Tag Archives: shore

Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Mono Lake Basin, Photographs: Nature

First Light, South Tufa

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First Light, South Tufa

First Light, South Tufa. Mono Lake, California. June 7, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

First light of dawn illuminates tufa towers and distant mountain at Mono Lake, California.

This photograph was made at the usual spot – anyone who has photographed at Mono (and who hasn’t!? :-) knows that the most consistent spot to shoot sunrise light is at the South Tufa area, down the road from highway 395 a bit south of Lee Vining. On a good morning you’ll have at least some clouds, and the location of those clouds may dictate what your foreground subject is; do you want to shoot to the north and the low hills, to the east and towards the sunrise, or toward the Sierra Nevada crest? You arrive very early, usually well before dawn, and walk out to the edge of the water where the towers are. You find a composition and wait, with the only sounds the cries of seagulls (a sound I immediately associate with Mono) and possibly the voices of other photographers. The sky begins to lighten and then, almost before you know it, the warm glow of the first dawn light begins to light up the towers. (Am I the only one who marvels that this happens in almost complete silence?)

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: first, light, dawn, sun, rise, morning, illuminate, tufa, tower, south, mono, lake, water, reflection, cloud, sky, red, pink, rock, ripple, pattern, gull, bird, distant, california, usa, eastern, sierra, nevada, landscape, nature, scenic, travel, stock, bird, shore

Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Iceberg Lake, Minarets

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Iceberg Lake, Minarets
Iceberg Lake, Minarets

Iceberg Lake, Minarets. Sierra Nevada Mountains, California. July 27, 2007. © Copyright 2007  G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Submerged boulders along the rocky alpine shoreline of Iceberg Lake in front of the spires of the Minarets as afternoon thunderclouds begin to build.

This is an older photograph that I’ve been thinking of working on and posting for some time. Two summers ago in late July I was on a backpack trip into Ediza Lake and then on to Garnett and Thousand Island. We spent a few nights a beautiful Lake Ediza and on one of the layover mornings I decided to wander on up to Iceberg Lake. Iceberg Lake (along with Cecile Lake) is located along a high and almost cross-country route between Ediza and Minarets Lakes, and it passes very close beneath the east side of the imposing ridge of the Minarets. I made it as far as Iceberg when I noticed that that the thunderclouds were already building quickly at noon – so I stopped for a few photographs before high-tailing it back down to camp. (I almost made it back before the rain and hail started! :-)

My history with this lake goes back to some earlier trips as well. Many years ago I decided to do a sol0 backpack trip beneath the Minarets, comprising a loop up to Minaret Lake, then up into the rough country above the lake, across it, and down past Iceberg Lake to Ediza Lake. (I have been to the latter lake many times!) It was, as I recall, early in a season that was a reasonably snowy one. When I picked up my permit the range tried to warn me of the dangers of crossing while there was still a lot of snow in a few spots, but being younger than I am now and foolish in very different ways, I decided to ignore him. The climb above Minaret Lake went well, once I found a route through rocks that went up to the right. I had a small accident that left some scars that I still bear—I stepped into a hole between rocks and managed to bang up one leg a bit. I continued on and eventually found myself at the top of the saddle at the upper left corner of this photograph, looking down at a very steep slope that was covered with snow that dropped right into the lake. I was without any of the aids to mountain travelers that might have come in handy here such as trekking poles (didn’t use them back in those days), an ice ax, or crampons. I found a small piece of wood that I might use for an emergency self arrest—or so I imagined— and stepped gingerly down this slope.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
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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.

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

Young Elephant Seal Among Gulls

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Young Elephant Seal Among Gulls

Young Elephant Seal Among Gulls. Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, California. July 2, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell. – all rights reserved.

Seagulls take to the air around a young elephant seal at the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal rookery, California.

This young elephant seal had just begun to wriggle its way up the beach at the Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery when the flock of birds in front of it began to take to the air. A moment later there was a veritable cloud of birds surrounding this animal.

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: elephant, seal, rookery, beach, shore, piedras, blancas, california, usa, wildlife, sea, mammals, seagulls, flock, flight, alight, wing, beak, orange, water, beach, wave, surf, nature, wildlife, gull, sand, young, stock, marine

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

Flock of Gulls

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Flock of Gulls

Flock of Gulls. Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, California. July 2, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A huge flock of gulls takes to the air at the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, California.

While photographing the elephant seals last weekend at the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery just south of the Big Sur coastline of central California, an absolutely flock of shore birds took flight above the beach. I quickly lifted the camera up from the elephant seals and photographed into the cloud of birds as it rose and turned above the beach. While other photographs in the series show an even greater density of birds, this one shows some of the individuals – at least in the larger versions on my computer screen.

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: gull, sea, seagull, shore, bird, marine, fly, flight, flock, mass, beach, ocean, sea, pacific, coast, wave, foam, wing, dense, wildlife, animal, nature, california, usa, piedras blancas, elephant seal, rookery, highway, one, 1, wild, beak, feather, central, stock