Tag Archives: san joaquin

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetland Island and Fog

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Wetland Island and Fog
“Wetland Island and Fog” — Tule fog mutes the wetland landscape beyond reed-covered islands.

Fog can make photography wonderful… or difficult when I photograph migratory birds in California’s Central Valley. There are practical issues, such as driving on roads that are dangerously obscured, or not being able to see the birds in the murk. It is cold and damp. But I love the atmosphere that tule fog brings to this landscape, and that’s why I keep going back.

I also like the way that it lets me “minimize” the landscape. Fog blanks out any subjects that are not close to the camera position. On a clear day you would see trees, possibly utility lines and poles, a sky with clouds, and who knows what else. But when the fog is thick all of those distractions disappear and I can work with the most minimal of materials.

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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: Birds, Photographs: Wildlife

Great Egret Portrait (horizontal)

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Great Egret Portrait (horizontal)
“Great Egret Portrait (horizontal)” — A “head shot” of a great egret.

I have been meaning to share this critter’s head shot for a while. It is a great egret, a bird whose presence in nature is announced by its large size, its long neck, and its striking white plumage. Quite a few of them were around when I visited one of my bird photography haunts in California’s Central Valley.

This one was less bothered by my presence than some. I wasn’t as close as it may appear — I was using a long telephoto lens. But still, egrets have boundaries, and if you cross them they will quickly fly away. But this one stuck around, and even paused in the soft, cloudy light.

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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: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetland Plants, Fog

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Wetland Plants, Fog
“Wetland Plants, Fog” — Plants growing in the shallow water of a wetland poid on a foggy morning.

This is another of my “too foggy to photograph birds” photographs from California’s Central Valley. Back in mid-January I headed out there after reading reports of tule fog, something that attracts me to the area in winter. The fog can produce a wonderful, mysterious atmosphere, and as conditions transition from thick fog to sunlight there are diverse photographic opportunities. Unfortunately, that transition never came during this visit, and it was thick fog all the way!

As I write this in early March we are likely days away from the departure of migratory geese, who head back north every year by mid-month or so. I’m hoping to squeeze in one more visit before they depart, but there’s not much time left. (Depending on where you see this post, the date may have already passed!)

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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: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Tule Fog Tree

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Tule Fog Tree
“Tule Fog Tree” — Branches of a tree are silhouetted against glowing Central Valley tule fog.

I have seen some very thick fog during my time photographing winter birds in California’s Central Valley, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it thicker than it was on this January morning. It was so thick that I pretty much had to give up on photographing birds — although I could hear them, I could not see them in in the pea soup fog!

The photograph gives a pretty good idea of the visibility. The details of the tree, only feet away from my camera position, are already largely muted and reduced to a silhouette. Beyond that the world simply… disappears. For those who may wonder, this is a color photograph! (Also, the word “tule” is pronounced TOO-lee, not like “tool.”)

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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.