Tag Archives: shore

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

Morning Reflection

August 16, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

The image of a shoreline forest is reflected in the still morning waters of a subalpine lake

Since the Tuolumne Meadows campground (along with everything else along Tioga Pass Road) was still not open during this late-July visit (in the aftermath of a very heavy snow year) I ended up camping at a forest service campground just outside the park. Since this place wasn’t ideally located for photography I ended up doing a fair amount of driving — down 120 towards Mono Lake and nearby areas, or back up 120 into the park. On this morning my pre-dawn drive took me over the pass, into the park, and down through the virtually deserted Tuolumne Meadows area.

I continued on along this road, eventually arriving this popular lake to find it deserted at this early hour. Later in the morning the hordes would arrive here, but in the very early morning I had it to myself. The water was almost still as I set up my camera, with the tiniest bit of mist floating above its surface. I made a couple of exposures, and suddenly the reflections were broken up as breezes began to stir the surface of the lake.

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Shoreline Tree, Evening Light

August 14, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A sturdy tree at sunset on the rocky shoreline of a subalpine Sierra Nevada lake

In a previous post I described how this short eastern Sierra backpacking trip transitioned from seriously challenging weather on day one to seriously lovely weather on the evening of day two. The onset of sudden, heavy, and long-lasting rain on day one created challenges for all of us, and caused me to make camp before getting to my intended destination. (Others in my group spent hours waiting out the storm under a rocky overhang, which yet other group members got quite wet trying to set up camp in the rain.) Day two started out looking like rain, but the clouds cleared and left us with pleasant, beautiful, and quite benign weather in the evening.

There is something extra peaceful about a beautiful evening following one that was distinctly not so pleasant, and we were in a relaxed frame of mind. We had a nice, spacious camp in flat, open forest, and nearby we found a flat area above the lake to sit and enjoy dinner with a view. As we ate I eyed some shoreline trees, including this one, that grew out of rocky outcroppings next to the water. Just before the final sunlight left us for the day I climbed up above this tree to position it against the evening-blue water of the lake.

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Shoreline and Evening Reflection

August 13, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Sunset colors reflected from high peaks along the rocky shoreline of a backcountry High Sierra lake

The second evening of this brief eastern Sierra pack trip was much different from the first. On the previous day, as we began our hike, it was already cloudy early in the morning. By mid-afternoon it was apparent that we were in for some weather — thunder clouds were building and spreading across the sky, and soon we began to hear distant thunder. I was at the back of the pack as we headed towards a high lake. I switched from boots to water shoes to wade a river, briefly considering whether to make camp right there before crossing. As I reached the other side and got back into my trail shoes the light sprinkles began. Another ten minutes up the trail I came to a second, deeper and faster crossing just as the rain began in earnest. A choice: Spend 10-15 minutes doing the footwear switch and getting into full rain gear for self and pack? Or make a stand right there and set up camp? I chose the latter, quickly finding a tiny flat (enough) spot to set up my tent in the rain — always an “interesting” task! — and then climbing inside. It rained for the next three hours!

The next morning — the day I made this photograph — I got up slowly, waiting until a few minutes before sun reached my camp and I could start the work of drying things out. I finally packed and headed on up the trail, planning to rejoin my group at the lake where we planned to camp on the second night. Clouds began to appear once again, and it briefly looked like the weather might repeat the show of the previous afternoon, but by the time I arrived at this lake, found the rest of my party, and set up camp… the skies were clearing, and we ended up having a beautiful and peaceful evening. After dinner I took my camera equipment and headed to a high point over the shoreline to photograph. Our camp was a distance above the shoreline at the left side of the photograph, and from this spot I could trace the rocky edge of the water towards the far side of the lake. The blue of evening light and reflected sky contrasts with the warm, saturated color of the reflection from peaks still in the evening sun.

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

North Shore, Fog

July 28, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A foggy morning along the north shore cliffs of Point Lobos

In mid-July I managed to get to Point Lobos State Reserve, south of Carmel, on two occasions during the same week. It stayed foggy the entire time on the first visit, but on the second it began to clear back from the coast by mid-morning, and fog-softened light was present here as I walked along the north shore of the park. (Oddly, it was foggy inland as the area right along the coast began to clear.)

The photograph appears to show a clear view across water and into a cove where with steep rocks and tall trees at its head. In fact, my shooting position is quite covered with trees, and it was a bit of a trick to find a spot with a clear view like this. At the point at which I made the photograph the fog was still there, though it was beginning to thin a bit, and some soft light was beginning to make its way through the murk.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: shore

Morning Reflection

Shoreline Tree, Evening Light

Shoreline and Evening Reflection

North Shore, Fog

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.