Tag Archives: sky

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Clearing Storm, Evening

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Clearing Storm, Evening
“Clearing Storm, Evening” — The sky lights up at sunset as a Sierra Nevada storm clears.

Our backcountry stay began with the absolute worst summer Sierra storm I can remember. Within seconds of getting our tent up the skies let loose with an hours-long barrage of extremely heavy rain, hail, thunder, lightning, and wind. Everything around us flooded, and we had a stream flowing under the tent. There was nothing to do but shelter in the tent and try to stay dry and warm. We managed to escape briefly to eat a quick dinner, but the rain continued. It paused later that night… and then resumed before dawn and continued through most of the next day, albeit not as heavily.

Finally, late on day two, the storm broke. We began to see some thinning in the clouds to the west, and we began to hope for some interesting sunset light. Out we went, with each of us making guesses as to when and where the light might appear. At first I photographed the fog that was drifting back and forth among the surrounding peak, and then I began to turn my attention to the west, where I hoped to get some sunset color. Not much was happening there… and then I looked behind me to see see this scene developing!

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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. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

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

Alpine Lake, Sunset Moonrise

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Alpine Lake, Sunset Moonrise
The half-moon rises over a ridge above a Yosemite backcountry lake.

Alpine Lake, Sunset Moonrise. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

The half-moon rises over a ridge above a Yosemite backcountry lake.

This rugged ridge rises above the lake at which I camped for several days of Yosemite backcountry photography. During the day these slopes have an entirely different appearance, glowing brightly in the harsh daytime sunlight. Later they become blue as the sun leaves and evening shadows take over. But for a brief moment just before the sun dropped over the western horizon, the slopes were washed with this beautiful pink light as the moon rose over the ridge.

We often imagine that landscape photography is a slow, thoughtful process. It can be slow, and there are times when I wait a long time in one spot for the right thing to happen. But other times the landscape changes with remarkable speed. The edge-of-the-day morning and evening times often are in this category, as the light undergoes profound changes in minutes or even seconds.

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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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

High Country Lake

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High Country Lake
An alpine lake sits in a treeless bowl below the Sierra Crest, Yosemite National Park.

High Country Lake. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

An alpine lake sits in a treeless bowl below the Sierra Crest, Yosemite National Park.

This is a very remote lake high in the Yosemite Sierra backcountry. For years I had visited areas a few miles away and thought about going here. Finally, on this trip — when I was again base-camped at that close location — I took a morning to wander over this way and explore this rocky basin with its shallow lake.

I looked at my map, pointed “that way,” dropped over a short ridge into forest, and headed toward this bowl. I was far from the first person to go here, but there was no trail and barely any traces of other people. (Perhaps I missed a more obvious route?) After a bit of bushwhacking the route began to climb up toward the lake and gradually open as the trees thinned. I arrived to nearly perfect solitude and silence, broken by the song of a bird or two and occasional shouts from climbers high above on a nearby peak.

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.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)

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

Evening Sky, Meadow and Mountains

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Evening Sky, Meadow and Mountains
“Evening Sky, Meadow and Mountains” — Remnants of afternoon clouds dissipate at sunset above Yosemite mountains and meadow.

This is a view I’ve known for many decades, looking across Tuolumne Meadows toward peaks in the area of Mount Conness. Tuolumne was where I had my first experience with the “High Sierra” many years ago, when my Dad took us there for a camping trip — and an aborted attempt at backpacking. (I think he always wanted to backpack. I recall that he acquired various pieces of fascinating gear. But I also recall that, for whatever reason, several times he came close to heading out on the trail only to call it off at the last minute.)

The photograph comes from that wonderful early summer period when the meadows are still green and lush… but no longer so wet that they often are more lake than land. I’ve backpacked to, around, and over that distant ridge too many times to remember them all. That isn’t just a line of anonymous ridges and peaks to me — it brings back memories of many backcountry trips… including one memorable cross-country adventure across a portion of it!

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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. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.