Tag Archives: sierra

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

The Valley, Autumn Fog, Evening

January 5, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Fog fills Yosemite Valley at dusk following an autumn storm

OK, I confess that sometimes I still stop at Tunnel View, and sometimes I do take my camera out, and I may even make a photograph. ;-) On this late-autumn evening I had been in the Valley for just an afternoon, on a day that had begun with quite heavy rainfall as I drove to Oakhurst for a meeting. The rain turned to showers with some breaks of sunlight as I drove to the Valley in the afternoon for a few hours of photography.

I photographed well east in the Valley, working wit clouds that were brushing past pinnacles and faces high on the granite walls. As the sunlight left that subject I packed up and started to head out of the Valley and back toward Oakhurst. I passed Tunnel View, and as I always do, I did a quick visual check to see what was going on. I got out of the car and walked to the overlook — there were almost no photographers left by this point, as it was well into the dusk blue hour light. It was quite dark, actually, though there was still residual light on the furthest peaks and on higher portions of the clouds, Drifting low clouds and fog almost filled the Valley itself. The fog was intriguing, so I dashed back to my vehicle, grabbed the camera and a lens and tripod, rushed back, and set up to make a few exposures in the failing light.

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

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Oak Tree, Clearing Storm

January 3, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A Yosemite valley oak tree with autumn storm clouds swirling around granite cliffs

This may be an almost quintessential Yosemite Valley autumn scene — a bit of golden brown meadow, back-lit black oak tree fall color, granite cliffs, and the clouds of a dissipating early season storm.

This is perhaps my favorite time in the Valley, with a snowy winter day providing the only real competition for that designation. There is an end-of-summer feeling still, especially since the days are often sunny and pleasantly warm. The place is more colorful than at any other time of year — spring wildflowers may be more diverse, but the masses of leaves are larger. With an early rain storm, the near-dormant waterfalls spring back to life and the Merced River rises. And behind all of the knowledge that winter’s arrival is only weeks away.

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

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

Clearing Autumn Storm Clouds, Sunset

December 28, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Swirling clouds from an autumn storm clear from Yosemite Valley cliffs at sunset

This is perhaps a bit of a complex photograph, where the subject is not immediately clear, to at least it seems to me. We are looking at some buttresses and terraces high up on the granite walls of Yosemite Valley, as partially revealed by drifting clouds in the wake of an autumn storm. Sunset light colors the clouds just a bit.

I was at the end of a quick two-day visit to the Yosemite area, with business in Oakhurst and then photographing in the Valley. At the end of the day I watched the remnants of a storm begin to clear from the Valley, and I’m always fascinated by what the clouds do in these conditions, drifting and unexpectedly parting to momentarily reveal small bits of the landscape high above the Valley floor.

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Trees, Cliffs, and Clearing Autumn Storm

December 25, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Autumn storm clouds clear from granite cliffs of Yosemite Valley

I had a shorter time than usual for my late October Yosemite fall color this year. First off, I had some business to attend to in the town of Oakhurst, along the southern route into the park. I took care of that, drove to the Valley in beautiful fog and rain, photographed for a few hours, and headed back to Oakhurst. (More typically, I’ll stay in the Valley, even if it means camping in the rain.) The next morning I was up early, with good intentions about getting back to the Valley for the first light. But there were too many distractions on the drive — beautiful fall color in the forests, more fog, clouds filling valleys — and I didn’t get there until later.

It was another “interesting” weather day, mostly clearing, but still clouds hanging around. The clouds of autumn and winter are a favorite subject of mine here, so when I stopped to photograph these autumn trees along the edge of a meadow, I think it may have been at least partially an excuse to watch the clouds flowing back and forth along the tall granite walls, momentarily parting to reveal the details of the mountain and then closing up again. Here the faint afternoon sunlight is coming from the left and lighting the trees. The cliff is in shadow, hence that deep bluish tones of the rock, and thinning clouds pass by further up the flanks of the valley walls.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: sierra

The Valley, Autumn Fog, Evening

Oak Tree, Clearing Storm

Clearing Autumn Storm Clouds, Sunset

Trees, Cliffs, and Clearing Autumn Storm

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