Tag Archives: structure

Photographs: Still Life, Photographs: Structures and Objects

Lattice Fence

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Lattice Fence
Detail view of lattice fence.

Lattice Fence. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Detail view of lattice fence.

Believe it or not, I have been trying to photograph this bit of fence of several years. It isn’t that it has been a major goal for me, but every time we visit this place I end up trying to make a picture of it. It is one of those subjects that seems like it should be simple to photograph, but then it turns out to be anything but. Part of the issue is that the symmetry that attracts me to its form creates some compositional issues.

I’m more pleased with the version I came up with on this visit. I bypassed some color challenges (the colors aren’t exactly striking) by going with a monochromatic rendition. Some thin clouds softened the light — although the subject is under trees, often there is either a bit of direct light on it or, worse, on the stuff in the background. And this time that background was in soft, deep shade.

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: Structures and Objects

Nested Orange Bowls

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Nested Orange Bowls
Two nested orange ceramic bowls.

Nested Orange Bowls. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Two nested orange ceramic bowls.

This is actually a “spring” season photograph — I’ll explain. Recently we took advantage of a break in the California storms to visit a large garden. It comes alive this time of year, and right about now various colorful bulbs are blooming. I’ll share some of those photographs soon, too. The bowls are actually large garden pots for plants that I spotted as we walked though a small shop on the way into the garden.

When Im visually “on” I start to see things like this everywhere. This subject appeals to my natural interest in forms, colors, and textures — something that I think underlies a lot of my photography, even when the apparent subject is the landscape, wildlife, or city subjects.

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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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: New York City, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Beneath the Parkway

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Beneath the Parkway
Support structures under the Henry Hudson Parkway, Manhattan.

Beneath the Parkway. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Support structures under the Henry Hudson Parkway, Manhattan.

While things in New York City are not as grim as they were during the height of the pandemic, nor as bad as when we visited during the Omicron surge last winter, things are not yet completely back to normal. A lot better, yes. But when we visited in August the effects were still clear. People were back in the streets, but the crowds weren’t nearly as dense as before. And we still hesitated to go to some of the more crowded places that we enjoyed previously. So, on this afternoon we found ourselves killing time between a couple of planned events, so we took a walk over to and along a section of the Hudson River shoreline.

In this location sidewalks, paths, and stairs can take you down from the city itself of a riverside walkway and park, so we headed on down to join the others out for a walk, a run, or a bike ride. As the path descended it approached the base of this old structure that supports the parkway running along the waterfront. In a world of modern, sweeping and curving reinforced concrete structures, it is fun and interesting to come across older steel structures like 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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

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

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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Urban/Street

No Parking

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No Parking
No Parking sign and colorfu paint on a San Francisco residence.

No Parking. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

No Parking sign and colorfu paint on a San Francisco residence.

There are lots of places offering similar visual opportunities in San Francisco, and they aren’t hard to find, especially if you get out and walk the City. And this is a very walkable city! I often walk almost all the way across between the CalTrain station and points north, following various favorite routes. This spot, if I recall correctly, is on a side street in roughly an area between North Beach and the tourist center known as Fisherman’s Wharf.

There are plenty of ways to photograph the sometimes-eclectic (and other times quite classic) architecture of this city. In terms of scale, I can go anywhere between including entire buildings (or even groups of them) and photographs that focus on very small elements — a door, a stairway, a bit of a window. In this one the colors, of course, were the main attraction. But I also was taken by the almost Cubist composition that resulted from cropping tightly.

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 | Twitter | 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.