Tag Archives: reflections

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Morning Shoreline

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Morning Shoreline
Early morning light on the shoreline of a subalpine Sierra Nevada lake.

Morning Shoreline. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Early morning light on the shoreline of a subalpine Sierra Nevada lake.

There is a lot to see along the edges of virtually any backcountry Sierra Nevada lake. As I go though my mental inventory from many past trips I think of mornings and evenings looking straight into low sunlight, campsites (from back in the days when we still thought it was OK to camp near the water), hours spent sitting quietly among rocks and plants, slow circumnavigations of lakes, the marshy areas near inlets and outlets, the mountains rising above them, and more. We spent a week at this lake, which gave me a chance to see it in almost all of its moods.

This particular location has some significance to me. In a previous time, it was still acceptable to camp on the top of the rocky ledge at the left, and it was our “go to” spot to set up tents and bivy sacks back then. These days, the authorities have (wisely) placed that spot off limits for camping — too close to the water, too likely that colorful tents draw attention, and too little area. But we can still visit, and on this trip I used the spot to get an elevated perspective on the lake. I made this photograph in the morning, as the first direct light of the day was working its way across the landscape. Although the nearby face was still almost entirely in shadow, the further trees were catching that morning sun.

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: San Francisco, Photographs: Urban/Street

Too Many Layers

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Too Many Layers
Multiple layers of reflections produce a complex whole.

Too Many Layers. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Multiple layers of reflections produce a complex whole.

The urban landscape can be quite complex and even deceptive. I think that we imagine it to be the most rational of landscapes, where everything is objectively “real” and describable. But when you begin to look more closely, if frequently isn’t quite what it seems to be. The surfaces of things are often elusive, and you may find yourself looking more at the reflections of other things than at the object you think you are viewing.

It is somewhat difficult to make sense of this image at all once you start looking closely. There are, obviously, things from the street — parts of automobiles, a bit of a crosswalk. But nothing in this scene is viewed directly — everything is a reflect, or a reflection of a reflection, or a reflection viewed through another reflection.

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

Rock Islands, Alpine Lake

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Rock Islands, Alpine Lake
Boulders form small islands near the shoreline of a Sierra Nevada alpine lake.

Rock Islands, Alpine Lake. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Boulders form small islands near the shoreline of a Sierra Nevada alpine lake.

I made this photograph on a beautiful evening in a favorite Yosemite backcountry location featuring a small string of three sub-alpine lakes. The lowest is surrounded by forest, but this upper lake sits in a wide-open bowl at timberline and facing the western sky. This makes it a place of astonishingly colorful evening and sunset light when the conditions align.

As is my usual pattern, I had camped at the lower lake before wandering to the upper lake late in the day, planning to photograph along the shoreline. In fact I had in mind a particular treat that I wanted as my subject. After making a few pictures of it I headed out around the lake, where I made this photograph of “boulder islands” along the shoreline just as golden hour was beginning.

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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Photographs: Abstract, Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Urban/Street

Four Frames

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Four Frames
Reflections, San Francisco

Four Frames. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Reflections, San Francisco

For me, one result of carrying a camera around is that I often realize that things we barely notice often turn out to be unbelievably strange. Urban buildings can take on an entirely different look if you start to pay attention to the reflections in their windows — the abstract patterns of shapes and colors, the hallucinogenic distortions, and the bizarre juxtapositions. This is yet another example of seeing things for “what else they are.”

I think that writing too much about the background of this photo risks ruining its effect — so I won’t. I will say that it contains quite a few of the “juxtapositions” I mentioned above. Refusing to give in to temptation, that’s all I’m going to say!

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.