Tag Archives: spring

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert

Dry Mud Formations, Death Valley Dunes, Mount Tucki

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Dry Mud Formations, Death Valley Dunes, Mount Tucki

Dry Mud Formations, Death Valley Dunes, Mount Tucki. Death Valley National Park, California. April 4, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Dry mud formations at Death Valley Dunes near Stovepipe Wells, with Mount Tucki in the distance.

I came across this scene after I had pretty much finished my morning shoot of the dunes and was starting to head back to my car. These formations are found in the lower areas around the dunes – suggesting to me that they may underly a good portion of the dune area. Mount Tucki, in the distance, it a high point that dominates the landscape behind Stovepipe Wells.

keywords: mount, tucki, dry mud, formations, outcropping, desert, death valley, dunes, national park, plants, mountains, sand, sky, clouds, stovepipe, wells, spring, morning, light, stock, landscape, scenic, travel, california, usa

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Oak, Sky, and Sun

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Oak, Sky, and Sun
Oak, Sky, and Sun. Calero Hills, California. April 13, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning sun rises above an oak tree on a grassy ridge in central California.

This is from one of the local oak/grassland areas that I visit regularly – hardly a week goes by when I don’t head over there and hike past this very spot in all seasons and all conditions. On this early spring morning the sun was just above the hillside to my east and the solitary oak was casting a long shadow across the slope of this grassy hill. (There is also a black and white version of this photograph that I like quite a bit.)

keywords: oak, tree, meadow, grass, flowers, hill, ridge, sun, silhouette, blue, sky, plants, spring, morning, grassland, calero, santa clara, county, park, california, usa, scenic, landscape, stock

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

California Golden Poppies – Antelope Valley, California

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California Golden Poppies - Antelope Valley, California
California Golden Poppies . Antelope Valley, California. April 5, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

California golden poppy flowers at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Preserve. It was extremely windy on the morning of my visit to the extremely popular Poppy Preserve – which seems to have assumed a significant place on the tourist circuit judging by the number of international visitors and the line of cars waiting to enter as I left. (I got there early and pretty much beat the crowd.)

Nothing is quite as much “fun” as trying to photograph flowers in a 40 mph wind. Eventually I found a few sheltered patches of poppies in small hollows and behind ridges and then waited patiently for the rare moments when the gale briefly diminished.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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keywords: california, golden, poppy, poppies, flower, orange, antelope, valley, state, park, preserve, spring, nature, plants, usa, travel, scenic, tourism, stock

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Purple Wildflowers

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Purple Wildflowers
Purple Wildflowers. Almaden Quicksilver Park, California. April 12, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Purple spring wildflowers photographed along a trail at Almaden Quicksilver Park in central California.

This was a fun shot. I did it handheld with the FF body and the 24-105mm lens. It is interesting to note that it is possible to get tight enough depth of field and even pretty decent bokeh (background blur) from this lens in the right conditions.

keywords: purple, flowers, wild, wildflowers, nature, spring, plants, green, almaden, quicksilver, santa clara, county, san jose, park, stock