Tag Archives: reflections

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Southern California

Building and Los Angeles Sky

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Building and Los Angeles Sky
Southern California sky reflected on the surfaces of a modern tower.

Building and Los Angeles Sky. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Southern California sky reflected on the surfaces of a modern tower.

Although it seems like it should have been an obvious thing, I recall realizing for the first time that the appearance of modern reflective towers like this one comes more from what is not the building than what is. With the exception of a few boundaries and the varying tones of the lighter and darker portions, the whole surface of the building is not-building stuff, in this case the sky and clouds. It is almost as if this massive structure’s appearance is mostly ephemeral and transient.

I do recall the circumstances of this photograph made back in 2013. We had gone to this area of Los Angeles to visit a museum where an exhibit of photographs by a well-known “nature” photographer was underway. In any case we ended up walking a bit, looking for a place to grab a bite to eat, and we passed an area with several buildings with appearances similar to this one.

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: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Water Plants

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Water Plants
Water plants reflected on the surface of a wetland pond.

Water Plants. © Copyright 2012 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Water plants reflected on the surface of a wetland pond.

In another post that I queued up recently I mentioned some aspects of the experience of photographing migratory birds, pointing out that a lot of “down time” is part of the experience — times when there isn’t a lot of action going on. The birds may be static — or missing! — and one waits. In that other post I point out that these slow times are certainly not a bad thing! The quiet stillness can grow on you eventually, and there are other things to see and photograph, too.

I’m not at all a “pure bird photographer.” When I’m in the field photographing this subject I spend a good portion of my time thinking as a landscape photographer. Even when the primary subject is a bird or birds, I often consider how that bird is part of the landscape. But I also frequently switch gears entirely and focus on the space in which the birds live… and I photograph landscapes. On this occasion I was working a wetland area and the reflections of plants in the water caught my attention.

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

Autumn Reflections, Merced River

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Autumn Reflections, Merced River
Autumn reflections in the surface of the Merced River, Yosemite Valley.

Autumn Reflections, Merced River. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Autumn reflections in the surface of the Merced River, Yosemite Valley.

Some years back, as is my annual tradition, I was in Yosemite Valley in autumn to photograph fall color and other aspects of the seasonal change. To be honest, I mostly avoid the Valley during the summer time. It is a spectacular place any time of year, but I’ll happily avoid the oppressive crowds and overly-hot weather and visit during the other three seasons.

I distinctly recall the circumstances of this photograph. It was morning, and there had been some light early snow. The sun was coming out in the morning, the temperature warmed, and the melting snow was dropping from every tree. As I walked across a bridge on my way to a different subject I happened to look down and see the patterns created as the droplets fell into the Merced River, creating expanding and overlapping rings. I was entranced. I stopped and set up, forgetting about my original goal, and focused on this subject instead.

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

Spring in the Urban Forest

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Spring in the Urban Forest
A tree with new spring growth in downtown San Francisco.

Spring in the Urban Forest. © Copyright 2012 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A tree with new spring growth in downtown San Francisco.

Here is another momentary detour away from the natural world and to the urban landscape, this time in San Francisco. I made the photograph on a spring day when I found branches with new leaves along this highly urban street, a place where it is possible to frame a photograph so that every single element is constructed by humans. But even here, spring cannot be held back.

These metal, concrete, and glass canyons are a landscape just as much as any red rock or granite canyon. It is possible to apply the same ways of seeing (at least to some extent) to both sorts of subjects. One of the features on this scene that always seems remarkable to me is the reflections. The largest area of what you “see” in the photograph does not consist of the actual objects in the frame, but rather of the ephemeral reflections of other objects on their surfaces.

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.

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