Tag Archives: rocky

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Evening Shadow

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Evening Shadow
“Evening Shadow” — Evening shadows work their way up the face of a Sierra Nevada ridge, John Muir Wilderness.

This is one of the best times of the day in the backcountry — when the shadows lengthen and fall across the landscape, with nightfall inevitably not far behind. On typical evenings, everything slows down as the winds die and it becomes very quiet — a kind of deep quiet never experienced in our city lives. The light turns golden and we stop to watch the colors on peaks, knowing that the day is almost over.

Our group of photographers was camped in a high Sierra basin for a week a few years ago. By this evening we had adapted completely into the rituals and slower time of the backcountry, and as the quiet evening approached we set about slowly looking for a few last photographs.

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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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Two Trees, Sierra Rain

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Two Trees, Sierra Rain
“Two Trees, Sierra Rain” — Two trees standing on a rocky outcropping as a Sierra Nevada summer rain storm sweeps across the mountains.

In some ways I was surprised to find these two trees standing here, among high rocks not far from our campsite. After a day of heavy weather, I thought about how they had managed to escape significant damage from years of exposure to winds, precipitation, and lightning strikes. But there they were, standing tall on this little ridge above a small meadow as another storm cleared.

These are not my favorite weather conditions for photography. While clear, blue-sky mountain days don’t usually excite me, photographing in the rain is challenging, too. And it was still raining when I made this photograph. After being tied down by the storm for the better part of a day, I think I was anxious enough to get out and photograph that I was willing to work in the wet.

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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Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Rock and Ice

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Rock and Ice
“Rock and Ice” — A permanent ice field and rugged alpine terrain in the Sierra Nevada.

This is a classic example of alpine Sierra Nevada terrain. At the very bottom is a bit of alpine meadow, located right at the upper edge of the local tree line. Above that we see large expanses of glaciated granite with rounded and smoothed forms that are now cracked and broken by erosion. Still higher, a permanent ice field (one of a diminishing number of them) nestles in a bowl eroded by its glacial ancestor. The ice field sits at the base of very steep and rugged slopes that rise to unseen peaks.

One result of spending a lot of time in the higher reaches of the Sierra Nevada is that it is easy to forget how exotic such landscapes look to those who don’t visit them. To them, this terrain might seem forbidding and out of reach. But the reality is that once you reach this elevation, the land opens up and you can go almost anywhere without trails, limited only by your imagination and you ability to find routes and navigate.

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.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

At Tree Line

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At Tree Line
“At Tree Line” — The final small trees give way to meadows and granite at tree line, Sierra Nevada.

On occasion I have been asked about my favorite places in the Sierra Nevada, the range I have wandered for decades. I do have specific favorite locations, but I often answer more generally: it is the country right at the tree line, where the terrain opens up, the highest peaks are visible, there is (usually) water everywhere, and where one can freely wander without trails, constrained only by technical skills, terrain, endurance, and imagination. To me, this IS the embodiment of the “range of light.”

The place in the photograph is a fine example of what I refer to. We were camped at a lower elevation among trees and near a lake. But we could see all the way up this long, open valley with small trees, scattered meadows, and a lovely creek. I walked up it several times during our stay. As I ascended the trees began to thin and the meadows, soggy in places, took over. I made the photograph in the region of the last trees, and then I kept going toward the base of the talus slopes in the distant shadows.

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.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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