Tag Archives: southern

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Creosote and Blowing Sand

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Creosote and Blowing Sand
High winds blow streamers of sand across dunes and past a lone clump of creosote in evening light.

Creosote and Blowing Sand. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

High winds blow streamers of sand across dunes and past a lone clump of creosote in evening light.

There are certain things we do not mention when in the field, things that we hope stay away and do not show up to interfere with photography. Since I’m not in the field at the moment — instead, sitting at my computer in my studio — I can go ahead and name one of them: wind. Some years back I was photographing canyons in Utah with some friends, and I was informed that I should never mention the name of this phenomenon while in the field, and if it was necessary to refer to it, the thing could only be called “W.”

“W” is often an issue in Death Valley and similar landscapes. It both creates challenges to photography (dust, camera stability, and more) and opportunities (flying dust can look spectacular!). We learn to deal with it. Sometimes this means heading off to a spot that is sheltered from the worst of it. It might mean photographing the effects of the wind (for example, a dust storm) from just outside its boundaries. Sometimes it means cautiously wading right into the maelstrom if the conditions appear to be spectacular enough, even at risk to equipment and health. Truth be told, the wind whipping up the flying sand in this photograph wasn’t that bad, especially since I could keep it mostly at my back.

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: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast, Photographs: Pacific Northwest

Surf, Sand, and Rocks

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Surf, Sand, and Rocks
Rocky islands and peninsulas surround a small bay at a southern oregon beach.

Surf, Sand, and Rocks. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Rocky islands and peninsulas surround a small bay at a southern oregon beach.

This photograph is the partner of another from the same location that I posted recently. This spot is along the lower coast of Oregon, not too far above the northern California border. We had been visiting the California coastal redwoods in the upper part of the state, and we decided to make a day trip across the border and up that coast. We had no specific goal in mind — well, not beyond finding a place for breakfast along the way — so we just headed north to see what we would find.

We were not expecting to find any particular “icons,” we were freed to stop at whatever seemed interesting. I don’t know that name of these formation, and my only way of identifying them was to record a mileage marker along the route. The large stone features here stand in shallow water — in some places literally on the beach. I chose the vertical format for this photograph to emphasize the view across the beach and the little bay between the rocks, leading the eye to the distant horizon and fog bank.

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: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Dunes, Sandstorm

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Dunes, Sandstorm
Diffused light and atmosphere as a sandstorm rises above desert dunes.

Dunes, Sandstorm. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Diffused light and atmosphere as a sandstorm rises above desert dunes.

This photograph comes from a memorable early spring visit to Death Valley National Park back in 2013. (I know… what visit to Death Valley isn’t memorable, right?!) This day brought a fairly big sandstorm to the Valley, and I worked on photographing it in different locations and in a variety of ways — trying to focus on the atmosphere itself, on subjects made nearly opaque by the dust and brilliant light, attempts to capture the power of the dust-laden wind. This photograph perhaps comes closer to most of them in representing a subject that might be recognizable.

Photographing in these conditions is quite an experience, one that I’ve had more than a few times. On one hand, the scene can be overpowering and quite astonishing. Typically, aside from heat, these desert scenes can seem quite benign, mostly nearly static and quiet — in fact, immense stillness and quiet are among the most characteristic qualities of the desert landscape. But when such storms arise the experience is completely different and quite overpowering. It becomes difficult — sometimes bordering on impossible — to do much besides hunker down and wait for the conditions to subside.

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 to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Southern California

Building and Los Angeles Sky

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Building and Los Angeles Sky
Southern California sky reflected on the surfaces of a modern tower.

Building and Los Angeles Sky. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Southern California sky reflected on the surfaces of a modern tower.

Although it seems like it should have been an obvious thing, I recall realizing for the first time that the appearance of modern reflective towers like this one comes more from what is not the building than what is. With the exception of a few boundaries and the varying tones of the lighter and darker portions, the whole surface of the building is not-building stuff, in this case the sky and clouds. It is almost as if this massive structure’s appearance is mostly ephemeral and transient.

I do recall the circumstances of this photograph made back in 2013. We had gone to this area of Los Angeles to visit a museum where an exhibit of photographs by a well-known “nature” photographer was underway. In any case we ended up walking a bit, looking for a place to grab a bite to eat, and we passed an area with several buildings with appearances similar to this one.

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.

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