Tag Archives: steep

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Rocky Creek Bridge, Big Sur

May 4, 2010 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A natural bridge in front of manmade Rocky Creek Bridge along the Big Sur Coastline, California.

This scene is becoming a sort of personal icon in my photography of the California coastline. I have made a couple black and white photographs of the location that are among my very favorite photographs, but I’ve been meaning to work on a color photograph of this spot. There are at least three general conditions in which this spot gets what I regard as interesting light: fairly early morning when the light slants down toward the ocean from over the coastal Big Sur hills, late afternoon in warm light, and during various types of cloud and fog conditions. This version is from the first of these – photographed relatively early in the day when portions of the scene are backlit but some light hits parts of the scene directly after the sun rises above the tall mountains to the east.

Believe it or not, I still don’t think I’ve fully worked this scene – and I have several other ideas of how I would like to shoot it when the conditions are just right.

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.

Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM at 360mm
ISO 200, f/11, 1/250 second

keywords: natural, manmade, bridge, rocky, creek, pacific, ocean, sea, shore, shoreline, coast, highway, 1, one, rock, island, surf, wave, arch, beach, spring, morning, light, bird, gull, cliff, hill, steep, ridge, monterey, carmel, landscape, seascape, nature, scenic, travel, road, drive, stock

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

Hiker, Natural Bridge Canyon

April 9, 2010 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A hiker pauses below the bridge in Natural Bridge Canyon, Death Valley National Park, California.

I visited this canyon and its natural bridge on my late-March visit to Death Valley. The Nature Bridge canyon is located just a bit north of Badwater, and after a short drive up the alluvial fan to the trailhead it is an easy hike up an impressively narrow and deep canyon to the large, blocky bridge. I like to save the canyons for mid-morning or late-afternoon shooting, since the light here can actually improve a bit further away from the sunrise/sunset edges of the day – the direct light is block by the tall canyon walls.

This canyon is narrow, but not as narrow as some of the other popular canyons with trails such as Mosaic Canyon, in which there a spots where two people cannot pass. Compared to that this canyon is much wider in most spots, perhaps 20 feet or more in places. Nonetheless the vertical and tall walls of the lower section of the canyon block out most of the sky and give a feeling of being somewhat closed in.

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

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

Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Boy Climbing Hill, San Francisco

March 13, 2010 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A boy walks up a steep sidewalk past iconic though dilapidated San Francisco buildings.

Shot in not the absolute greatest neighborhood of San Francisco – but not the worst either. Initially my main subject was this very narrow and very worn looking building – a typical San Francisco structure. I also liked the very muted color palette of the scene – most browns and tan with abit of white and some gray from the sidewalk and street in the foreground, with everything lit softly – no direct light – by the open sky and reflections from buildings on the sunny side of the street. Of course, I wanted a person in the frame, and I quickly spotted this young fellow walking briskly up the hill. A small detail: I like the way that the angle of his back is parallel to the one spot of red color on the wall above him and to the fire escape ladder higher up on the front of the building.

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.

Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
ISO 200, f/11, 1/80 second

keywords: boy, person, walk, climb, sidewalk, street, urban, city, downtown, home, apartment, building, architecture, dilapidated, worn, san francisco, california, usa, north america, travel, wall, car, door, gate, steps, steep, windows, reflections, pattern, fire, escape, ladder, blinds, laundry, classic, stories, tall, narrow, home, frame, balcony, landing, peeling, stock

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Cottonwood Grove, Yosemite Valley

November 17, 2009 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A dense cottonwood grove near the Merced River illuminated by afternoon light, Yosemite Valley, California.

Near Leidig Meadow in Yosemite Valley but closer to the banks for the Merced River there are many stands of cottonwood trees. This is one of the denser stands, and as the leaves turn fall colors it beautifully catches the warm afternoon light coming up the Valley from the west and is set of by the much darker and less colorful shaded face of the tall cliffs beyond.

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.

keywords: yosemite, national, park, valley, sierra, nevada, mountain, range, autumn, fall, season, scenic, travel, nature, landscape, california, dense, cottonwood, tree, grove, trunk, branch, leaf, leaves, leidig, meadow, grass, brown, green, yellow, cliff, shadow, steep, rock, dense, afternoon, light, usa, stock

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