Tag Archives: sky

Two Oak Trees, Morning

Two Oak Trees, Morning

Two Oak Trees, Morning. Pacheco State Park, California. March 16, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Two oak trees and grassland in morning light. This scene was photographed at Pacheco State Park on the top of the mountain range between Santa Clara Valley and California’s Great Central Valley. This park is a great place to see spring wildflowers, though the persistent winds can make photography challenging.

I always think of one other connection when I pass by this area or, better yet, stop and visit. When John Muir first travelled to the Sierra he came through this pass, and he marveled (as Muir frequently did) at the carpet of wildflowers extending into and across the valley in front of him. While we no longer see the sight the he described, during a few weeks each spring the wildflowers are thick enough that you can almost imagine it.

keywords: oaks, trees, grass, hills, sun, light, morning, early, fence, ridge, sky, silhouette, pacheco, state park, california, pass, usa, travel, scenic, nature, plants, spring, landscape, stock

Rock, Surf, and Cliffs

Rock, Surf, and Cliffs
Rock, Surf, and Cliffs. Pacific Coast, California. March 8, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of coastal rocks, surf, and cliffs along the California coastline near Davenport north of Santa Cruz. Photographed as I returned to my car from photographing a big group of wind surfers – those photos will follow.

keywords: California, Ocean, Pacific, Seascape, Water, waves, Wind, Winter, cliffs, headland, clouds, sky, surf, scenic, landscape, seascape, travel, haze, shore, sea, seashore, coast, coastline, stock

Calero Trail, Spring

Calero Trail, Spring
Calero Trail, Spring. Calero Hills, California. March 8, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A spring morning on a hillside trail through oak grassland of the Calero Hills in central California. This is representative of the start of what I call “the impossibly green” season in central California when for perhaps a month the grasses, trees, and wildflowers go absolutely wild following the winter rains.

keywords: calero, trail, santa clara, county, park, trail, fire road, spring, new, grass, buds, leaves, sun, sunshine, blue, sky, shadows, meadow, forest, hills, clouds, hike, hiking, outdoors, nature, branches, trunks, oak, california, usa, stock

Spring Morning, Calero Hills

Spring Morning, Calero Hills

Spring Morning, Calero Hills. Santa Clara County, California. March 8, 2008. G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

This is a stitch of four 12MP frames, the result being a highly detailed image that should hold up as a 2′ x 4′ print. (It is probably getting a bit “old” to hear me reporting that the actual image contains far more detail that can possibly be shown in a web-sized image… so I won’t. :-)

This photograph was made along a familiar trail – actually a bit off the familiar trail – in a park I frequently visit in the southern portion of Santa Clara County.

keywords: spring, morning, scene, calero, hills, park, santa clara, county, new, leaves, grass, trees, branches, valley, hills, blue, sky, clouds, mountains, nature, landscape, scenic, panorama, oak, buds, log, ridge, grassland, forest, stock, santa cruz mountains, loma prieta, peak