Tag Archives: rocks

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Storm Surf and Rocky Headlands

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“Storm Surf and Rocky Headlands” — Late autumn storm surf and Big Sur headlands

When many people think of California they envision beautiful summer days at the beach, with warm temperatures, bright sunshine, and benign surf. Aside from the fact that it is more likely to be foggy than sunny on a summer day along much of the California coastline, that vision is limited and it misses the most impressive conditions along the coast, namely those found during the wet season extending from late autumn through the end of winter. At this time the coast is the most compelling and impressive, especially when giant Pacific storm fronts roll through and the surf can be large enough to be downright scary.

We had such conditions for a few days this December. Local newscasts warned people to stay away from the coast and off the beaches, since waves up to 40 feet high were expected. Smart Californians do stay off the beaches at times like this, but we certainly don’t stay away from the coast! I headed straight to the upper Big Sur coastline to make photographs. I’ve seen big surf here before, but as I walked out onto headlands above the rocky shoreline south of Carmel and the first big set of waves came in, I’m pretty sure I gasped audibly as they piled up on the shoreline. The biggest waves come in sets of perhaps a half dozen or so, and they raise mist and spray that lingers along the headlands until the next set of big waves arrives.

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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” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

The Crossing

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The Crossing
A Sierra Nevada backcountry trail crosses the outlet stream of a subalpine lake.

The Crossing. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A Sierra Nevada backcountry trail crosses the outlet stream of a subalpine lake.

I pondered whether or not this photograph should make it from raw file stage to finished work, but finally decided to go ahead and share it. It is a bit of a hard scene to make sense of, at least if you aren’t somewhat familiar with such places already — more on that in a moment. In the end, something about it “works” for me, so I’ve decided to go ahead and share.

The spot is perhaps no more special that thousands of similar places in the Sierra. But, in a way, that is what makes it special — such little intimate landscapes are everywhere and they form the identity of the range, more, I think, than impressive and iconic peaks. Once you get into the Sierra it is, fundamentally, an intimate landscape. You walk along narrow trails, though forests or meadows or rock fields, and cross streams, step around boulders, listen to the sound of your own footsteps and perhaps your trekking poles clattering on rock. Here the scene is from the season when everything slows down near the end of summer. This little spot was brilliantly green, with higher water and wildflowers only weeks earlier, but by this point in late September it has gone yellow and brown and winter snows are just around the corner.

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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” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

End-Of-Summer Light

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End-Of-Summer Light
Late season Sierra Nevada light in the John Muir Wilderness

End-Of-Summer Light. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Late season Sierra Nevada light in the John Muir Wilderness

As you may have figured out if you follow my work, I often photograph very early and very late in the day, especially when I have access to soft light. On trips like the one where I made this series of photographs the day follows an unusual schedule. We are typically up very early (before dawn) for a few hours of photography, we return to camp to hang out and take care of various camp duties in the middle of the day, and in late afternoon we once again head out into the field, frequently not arriving back in camp until after dark.

But sometimes the light is beautiful outside of those limited hours. There could be special weather conditions — fog, storm clouds, haze — or a landscape that is amenable to midday photography. In the Sierra there is a period from middle September until the first real snows come that can produce some of the most beautiful daytime light I know. I think of it as golden light, and it comes on clear, cool days when the fall colors are arriving. This was one of those days, with the lakeside grasses turning yellow and the water very still, when I made this photograph near the outlet of a small, subalpine lake.

See top of this page for Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information and more.

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Alpine Rock Garden

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Alpine Rock Garden
An outcropping of shattered rock in the Sierra Nevada alpine zone

Alpine Rock Garden. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An outcropping of shattered rock in the Sierra Nevada alpine zone

My favorite Sierra Nevada backcountry terrain is just a bit lower than this scene — it is the country right at tree line, where small, scattered trees are separated by meadows and rocky areas. But when it come to exhilarating “high and wild” country, places like the one in this photograph cannot be beat. They are so rugged and unadapted to our human way of living that they remind us that this is not entirely “our” world. Yet, with care and persistence, you can enter this country, pass through it, enjoy and even be changed by the experience.

Here I found this outcropping of weathered and shattered stone at the base of a huge talus slope that led up toward the highest peaks. One of those higher ridges blocked the sun, and the scene is softly illuminated by gentle light reflected from nearby high peaks. Looking at this scene it might seem completely impassable. Yet I watched a couple of backpackers slowly make their way across it. This is the sort of country where progress is no longer measured in miles per hour — it is more likely a matter of hours per mile. I recall one such place I crossed a few years ago where our progress dropped to perhaps a quarter-mile per hour as we picked our way past boulders, along benches, and across talus. It was one of the most memorable hikes I’ve had.

See top of this page for Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information and more.

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

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