Tag Archives: shadow

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Wildlife

Egret Alights, Whaler’s Cove

1 Comment
Egret Alights

Egret Alights, Whaler’s Cove. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. November 30, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An egret flies close to the kelp covered surface of Whaler’s Cove at Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

As I arrived at Whaler’s Cove I was hoping to perhaps be able to photograph sea otters up close. Although this was a high surf day along the coast, Whalers Cove is sheltered and I had heard that it is a good place to look for wildlife. After parking my car I did not see any otters, but I immediately saw this egret hunting in the kelp right next to the road. I grabbed the long lens and found a comfortable spot close by and began observing and photographing. The bird was apparently hunting for small fish in the kelp bed. It stood on top of the kelp and would occasionally make a lunge into the water, on one occasion coming up with a fish in its bill.

 One of the things I like most about this photograph is the shadow of the bird’s curving neck cast on the translucent feathers of its wing.

keywords: egret, bird, in, flight, wildlife, wing, nature, flap, shadow, neck, beak, bill, kelp, bed, whalers, cove, point lobos, state, reserve, park, california, usa, monterey, peninsula, carmel, coast, shore, bay, pacific, ocean, stock, feathers

Photographs: Death Valley

Folds and Gullies, Zabriskie Point

Leave a comment
Folds and Gullies, Zabriskie Point

Folds and Gullies, Zabriskie Point. Death Valley National Park, California. April 4, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Pastel colors of folds and gullies at Zabriskie Point in early morning light, Death Valley National Park, California.

Another in my 2008 series of photographs of the tortuously folded formations below Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park. The colors in this photograph are more muted than in some of the others, partially due to the early light but also due to (if I recall correctly) a bit of high overcast. And, to be frank, photographers often boot the contrast and saturation quite a bit in their photographs of this area – so I thought I’d try a natural approach here that shows the pastel shades.

keywords: zabriskie, point, folds, gullies, abstract, shape, morning, early, light, shadow, pastel, death valley, national park, california, usa, landscape, scenic, travel, stock, desert, barren

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert

Zabriskie Point Abstract

Leave a comment
Zabriskie Point Abstract

Zabriskie Point Abstract. Death Valley National Park, California. April 2, 2007. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning light illuminates hills and gullies below Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park, California.

Another relatively abstract photograph of the amazing folded hills and gullies seen from Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park. Here the sun has risen just enough to catch the upper portion of all of the small hills, but not high enough to light the shaded areas in the gullies between them. The idea here was to crop the scene tightly enough that nothing would be visible besides the shapes and textures of this small portion of the terrain.

It is easy to be overwhelmed by the bizarre and amazing nature of the Zabriskie Point view – it is simply a place like no other and the view is otherworldly. But after going back a few times I have started to be able to see past the most obvious elements of the “grand scene” and I find some of the details interesting. (One of my favorite photographs from this area is not of a subject that most photographers would look at; it is a small – for lack of a more picturesque description – mud hill right next to the walkway between the parking lot and the official viewing area.)

keywords: zabriskie, point, fold, hills, gully, shadow, erosion, form, structure, geology, ridge, desert, dry, wash, death valley, national park, california, usa, abstract, landscape, scenic, travel, stock

Photographs: Death Valley

Folds and Gullies in Morning Light, Zabriskie Point

Leave a comment
Folds and Gullies in Morning Light, Zabriskie Point

Folds and Gullies in Morning Light, Zabriskie Point. Death Valley National Park, California. April 2, 2007. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Early morning light illuminates complex folds and gullies at Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park, California.

I was reminded of these photographs recently when I read a discussion thread on photographing the amazing formations at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park, and I went back to look through some of my images from a previous trip that I had not reviewed recently.

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: zabriskie, point, morning, light, fold, gully, hill, color, mountain, desert, dry, erosion, eroded, brown, tan, red, shadow, scenic, travel, landscape, death valley, national park, california, usa, stock, curve