Tag Archives: shore

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Forest and Pond

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Forest and Pond
“Forest and Pond” — Trees reflected in the still water of a subalpine pond, Yosemite.

I have had my eye on this little scene for a while. The trees stand along the far bank of a small subalpine pond in the Yosemite high country. During the daytime it is a tough photograph, with the sunshine becoming almost unbearably bright. My ideal might be to photograph it before sunrise or after sunset. But this time I found myself here a bit earlier in the day — so I went ahead and made some photographs.

A challenge with scenes like this is that the dynamic contrast between the highlights on the trees and the background shadows can be huge if there is direct sunlight — too big to capture in a photograph. That’s partly why the soft light helps —before sunrise, after sunset, or when something else shades the scene. I timed this so that the trees were entirely shaded, yet nearby subjects in brighter light cast some directional light into the scene.

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

2 responses to “Forest and Pond”

  1. Oscar Ramirez Avatar
    Oscar Ramirez

    I know nothing about photography but enjoy your art and techniques. Your dedication to the art is commendable!

    Reply
    1. G Dan Mitchell Avatar
      G Dan Mitchell

      Thanks, Oscar!

      Reply

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Photographs: Mono Lake Basin, Photographs: Nature

Ponderosa Pines, Mono Lake

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Ponderosa Pines, Mono Lake
“Ponderosa Pines, Mono Lake” — A few ponderosa pines near the shore of Mono Lake.

I reached this spot on a lonely gravel road that branched off from the main route heading southeast from Mono Lake toward some slightly higher sections of the basin. This group of ponderosa pines includes the last trees that manage to grow here, and beyond this point it was all dry sagebrush country. In the distance you can make out Mono Lake and distant mountains beyond its far shore.

There is an immense ponderosa pine forest in this area. It is my understanding that it may even be the biggest stand of these trees. They extend from here all the way over to highway 395 far to the south of the lake. Near the spot where I made the photograph I found many dead trees, apparently the victims of a long ago wildfire.

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: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

North Shore, Fog

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North Shore, Fog
“North Shore, Fog” — Monterey cycpres trees top North Shore cliffs on a foggy morning at Point Lobos State Reserve.

This is another photograph from my gloriously-foggy late-July visit to Point Lobos. I made a morning escape from the too-hot inland temperatures, hoping for an hour or two of cool fog on the coast before the fog burned off. I was pleasantly surprised when it stuck around well past noon. I spent a few hours wandering slowly along the north short of Point Lobos in the cool fog, photographing the headlands cliffs, Monterey cypress trees, and the fog-shrouded Pacific Ocean.

I stopped at this spot twice, once near the beginning of my amble and again near the end. The first time it was very foggy, and the farthest prominence was almost completely obscured. It was still quite foggy when I came back. but the cloud deck had lifted enough to open the view towards the end of these cliffs a bit more, and as I photographed I was able to watch sea birds wheeling around the rocks.

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 | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast, Photographs: Scotland, Photographs: Travel

Oban Sunset

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Oban Sunset
“Oban Sunset” — Shortly before the summer solstice, clouds pass as the sun sets over the waters near Oban, Scotland.

Our brief visit to Oban, Scotland this summer felt a bit like a dream. In part that might have been jet lag — this was the first place we visited after landing, with a plan to spend a few days adjusting to the time difference. Perhaps the Oban Distillery and the ever-present Scotch whisky played a part? And the days were so long here at this northerly latitude, where sunset came at close to 10:00pm during the last half of May.

We stayed in a waterfront B&B. Our room had a large bay window looking out over the… bay. If I recall correctly, we had returned to our room from dinner when this beautiful evening sky developed. I grabbed my camera and quickly walked northwest along the shoreline to find a good vantage point to watch the show and make this photograph.

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 | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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