Tag Archives: river

Photographs: France, Photographs: Urban/Street

Along the Seine

October 28, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Most of our time in Paris this past August was spent walking, and there are certainly plenty of great places to walk in this city! But Paris is big enough that sometimes it is useful to get around in other ways: train, bus, subway… and boat. So, after a few days of looking around on foot we decided to catch one of the river tours up and down the Seine through the city. We’ve done this in other cities and discovered that the boats often provide a very different view of things than what we see from the streets.

I quickly figured out that much of my photography from the river would best be done with a longer lens, so I put a telephoto zoom that I had brought along on my little Fujifilm XPro2 camera. Photographic subjects, when seen from a boat, often pass very quickly and there would be little time for lens changes. I photographed almost continuously — architecture, bridges, people along the banks of the river, and more. Here I saw a fellow relaxing against a wall at the top of a stairway leading down to a walkway along the river.

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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Italy, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Ponte Vecchio

October 17, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Buildings on the Ponte Vecchio bridge across the Arno River, Florence/Firenze

I have mentioned before that I often like to not know too much about a place before my first visit — I love the experience of discovering it in my own way once I arrive. While some research is a good thing, too much can compromise the experience. As a result, it isn’t unusual for me to arrive in a new location completely unaware of some thing that everyone else knows about. (Someone I know still tells the story of my first visit to Arches National Park…) This is a long way of saying that I did not really know about the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge until I saw it moments before I walked across the first time.

I now understand that this bridge across the Arno River in Florence has a very long history, but when I first saw it I simply responded to it on the basis of what I saw. And I had never seen a bridge quite like this before. The old span is almost entirely lined with buildings, many quite old, and apparently it was long ago the location of butcher shops and more recently of jewelers, art sellers, and souvenir shops. We arrived late in the day, just as the sunset light was coming on. I photographed this scene in the shaded side of the bridge, narrowing the composition to focus on the shapes, colors, and textures of the old buildings.

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

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

Evening Meadow and Forest

August 27, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Evening at subalpine meadows near Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park

I began photographing in this meadow area much earlier — in the late afternoon, actually, when direct sunlight still streamed over the tall ridge to the west. I initially passed right through this section on my way to points further to the east in the meadow, where I found more open terrain, expansive views, and a few small lakes and tarns.

The light leaves early here. That western ridge begins to cast a shadow across the meadows well before actual sunset. Even though I was as far from this ridge as possible, eventually the shadows caught up with me and the light was gone, with the exception of the highest peaks where it would linger much longer. So I began my slow walk back across the meadow to my vehicle, enjoying the softer light of this quiet time of the day.

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

Mammoth Peak, Kuna Crest

August 26, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Mammoth Peak and Kuna Crest tower above the Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River

I have photographed this mountain a number of times. It is a weakness, but I know that the weakness is shared by quite a few other photographers, too! If you approach Tioga Pass from the east, as you pass Tioga Lake and ascend the last stretch toward the summit of the pass, this beautiful mountain lies directly ahead, straight across the pass.

It is often photographed from the pass or very close to it, and for good reason. There are several lovely tarns at the pass, and it is quite possible to include them and even the reflection of the peak in their waters. However, I wandered off in a different direction, a bit below the pass, spending a couple of hours exploring the upper reaches of Dana Meadows, which line the Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River as it begins its journey to the confluence with the Lyell Fork and points to the west.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: river

Along the Seine

Ponte Vecchio

Evening Meadow and Forest

Mammoth Peak, Kuna Crest

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.