Tag Archives: silhouette

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

The Ridges Beyond

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The Ridges Beyond
“The Ridges Beyond” — A series of Eastern Sierra ridges leads to the east beyond a backcountry lake in morning light.

Because variations on this particular scene comprise a significant portion of the photographs I made during our August Sierra backcountry sojourn I have been trying to release them somewhat gradually. However, even though I shared a quite different version of the view from this camera position just a few days ago, here’s another. This one is, obviously, a near-panorama rendition that takes in the far edge of “our” little lake, its outlet, surrounding ridges, the more distant scene, and some beautiful morning clouds. The whole scene is softened by a bit of backlit morning haze.

Sometimes I’m immediately certain of what a photograph will look like as I make the exposure. But other times I’m less sure and I reserve judgment, perhaps making multiple exposures that will work for any of several possible directions I might take with the subject. That was the case with this scene — multiple “takes” were required not only for that reason but also to ensure that I’d be able to work with some rather extreme light contrasts between the shadowed foreground and the very bright clouds and sky.

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.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sequoia-Kings Canyon, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Evening, Alpine Lake and Peaks

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Evening, Alpine Lake and Peaks
The view from an alpine wilderness lake overlooks high peaks of the southern Sierra Nevada.

Evening, Alpine Lake and Peaks. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

The view from an alpine wilderness lake overlooks high peaks of the southern Sierra Nevada.

Experiencing the high country brings all sorts of rewards — the thrill of high peaks, the beauty of a summer meadow, the (mostly) joy of traversing forests and crossing creeks, and much more. Many of these are immediately accessible, and you can enjoy them just by getting out of your car and walking a little. Some take a bit longer, perhaps requiring an overnight stay away from roads. Still others only come after a relatively long time on the trail — long enough to almost forget that there was another life before you started walking.

Some of these experiences are, at least for me, both remarkable and a bit difficult to put into words. This evening just west of the Southern Sierra crest was one of those times. I was part of a small group of friends who had grown comfortable backpacking together over the years. We were nine days out on a trans-Sierra trip, and we had fully settled into the routines of the trail. In the morning we would get up very early and ascend the highest peak in the range before making the 7000′ descent to the trailhead and the “real world.” But on this evening there was nothing more important to do than wander slowly around this lake and gaze at distant ridges as the day came to an end.

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: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Spring Oak, Cliff Face

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Spring Oak, Cliff Face
A spring black oak silhouetted against El Capitan, Yosemite Valley.

Spring Oak, Cliff Face. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

A spring black oak silhouetted against El Capitan, Yosemite Valley.

Last weekend we were in Oakhurst, along the southern entrance to Yosemite, for the opening of a show featuring Patty’s flower photography. We were close to the park for days, but on most of them we were occupied with activities related to the show — delivering prints, setting up the exhibit, meeting with others involved in the show, attending the opening. Consequently, while the trip was related to photography… it didn’t offer many opportunities to make photographs. But on the final day of our visit we made a quick loop through portions of the park.

As part of this lightening-speed visit we made among the fastest-on-record visits to Yosemite Valley. Since our main goal was a visit to the high country along Tioga Pass Road, we made a single driving loop through the Valley, likely taking no more than an hour. We paused to photograph in just two locations, including near the base of El Capitan where we photographed the black oak trees with their new spring leaves.

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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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

Photographs: France, Photographs: Travel

Ferris Wheel, Clouds

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Ferris Wheel, Clouds
A ferris wheel silhouetted against a sky full of puffy clouds, Paris.

Ferris Wheel, Clouds. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

A ferris wheel silhouetted against a sky full of puffy clouds, Paris.

Back in 2016 as we strolled through the park next to the Louvre in Paris, this large Ferris wheel beckoned above a pool at the far end. It was a beautiful, wam day, and we weren’t really in any hurry to get anywhere, and the scattered clouds broke up the summer light.

I made several photographs of this feature — the Ferris wheel itself and the pool at its base, with people wading in the water and relaxing around it. For such a striking sort of feature, I find these structures to be difficult to photograph. (The night photographs are often the most effective.) I went with monochrome here to emphasize the silhouette of the steel structure against the cloud-studded sky.

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 | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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