Tag Archives: rocks

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Shoreline and Reflected Ridge

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Shoreline and Reflected Ridge
“Shoreline and Reflected Ridge” — A Sierra Nevada ridge reflected in a subalpine wilderness lake.

If you are a Sierra Nevada backcountry traveler, you recognize this a a classic Range of Light scene. It was early morning, and I had been photographing since before sunrise. I walked the shoreline of this subalpine lake, following terrain like that in this photograph. The sun’s light angled across the high peaks and talus slopes as it rose above ridges to the east.

When I first backpacked many years ago, I was astonished by the mere existence of such places and the idea that I could wander through them. Eventually I slowed down and no longer thought of scenes like this as just staging for the higher peaks, but as important places on their own. These days I’m happy to linger with my camera gear, often pausing just to look.

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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

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

The Old Oak Tree

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The Old Oak Tree
“The Old Oak Tree” — An old oak tree with autumn foliage, Yosemite Valley.

While this big oak tree grows in a meadow filled with scores of other beautiful oaks, it presents a different appearance than its neighbors. The other trees, perhaps because many of them grow close together, tend to be somewhat tall and slender. But this tree is massive, with thick trunk and main branches, and it spreads widely — enough so that it is as wide as it is tall.

One of Yosemite Valley’s monumental granite faces rises nearby behind this tree and its neighbors. Because that face is tall and to the south, its shadow falls across the trees for hours every day. I photographing it after the late-day shadow had arrived, which gives a softness to the image that would not be there in full sunlight.

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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


All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: The Southwest, Photographs: Utah

Slot Canyon Walls

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Slot Canyon Walls
“Slot Canyon Walls” — Soft light penetrates the depths of a slot canyon.

The material making up the walls of Southwest slot canyons varies quite a bit depending on which strata the canyon traverses. Sometimes the rock can be broken and somewhat unattractive, sometimes it can hold fossils or show joints between different layers. But in some places the sandstone seems pristine — solid layers of rock broken only by small details and textures. That was the case here, at a spot where a canyon junction allowed in a bit of extra light.

I made this photograph on my first visit to this spot about a decade ago. Because I like to see with fresh eyes and because I enjoy discovery, I often intentionally forego a lot pre-visit research, preferring to show up and just look on my own. That was the case on this day when I turned, more or less on a lark, down a gravel side road, found a place to park, and just started walking, eventually coming to this spot and others that were equally beautiful.

Leave a comment or question using the form. (If you are reading this on the home page, click the article title to see the full article and the comment form.

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

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

The Shadow’s Edge

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The Shadow's Edge
“The Shadow’s Edge” — The shadow from Yosemite Valley cliffs moves across autumn oak trees.

I photograph in this meadow during nearly every visit to Yosemite Valley. The big oak trees are the stars for the most part — though it is hard to ignore the impressive mass of El Capitan rising behind you. The autumn foliage on these trees turns golden-brown before falling, and it can glow luminously when backlit.

The light is key to photographing here. Because this part of the valley is narrow and because tall cliffs rise on either side, the amount of direct sunlight is limited. Shadows traverse this meadow in the morning and the afternoon, and there’s interesting lighting along the margins of the shadows. Here you can see the line of shadow along the right side of the frame. Moments after I made the photograph the shadows fully enveloped these trees.

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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


All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.