Tag Archives: summit

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Layered Autumn Aspen Groves

Image Leave a comment
Layered Autumn Aspen Groves
“Layered Autumn Aspen Groves” — Groves of Sierra Nevada aspen trees at various stages of autum color transformation.

As I look back on this year’s autumn aspen photography one theme that emerges (which I wasn’t aware of when I was in the field) is groves that encompass a wide range of foliage color. At the right moments and in the right places you can sometimes see simultaneously all of the states of the autumn leaf transition, from green trees through yellow, orange, and red… and even some bare trees. (I suspect that the tall, leafless trees in this scene are old, dead snags.)

This photograph provides another opportunity to mention my preferred light for this subject. I tend to stay away from the bright midday sun, with the exception of a few photographs in which it backlights the trees. I much prefer somewhat soft light from slightly overcast skies or the shadows of morning and evening. I made this photograph under broken clouds, which retained a bit of the directional quality of the late-day light.

Leave a comment or question using the form. (If you are reading this on the home page, click the article title to see the full article and the comment form.

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. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Portugal, Photographs: Travel

Pena Palace

Image Leave a comment
Pena Palace
“Pena Palace” — The Pena Palace, on the summt of a mountain near Sintra, Portugal.

We missed the Pena Palace when we visited Lisbon a few years ago, so this time we made sure to set aside a day for the train ride to Sintra to see it. (It isn’t the only thing there — a remarkable “Moorish castle” is nearby.) The weather was… interesting. We had rain and wind and fog, to the point that it was difficult to be outside on the castle grounds. However, these conditions also made the scene more dramatic than it would have been on another pleasant, blue sky day.

Later I’ll share photographs made on the palace grounds. I made this one while traversing the old walls of the Moorish Castle. It also lies on a ridge, but a lower one than the palace. From there I had a dramatic view looking up to the summit of the ridge where the wildly colorful Pena Palace sits, complete with dark clouds moving past.

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. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

Join the discussion — you are welcome to leave a comment or question. (Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately.)

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

(All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.)

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Evening Aspens

Image Leave a comment
Evening Aspens
“Evening Aspens” — Groves of autumn aspen trees in the shadow of Sierra Nevada peaks.

I confess to often looking for the most intensely colorful aspen groves and visiting them when the light most enhances that intensity. Often this means positioning the trees between me and the sun, as back-light can make the leaves glow with unbelievable intensity. But that is obviously not the only way to photograph beautiful fall color, and something more subtle gets my attention, too. In fact, I love photographing these trees in the shade, where the colors may be a bit less intense, but where soft light fills the shadows and reveals details.

I began photographing in this area in the late afternoon when the sun was, in fact, back-lighting the trees. But in this particular location the sun drops behind higher peaks well before sunset, and shadows fall across the landscape. So I continued photographing as the light softened and eventually began to fade.

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 | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Aspen Slopes

Image Leave a comment
Aspen Slopes
“Aspen Slopes” — Aspen covered slopes on the east side of the Sierra Nevada.

People new to the autumn aspen “scene” in the Sierra Nevada often ask, “Where is the best place to find the aspens in the Eastern Sierra?” My answer may sound facetious, but it is accurate — “In the Eastern Sierra!” Sure, there are particular places where everyone goes to look and photograph, and many of them are spectacular. But the trees are everywhere. Drive across any Sierra Pass (slowly!) and you’ll find them. Head up or down US305 and watch (mostly) to the west, and you’ll see tons of them. Head up into most any east side canyon and they will be there.

In some other places large swaths of trees change virtually at the same time — in New England, for example. But things are more varied in the Sierra, and the color sustains itself for almost a month. It starts at the highest elevations and more in the north than the south. Then, generally speaking, it works its way from high to low and from north to south — through there are some variations here and there caused by exposure and availability of water. The trees in this photograph are in the transition zone between the dry high desert terrain and the first conifer forests as the elevation rises.

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 | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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