Tag Archives: sky

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Urban/Street

Blue and Billboard

Image Leave a comment
Blue and Billboard
A billboard portrait loomes over urban reisdences.

Blue and Billboard. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A billboard portrait loomes over urban reisdences.

Photographs like this one are sometimes a bit difficult to “sell” (in the sense of “persuasion”) to folks who mostly think of me as a “landscape photographer.” There’s a whole lot I could write about this, and I’ll share a little bit of that below, but one reason that I’ve photographed some subjects like this recently is that they are available to me! I carry a camera while out walking, and every so often something catches my eye and I pause to photograph.

In a sense you could think of these photographs as an extension of my landscape photography into the “urban landscape” that I live in. While the subjects seem completely different, there are connections that you might imagine if you think about it a bit. There is also a practical aspect to this kind of photography — it is available to me simply by walking out my front door, unlike the more familiar landscapes that require more travel and logistical preparation. In addition, there are benefits to keeping my seeing skills tuned up by trying to find things to photograph no matter where I am. Beyond that, there are a few things to ponder about regarding the juxtaposition of elements found here.

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.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question.

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

Dissipating Sierra Storm, Evening

Image Leave a comment
Dissipating Sierra Storm, Evening
Storm clouds dissipate in evening light, northern Yosemite backcountry.

Dissipating Sierra Storm, Evening. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Storm clouds dissipate in evening light, northern Yosemite backcountry.

This photograph is not just a picture — it evokes a whole series of pleasant associations going back decades. The location is a backcountry spot in northern Yosemite National Park that I visited a decade ago with a group of friends and photographers. I had walked into the backcountry to meet them on my own for a few years, and I did the same thing this time… but something changed. I was self-contained, carrying everything on my back, as I had done for decades, but they were supported by pack train. After our first night at a midway point on the trek to this spot, one of the group members said, “You know, Dan, we could see if there is room for your pack on one of the mules.” Stubborn as a mule myself, I declined. My friend persisted, “Maybe we could put part of your load on a mule.” I surrendered, turning over my canister of food. (After this I participated fully in these trips — yes, relying on mules, too.)

We ended up camped near the lake seen in this photograph. The group had developed loose rituals — up very early to photograph, usually alone, then back to camp for midday tasks and camaraderie. Late in the day we dispersed again into the surrounding terrain to photograph until dark. On this afternoon I did something that I always love in the Sierra — I headed off on my own to investigate some off-trail terrain. Eventually I found my way up some granite slabs and ledges to top out at the base of a high valley filled with talus. I made a few photographs and then started to work my way back down, pausing at this spot just before sunset and setting up to photograph dissipating clouds beyond distant peaks before descending in the gathering darkness to rejoin my friends in camp.

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.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question.

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

Peak, Lake, and Boulders, Sunset

Image Leave a comment
Peak, Lake, and Boulders, Sunset
The last light of the day touches the top of Sheep Peak in the McCabe Lakes Basin, Yosemite National Park.

Peak, Lake, and Boulders, Sunset. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The last light of the day touches the top of a peak in the northern backcountry of Yosemite National Park.

This is not a new photograph — rather, it is a reconsideration of one that I made almost a decade ago and recently looked it with new eyes. The location is in the northern backcountry of Yosemite National Park, in a somewhat remote area characterized by high ridges, rocky terrains, and some lovely lakes. I was there with a group of friends and photographers for a few glorious days during which we took our time and explored the surrounding terrain.

We were camped at a lower lake among forest trees, in a location that gave us shelter but also access to tons of higher, more alpine terrain. Often we headed off individually to photograph, but on this late afternoon we all headed to the same place, ascending a slope at the upper end of “our” lake to arrive at the next lake up the valley. Sequences of lakes like this are common in many backcountry areas, and I enjoy the individual personalities of the lakes as they are affected by terrain and elevation. This lake was surrounded by alpine meadows, very small and sparse trees, lots of talus, and towering peaks.

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.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question.

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

Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Snow Goose Quartet

Image Leave a comment
Snow Goose Quartet
Four snow geese in flight against blue sky.

Snow Goose Quartet. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Four snow geese in flight against blue sky.

There was a time when migratory bird photography for me was all about the geese. Their autumn arrival still is the signal that brings me back to the migratory bird areas of Central and Northern California, though I have so many photographs of geese now that it is challenging to find a new away to see them! (Often the photographs end up being as much about the place of the birds in the landscape as about the birds themselves.)

This years “goose photography season” is rapidly drawing to a close, and I expect the flocks to depart for the arctic any day now. (They were still there late last week, but a year ago they were gone by the end of the second week of the month.) I managed to isolate this small group out of a much larger flock, and they obliged by holding formation long enough to make this photograph.

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.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question.

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