Tag Archives: rust

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Night, Photographs: Structures and Objects

Stairs, Shadows, Door

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Stairs, Shadows, Door

Stairs, Shadows, Door. Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California. March 7, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Shadows from artificial light and from the moon fall across the metal wall of a building, a rusty stairway, and a door at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California.

Another photo from the early March 2009 visit to Mare Island Naval Shipyard for night photography with The Nocturnes, and also another photograph in which I paid attention to some of the smaller details of this historic and very interesting site. Here the weathered door and stairway of this old industrial building are illuminated by the light of the nearly full moon and by nearby artificial light, creating interesting shadow patterns.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: mare island, naval, shipyard, minsy, night, photography, nocturnes, vallejo, california, usa, shadows, artificial, light, moon, moonlight, metal, wall, building, rust, stairway, steps, railing, door, window, pattern, architecture, urban, industrial, historic

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast, Photographs: Urban/Street

Loading Dock Sign

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Loading Dock Sign

Loading Dock Sign. San Jose, California. December 26, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Detail of a very worn and scraped red and yellow sign painted on an industrial loading dock in San Jose, California.

This very bright but very worn sign is painted on the front of a loading dock in a light industrial area of downtown San Jose, California.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: detail, worn, scraped, gouge, chipped, concrete, cement, steel, paint, yellow, red, sign, rust, industrial, urban, street, letters, a, d, i o, weathered, downtown, san jose, california, usa, stock, 5th, keyes, loading, dock

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Brick Wall, Pipes, and Stairway

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“Brick Wall, Pipes, and Stairway” — Weathered, brick wall, pipes, stairway, and sidewalk .

I found this surprising scene along a loading dock in an older light industrial section of downtown San Jose. I’m always attracted to brick walls, but the wild color combination of the natural brick, the gaudy but weathered paint on the pipes, and the rusted metal of the stairway caught my attention. There are some other smaller and subtler details that probably are only visible in the print.

(Update, 2026) This is an example of the sort of thing I find to photograph on my frequent walks near where I live. There’s actually a lot to see without traveling great distances, and regularly photographing my surroundings helps me keep my “seeing” skills tuned up.

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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.
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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Shipyard Structure, Dusk

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Shipyard Structure, Dusk
Shipyard Structure, Dusk. Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Old shipyard industrial structure at dusk with water, evening sky, and city of Vallejo, California in the background. Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Photographed on a night photography trip to Mare Island with in late March. Although we were there primarily to shoot at night under the full moon, I had a chance to do a bit of photography during dusk.

keywords: mare island, naval, shipyard, vallejo, california, crane, rigging, structure, industrial, equipment, dusk, sunset, sky, water, bay, steel, rust, usa, navy, historic, stock, building, dry dock, scaffold