Tag Archives: snow

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

From Valley To Peaks

Image February 13, 2023 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

The Panamint Range rises in morning light from below sea level in Death Vally to over 11,000 feet at Telescope Peak.

Earlier I shared another photograph of this series of impressive ridges, rising in the dawn light from the below-sea-level playa of Death Valley to the 11,000’+ summit of Telescope Peak. The other photograph took in a wider view of the landscape. In this one I narrowed the focus to emphasize the immense mass of these mountains and their astonishingly tall escarpment.

It is very hard to get an accurate sense of scale for this scene. This was true when I was there, and I suspect it is even more true when looking at the photograph. The base of the mountains is many miles away — I don’t have an accurate measurement, but it must be more than ten miles. If you look closely, you may notice that it takes four ridges to reach that highest summit, whose distance is likely something like 25-30 miles. And if you look closely you can pick out a series of four ridges as the mountains rise to the summit.

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: Birds, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Marshland, Winter Sky

Image January 19, 2023 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Hazy winter sky over Central Valley marshlands.

This is what I think of as a “quiet photograph.” It is more about the whole of the scene than any particular element or subject, and the relatively centered composition would not be described as “dynamic.” However, that is more or less the essence of the experience in this place at times like this. Things change slowly or not at all. It is quiet. Scenes are often devoid of obvious icons. I would argue that, at least in part, this is what defines the experience of such places.

When I started doing to such places to photograph birds a couple of decades ago, my first visits were full of Big Moments and surprises — seeing some kind of bird for the first time, learning their calls, experiencing the thick winter tule fog. But over time elements that didn’t register initially became primary features of these visits. These included quiet stillness, long waits between remarkable moments, and the quality of light and atmosphere.

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Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Cloudscape With Birds

Image January 7, 2023 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Cloudscape With Birds. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Migratory birds fill the winter sky against a backdrop of clearing storm clouds.

Yes, it is a little bit difficult to see the birds in this photograph. (If you have the option, you may want to view it larger.) But in a way, that is kind of the point — to set the very small and very numerous birds against that grand scale of this California Central Valley winter cloudscape. When photographing birds I almost always wish I could get closer — but there’s also inevitably a moment when I am moved by the distant view a sky filled with thousands of birds.

I made this photograph on New Year’s morning, shortly after the first dawn of 2023. In order to arise before dawn I had to be in bed well before midnight. (I suppose that there was a time when I might have stayed up until midnight and gotten up before the sun!) As wonderful as it was to greet the new year in the company of thousands of migratory birds, it was even better to be in the company of a wonderful little band of photographers and friends who gather together on every New Year’s Day.

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Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Geese, Dark Sky

Image December 17, 2022 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Geese in flight against a dark autumn sky above California’s Central Valley.

What visit to the country of winter migratory birds would not be complete without at least one photograph simply of birds filling the sky? These are most likely Ross’s geese — though it is a little hard to say for sure at this distance. As they do numerous times each day, they lifted off en masse when something disturbed them, flew in ever-widening circles for a few minutes, found a new spot, and settle back down on the ground. During that time the sky was filled with a swirling mass of geese.

The conditions at this moment were just right for a darker sky than usual. It was a foggy morning. Earlier the fog had been thick enough to make driving dangerous and bird photography almost impossible. But now, a few hours later, the fog was lifting and opening up the visibility near the ground.

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G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: snow

From Valley To Peaks

Marshland, Winter Sky

Geese, Dark Sky

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.