Tag Archives: silhouette

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Fog and Tree at First Light

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“Fog and Tree at First Light” — A winter tree silhouetted against foggy dawn sky in California’s Central Valley.

I photographed this tree on the last morning of our New Year’s visit to California’s Central Valley. We were out there for three days — New Year’s Eve through January 2. Our targets were migratory birds (geese, cranes, and more) and the often-foggy valley landscape. Unlike most of the people who live out there — who prefer sunshine — we seek out the mysterious and moody qualities of the fog.

We arrived here right around the very first faint pre-dawn light — a slight glow in the eastern sky. It was foggy, just as we hoped, but the fog wasn’t all that dense or deep. We could see the sky overhead and there was enough visibility (barely) to drive safely. In places the fog thinned and we could see more of the landscape, albeit muted by haze. I photographed this tree well before sunrise and against the first color in the morning 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.

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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Winter Trees, Sunrise Fog

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“Winter Trees, Sunrise Fog” — Winter trees silhouetted against sunrise sky as tule fog begins to thin.

If I could illustrate the conditions for my ideal morning of winter photography in California’s Central Valley, this morning would tell the story. It was cold and damp, and the fog started out thick enough that it was difficult to drive. There were birds about — geese, cranes, and the other usual suspects. The fog was thick but not deep — while it was difficult to see a hundred feet forward, the sky was visible overhead. The fog began to thin a bit at sunrise, and the glow of the sun shone faintly through the murk.

When a few thousand geese take to the air at once in a frenzy of beating wings and sound, it can momentarily be quite exciting out here. But more often things move very slowly. The fog drifts. The sound of birds are heard in the distance. The cool, damp air shifts gradually, The sun slowly rises. A winter tree is silhouetted against the soft light.

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

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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Marsh, Dawn Fog

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“Marsh, Dawn Fog” — Winter trees silhouetted against the dawn on high clouds above a wetlands marsh shrouded in tule fog.

Bird photography is my excuse for going to this place in the winter. But the truth is that when the birds aren’t around I am happy to photograph this quiet and mysterious landscape, especially when morning tule fog drifts in and out. On this morning there were birds, but they weren’t where I was. So I paused in this spot and others like it and photographed the subtle light and colors of the early morning foggy landscape.

A bit more about the bird photography: I’m not sure how people imagine the process of photographing migratory birds, but I suspect that they might be surprised at how it actually works. Believe me, it is not a case of spending hours clicking off perfect exposures of astonishing wildlife. That happens, but there’s a lot of “slow time” between those moments, when the experience is more about the quiet and the slowing of time and about the landscape.

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 | BlueSky | Email

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

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

Trees and Smoke

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Trees and Smoke
“Trees and Smoke” — Smoke from a managed fire drifts among Yosemite Valley autumn trees.

I have told the story of this series of photographs before, but here is a reminder in case you missed it. I was in Yosemite for a day of autumn color photography, but when I arrived I found the Valley full of smoke from a managed fire, set to burn off accumulated undergrowth. The Park Service does this regularly these days in autumn. It isn’t pleasant for visitors, but it makes for a healthy forest that is less likely to be destroyed by wildfires in the future. But it does pose some challenges for photographers!

Fortunately, with the right subjects and light it is possible to make photographs in smoky conditions. This isn’t the first time I’ve photographed in smoke, and I have shot actual wildfires in the past. I decided that here the drifting smoke was actually kind of moody, almost like fog except with bright sunlight streaming down from above. Here I centered a tree with autumn leaves inside and arch of thicker trunks.

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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