Tag Archives: reflection

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Clearing Storm, Lake, and Fog

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Clearing Storm, Lake, and Fog
“Clearing Storm, Lake, and Fog” — Evening fog drifts over moutains around a Sierra Nevada mountain lake as storm clouds clear.

I made this photograph on a rather remarkable Sierra evening. Late the previous day it had started to rain. Contrary to my expectations and experience, this turned out to not be just another afternoon shower — it absolutely poured, confining us to tents for hours and restricting our photography well into the next day. Finally the rain began to let up and we got out, though everything remained gray and wet. It wasn’t until the second evening, right around sunset, that the clouds finally broke enough to let in some light. But what light it was — perhaps a reward for our forbearance during the storm!

This photograph has been sitting in the archives for quite some time. I have looked at it in periodically and puzzled over how to handle it. The challenge was that the sky color was bright and extremely intense, so my exposure had to leave the foreground in deep shadow. This week I came back to the photo and figured out how to process it. Part of the challenge was technical, but it was also aesthetic — a question of how bright to make things and still retain the sense of oncoming twilight.

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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Conservation/Environment, Photographs: England, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Cobblestones in Rain, York

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Cobblestones in Rain, York
“Cobblestones in Rain, York” — Rain-slicked cobblestones in York, England.

The weather was rather varied during our brief early June stay in York, England. As I share photographs from the visit, you’ll see some made in lovely sun and others, like this, in more challenging weather. We were out for a wander on this day and clouds eventually turned to rain as we walked near the Yorkminster Church. As the light rain started — and before we decided to beat a retreat to a nearby restaurant for shelter and lunch — I paused to make this photograph of a cobbled street.

Photographs of particular places can suggest them to varying degrees. Clearly a photograph of a specific, iconic feature ties the image to the location with precision. Other photographs may work more subtly, perhaps capturing something of the mood of the place without shouting its name. And others may not be location-specific at all — like this one, which features a small scene that you could probably find on a rainy day in many places.

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

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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Scotland, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Travel

Window Detail, Glasgow

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Window Detail, Glasgow
“Window Detail, Glasgow” — Detail of an old window at the University of Glasgow.

As I wrote previously, we ended up on the campus of Glasgow University more or less by accident. A long walk toward West End took us within sight of its famous tower, and that was enough to convince to detour for a closer look. The tower and building from which it rises are built in striking Neo-Gothic style, and once we got there we could not resist wandering into its inner courtyards.

My attention was first drawn to the large and impressive features of the place — its tower, the tall buildings, the large internal courtyards, and the columns and arches beneath a wing that separates them. But as we walked around I became more aware of fascinating small details. This close up photograph includes some of the stone construction. At the very bottom is a bit of old, lichen-encrusted stone.with more polished stone forming the frame of the window.

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

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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetlands, Winter Clouds and Fog

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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.

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