Tag Archives: river

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

Twilight Clouds, Sierra Crest

July 20, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Sierra Wave cloud above the Sierra Crest at dusk, Yosemite National Park

On an evening of suddenly stunning clouds, this was just about my final photograph. The event was the sort that I have learned to sometimes anticipate when the conditions are just right in the Sierra. Much earlier in the day I had noticed the edge of a high deck of clouds to the northeast, lined up very close to the crest. Such clouds can be examples of the Sierra Wave, a kind of line of clouds that forms above and along the crest, often producing amazing skies.

As I started out photographing in the meadow and worked my way toward its far end, I watched the double-deck wave cloud for developing form and color. Eventually it started to look like there was going to be the potential for a special show, so I headed back to the camera position of this photograph, where I expected to have a view that including the peaks of the Sierra crest, the foreground meadow, and the clouds themselves. Before long the sunset light lit the clouds in extremely intense colors. I continued photographing as the sun dropped below the horizon and the colors gradually became more subtle, as seen in this post-sunset photograph.

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

Sierra Wave, Mounts Dana and Gibbs

July 19, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Evening Sierra wave clouds build above Mounts Dana and Gibbs along the Sierra crest.

This is how the show began, though I had my suspicions much earlier in the afternoon. When conditions are right, a “Sierra wave” cloud formation can form along and just to the east of the Sierra Nevada crest. It can be a long, undulating cloud formation, sometimes with many stacked layers — think of lenticular clouds that are many tens of miles long. The clouds simply sit above the crest, unmoving (though subtly transitioning in form) for hours. They are very impressive in broad daylight, but in the evening when conditions are right they are lit by the last sun coming from far west of the range, and the colors can be quite nearly unbelievable.

I first saw some interesting potential clouds shortly after noon, and I began to keep an eye on them. As evening approached I thought that perhaps they might dissipate or dissolve enough that the shape would not be compelling, though some sunset color was certainly a possibility. I set out to photograph something else entirely, slowly wandering up to the far end of a subalpine meadow by myself and photographing for perhaps an hour and a half. At this point the clouds looked like they were starting to hold greater potential for something quite special, so with about 45 minutes remaining before sunset I began to head back to the western edge of the meadow, from which this view included the clouds, the Dana Fork of the Tuolumne Meadow, and the summits of Mounts Dana and Gibbs. If you are wondering if the color finally developed… stay tuned!

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

Granite Slabs, Forest, Evening Light

December 13, 2015 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Evening light breaks through clouds to light trees growing on granite slabs along the Tuolumne River

This photograph takes me back to mid-summer days in the high county when I spent a big chunk of time in the Tuolumne Meadows area making photographs in July. It was an odd year — July seemed almost normal, despite the historic drought, except that it looks more like a normal August, with virtually all snow gone, low water in the creeks, and fairly settled weather.

One evening a group of us joined forces to wander along the Tuolumne River in evening light. Here we stopped at a curve where the river curves around a section lined with large granite slabs. It was cloudy, but a bit of late-day light slanted in from the left.

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

Light on Rocks, Tuolumne River

November 21, 2015 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Early evening light shines on granite slabs along the Tuolumne River as afternoon clouds dissipate behind nearby peaks

As I post it in November, this photograph takes me back to a wonderful Sierra trip last summer. I spent a few days in July camped at Tuolumne Meadows, doing a bit of hiking and a lot of photography. Each morning and evening I was out with the camera, in the meadows or somewhere else along Tioga Road. Although it was the fourth summer of California drought in the Sierra — a drought that did serious damage to the Sierra environment — on these July days it was almost possible to not think about that. There had been rain and it was the green time of year in the high country.

One evening I went out, this time by vehicle, to look for subjects. I had only a vague idea of some general things to photograph back along Tioga Pass Road, so I was easily distracted by anything that happened to catch my attention. Before I even left the Meadows I caught sight of some trees that were lit in an interesting way, so I turned around, drove back, and pulled out along the road. There were other cars there already and I hoped my sudden arrival didn’t annoy anyone, but I quickly saw a pair of photography friends at one of the vehicles. After exchanging greetings we decided to hear across the meadow together. By the time we got to the other side yet another couple of photography friends showed up! Mind you, none of this was planned. We all teamed up and spent a beautiful evening among friends making photographs along the Tuolumne.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: river

Twilight Clouds, Sierra Crest

Granite Slabs, Forest, Evening Light

Light on Rocks, Tuolumne River

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