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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Fallen Flowers

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Fallen Flowers
Five fallen foxglove flowers.

Fallen Flowers. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Five fallen foxglove flowers.

We went to this public garden because we knew that it was the time of the peak bloom of many flowers, including the colorful foxglove. And our timing was perfect — there were lots and lots of these impressive flowers, in all colors. “But wait,” you ask, “where are those colors?” Oh, right, this one is black and white. I’ll address that below.

While flower photography isn’t my main thing (though you might start to wonder, based on my predominant theme for July posts this year) , I have long been intrigued by the shapes and colors of flowers. Originally I photographed wildflowers on outdoor adventures, but more recently Patty has convinced me of the appeal of domesticated varieties. But I have a habit of usually looking past the intended subject to see what else there is, and this often leads me to photographing “fallen flowers” that are past their prime and perhaps deteriorating. This alliterative grouping of five fallen foxglove flowers is just as I found them, lying in the shade under trees on a sidewalk.

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

Columbine Flower

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Columbine Flower
A columbine flower, photographed in soft light at a San Francisco Bay Area garden.

Columbine Flower. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A columbine flower, photographed in soft light at a San Francisco Bay Area garden.

In another recent post featuring a Columbine flower (in that case a purple and white version) I mentioned my first awareness of this type of flower. It came decades ago on Sierra backpack trips when I saw a version of the flower up high in alpine country. The incongruity of a delicate white flower in such a place formed my ideas about it. That cemented my (not entirely correct) notion that thee columbine is an alpine flower and that it is always white.

The flower in this photograph is white, but I found it at a distinctly non-alpine location in the San Francisco Bay Area — a large public garden on the San Francisco Peninsula. We had gone there for a summer event featuring drinks and food al fresco in this setting of grasslands and woods, but we did bring our cameras and planned on spending some time photographing the spring flowers.

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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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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

Columbine Flower

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Columbine Flower
A purple, yellow, and white columbine flower.

Columbine Flower. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A purple, yellow, and white columbine flower.

The first time I recall seeing, or at least recognizing, a Columbine flower was on a long-ago Sierra backpacking trip that took me way up high. Those versions of this flower are essentially white, and their graceful shape surprised me in the high, rugged terrain. The flower became one of my Sierra favorites, and I’ve always associated it with the high country.

Encountering these Columbines near sea level in the San Francisco Bay Area reminded me that there’s more to this kind of flower than that initial experience — though it also reminded me of high country visits. These versions of the flower were quite beautiful, combining the familiar white with purple and yellow. I photographed this on as a last bit of filtered sunlight back-lit the petals.

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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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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

Coreopsis Flowers

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Coreopsis Flowers
A garden of coreopsis flowers in the evening shade.

Coreopsis Flowers. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A garden of coreopsis flowers in the evening shade.

This is the next in a series of photographs from our early-June evening at a favorite San Francisco Peninsula garden. After enjoying the more typical festivities (eating, drinking, sitting, and enjoying the view) we wandered off into the gardens to make few photographs as the evening began to produce softer light

We arrived at this section of the garden, a place that is typically in (photographically challenging) full sun, as the last beams of sunlight began to dissipate. The shaded light opened up the shadows and reveals details of the flowers that might be overwhelmed by midday light.

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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)

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