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California Nature Photography Blog

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I can’t believe I neglected to mention this earlier, but John Wall asked me to be one of a group of California photographers contributing to the California Nature Photography blog. When John asked, I said “yes” immediately – partly because I’ve seen his work and like it and partly because he came up with a really fine idea for this blog. Wander on over and take a look, and while you are there subscribe to the blog’s RSS feed – you’ll find the link way at the bottom of the home page there.

I have a few posts planned in the near term, with likely photography subjects including Point Lobos, Death Valley, and possibly Muir Woods. I’m certain to post on “my” Sierra Nevada before long now that spring is here and summer is not far behind. I offered my first post there last week, a little piece on California’s “impossibly green” season. I had intended to post earlier… but with all the other interesting posts I decided to wait for a brief lull in the action!

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Baby Blue Eyes Flowers

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Baby Blue Eyes Flowers

Baby Blue Eyes Flowers. Castle Rock State Park, California. April 19, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A group of baby blue eyes flowers blooming in the spring at Castle Rock State Park, California.

On this weekend’s Sunday morning hike out to Goat Rock at Castle Rock State Park (the one here in the San Francisco Bay area) I was surprised to find a large number of these flowers growing in an open area at the top of a low saddle above Goat Rock. I’m more used to seeing them in smaller groups and spread out more.

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: baby, blue eyes, flower, Nemophilia menziesii, wildflower, petal, leaf, stem, branch, green, blue, bloom, blossom, bud, macro, spring, season, castle rock, state park, california, usa, goat rock area, sun, foliage, plant, nature, stock

Photographs: Coastal Redwoods, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Red Alder Leaves

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Red Alder Leaves

Red Alder Leaves. Muir Woods National Monument, California. April 11, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Spring Red Alder leaves at Muir Woods National Monument, California.

I made another visit to Muir Woods National Monument this weekend – probably the fourth or fifth visit in the last month and a half or so. This is obviously quite a contrast with the Death Valley photos that I’ve been posting. (There are still a few more of those to come.) When I started visiting Muir Woods this past winter, my first visit coincided with the very first buds appearing on the red alder trees. Now, some weeks later, the new growth has largely filled in, though there are still some trees that seem to be just getting started.

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: red, alder, leaf, leaves, twig, branch, tree, foliage, plant, nature, spine, new, spring, season, bokeh, muir woods, national, monument, park, golden gate, recreation, area, marin county, california, usa, redwood, forest, morning, diffused, light, travel, scenic, landscape, stock, green

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Desert Sunflower

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Desert Sunflower

Desert Sunflower. Death Valley National Park, California. April 3, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Blossoms of the Desert Sunflower (Geraea canescens) on a gravel fan in Death Valley National Park, California.

This is the first photograph I posted from my 2009 spring trip to Death Valley (March 32-April 3), from which I returned only yesterday. I’ll post more on the trip itself in the text accompanying additional photographs as I post them. I made this photograph on my last evening in the park. My basic daily plan in Death Valley is usually some variation on the following: shoot a location or two in the morning, “hang out” during the hot and harshly-lit midday period, and then shoot a couple more locations in the late afternoon and evening. On this afternoon I decided to first look for some of the colorful flowers that grow along the washes this time of year, and then to head over to Mesquite Dunes (aka “Death Valley Dunes” or “The Dunes”) to shoot at the very end of the day.

I drove to a point perhaps halfway between Stovepipe Wells and Furnace Creek where these flowers grow in profusion alongside the road when the timing and conditions are just right. Finding the flowers is almost embarrassingly easy – they grow right next to the road! Shooting them can prove to be a bit more difficult, especially in the typical Death Valley afternoon winds. While the late afternoon light was beautiful, the flowers were blowing so much in the wind that shooting them was almost impossible. I finally figured out that one key was in locating flowers with shorter, stronger stems that seemed to move less. Another key is using an appropriately fast shutter speed, which fortunately goes right along with using a large aperture for narrow DOF. Finally, once I found a flower or group of flowers, set up the composition, and focused (Live View rocks for flower photography!) it was a matter of patiently waiting for slight lulls in the wind and making several exposures as insurance against the inevitable motion blur from wind whipped plants.

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Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.