Tag Archives: southern

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

Canyon Walls

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Canyon Walls
The path into a narrow slot canyon passes between dark buttresses.

Canyon Walls. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

The path into a narrow slot canyon passes between dark buttresses.

We hiked up a remote canyon to get to this place. There is little need for a trail here — you just follow the bottom of the valley or canyon, occasionally climbing around blockages. I recall the clattering and clinking sounds of walking on the rocky floor of a wash, intuitive route selection that favored the shady side of the canyon, and the entrance to the narrow sections. Here the feeling is darker, cooler, quieter — reminiscent of walking into a cathedral.

Canyons like this are so fascinating that it seems they should be easy to photograph, but I’m always surprised by their challenges. It can take a while to search around for just the right perspective and composition, and the light can be tricky — there are often stark contrasts between deep shadow and bright sunlight. I’m always taken by the blue tones of the shadows in the canyons of Death Valley, and by the contrast with the warmer tones where the light manages to penetrate.

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

Evening Dunes

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Evening Dunes
Low dunes in soft evening side-light, Death Valley National Park.

Evening Dunes. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Low dunes in soft evening side-light, Death Valley National Park.

Rather than being the result of a carefully planned and scheduled shoot, this photograph was a last-minute photograph of opportunity. We had spent the day in a remote location in Death Valley National Park, at the end of a long and rough backcountry road, where we had parked and hiked a few miles further into a canyon. The light in deep canyons tends to be best while the sun is still high in the sky, so we finished in the late afternoon and then drove out. We decided to stop for an early dinner and not worry about evening photography.

We finished dinner and as walked back to the vehicle it occurred to me that there was just enough light to squeeze in a bit of photography if we hurried to a nearby spot. We immediately parked and set up equipment as the last direct sunlight began to fade on the landscape below. I exposed three frames before the light was gone, and the soft light enhances the sensuous quality of all of those sand formations.

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

Morning in the Dunes

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Morning in the Dunes
Soft morning light and subtle colors on sand dunes, Death Valley National Park.

Morning in the Dunes. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Soft morning light and subtle colors on sand dunes, Death Valley National Park.

The quality of the light among the sand dunes makes all the difference. The dunes themselves are, to a great extent, a visual blank slate. The interesting things we see there are defined by that light — its angle, brightness, color, intensity, and more. The same scene could look cold in blue hour light, warm during the golden hour, harsh and almost colorless at midday, or very subtle under soft light — and there are more variations on these themes than I can possibly list here.

We visited several dune areas on this visit to Death Valley National Park. We wandered out into these dunes one morning, arriving before sunrise and then continuing to photograph as the sun rose and the light gradually transitioned towards the less-interesting daylight qualities. High clouds greatly softened the light and decreased the contrast in the scene, and we found ourselves watching and waiting for even slight increases in brightness and directional light.

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.

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

Dunes, Soft Light

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Dunes, Soft Light
Details of sand dunes in soft evening light, Death Valley Naitonal Park.

Dunes, Soft Light. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Details of sand dunes in soft evening light, Death Valley Naitonal Park.

Sand dunes are fascinating subjects, both for their appearance as part of the larger landscape and because they contain infinite varieties of smaller subjects, textures, colors, and variations in light. I made a wild guess recently that I’ve probably been to Death Valley perhaps twenty-five times. You’d think that I might start to tire of the dunes or run out of things to photograph there… but there’s no sign of this happening.

We went to these dunes late in the day and had them entirely to ourselves. The light was challenging, as clouds were building to the west. As the clouds moved the light increased and decreased, but overall it remained quite soft. But this just provided another variation on how we can photograph this subject, and the soft light reveals some subtle details that can get lost in brighter conditions. I made some post-processing choices here that highlight the variations in light and the soft forms of the dunes.

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. (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.