wildflowers.

The tail end of a weather system was passing through, producing conditions that are common here in the spring — mixed sun and rain, sudden cloudbursts, and fascinating light. A downpour darkens the sky against a background of intense sunlight on the rain and distant clouds, elements that almost completely drained the scene of color.

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: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Spring Wildflowers and Rain

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Spring Wildflowers and Rain
A carpet of spring wildflowers extends across a broad Californai valley as rain falls from passing clouds.

Spring Wildflowers and Rain. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A carpet of spring wildflowers extends across a broad California valley as rain falls from passing clouds.

While visiting Death Valley near the end of March we made a spur-of-the-moment decision to modify our return to the Bay Area by adding an extra travel day and visiting Carrizo Plain National Monument. In wet years this typically dry place erupts in spring color as wildflowers carpet the valley and surrounding mountains — and this being a very wet year a visit seemed appropriate. We made it to the Carrizo, though the full story of weather and detours will have to wait for a later post.

California’s exceptional 2022-23 weather was on view during our visit. It was supposed to be sunny and dry, but we passed through some pretty heavy downpours — and one of those showers is visible in the distance in this photograph. Here a carpet of wildflowers extends across the broad valley toward distant hills.

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.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Trees, Sierra Rain

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Trees, Sierra Rain
Trees and afternoon rain in the Sierra Nevada backcountry.

Trees, Sierra Rain. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Trees and afternoon rain in the Sierra Nevada backcountry.

Photography in the rain is a challenge. Concerns range from small things (drops of water on the lens) to potential catastrophe (water damaging the electronics), with a range of intermediate issues, not the least of which is the photographer’s comfort! The challenges are compounded in the backcountry, where staying warm and relatively dry are both challenging and critical. There’s no warm car or motel room to retreat to!

After being mostly stuck in our tents during 24 hours or rainy weather, a few brief breaks were enough to coax us outside for photography and, also important, to stretch our legs. Since the rain hadn’t really stopped, I carried my backup camera and no tripod so that I could more easily deal with the inevitable showers. Speaking which, I made this photograph in the middle of one of them, managing to make a short series of photographs of these noble and tall trees growing out of a rocky rise.

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.