Tag Archives: rocks

Point Reyes Headlands

Point Reyes Headlands
“Point Reyes” — oint Reyes with coastal haze, foreground cove with elephant seals, and Drakes Bay in the distance.

I made this photograph in incredibly windy conditions. (I can hear other Point Reyes regulars saying, “duh!” at this point…) It was the kind of afternoon when no tripod is sturdy enough to really hold the camera still – so I waited and shot during relative lulls in the gale. If you look closely at the lower right corner you can see sea lions hauled out on the beach.

To expand a bit, the weather at this spectacular location is often quite different from that in other nearby California locations. The “point” extends a good distance out into the ocean here, with the result being cold temperatures, lots of wind, and frequent heavy fog. The fog was not present on this day, but the wind surely was!


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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At the Base of Bridalveil Fall

At the Base of Bridalveil Fall
At the Base of Bridalveil Fall. Yosemite Valley, California. May 16, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Group of tourists at the base of Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite Valley, California.

I’m not going to give away all the reasons, but this is – perhaps surprisingly – one of my favorite photographs of the past few months. The reasons include those related to form, the subjects, and the place.

keywords: california, national park, Sierra Nevada, Spring, Yosemite, bridalveil, fall, base, trail, viewpoint, mist, spray, rocks, water, waterfall, river, creek, cascade, tree, bush, black and white, stock, travel, scenic, landscape

Titus Canyon

Titus Canyon

Titus Canyon. Death Valley National Park, California. April 3, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of Titus Canyon, Death Valley National Park.

This was, to say the least, a difficult shot. Besides driving nearly 30 miles on dirt roads, there were photographic challenges, not the least of which is the extreme dynamic contrast between the very bright sky and the dark canyon walls. Needless to say, this photograph is the result of some significant post-processing work – but do click the image to view it larger.

The road through Titus Canyon is one of the most amazing features of any Western US National Park. (Shhh….) It begins on a rather typical high desert dirt road through sagebrush country but then ascends into the Amargosa range. Before long this narrow one-way track twists and turns up and down steep ridges past amazing rocky ridges and along the top of tremendous canyons – while not a true four-wheel drive road, it is not for the faint hearted. It then descends into Titus Canyon itself, and near the bottom it passes through an unbelievable slot canyon – in places barely wider than your car the canyon walls rise vertically for hundreds of feet above. (If you visit Titus Canyon, check with the park service first since road conditions are very rough and can change.)

keywords: titus, canyon, road, cliff, rocks, sky, clouds, trees, bushes, plants, desert, grapevine, mountains, landscape, scenic, travel, drive, california, usa, death valley, national park, stock, curve, black and white

Rhyolite School and Bank Ruins

Rhyolite Bank and School Ruins
Rhyolite Bank and School Ruins. Rhyolite, Nevada. April 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Ruins of the school and bank at sunrise in the ghost town of Rhyolite, Nevada. Rhyolite is a mining ghost town just east of the California/Nevada border between Death Valley National Park and Beatty, Nevada.

When we arrived at Rhyolite just before dawn, it looked like the light was perhaps not going to cooperate. While parts of the sky were quite blue, there was a layer of clouds to the east where the sun was rising. At times the light turned out to be flat and gray, but every so often it would come through the clouds and wash the scene in this wonderful warm light.

keywords: ruins, school, bank, building, ghost, town, rhyolite, nevada, usa, desert, mine, mining, desert, sky, death valley, national park, mountains, wall, rocks, sunrise, morning, stock, historic, landscape, travel, stock