Tag Archives: sun

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Winter Trees

Image Leave a comment
“Winter Trees” — Morning sunlight on winter trees, Santa Clara County.

This photo was made in my “backyard,” relatively speaking, of the hills south of Silicon Valley. This morning it was very foggy here, and when it looked like the fog might stick around I grabbed my camera gear and headed out to see what opportunities might await. I did photograph some foggy subjects (photos will appear here before long) but eventually I wandered up an old rural road that I hadn’t visited in years.

California’s winter climate can seem quite strange to out-of-staters. In most of the state, except for the high mountains and desert areas, the latter part of winter is our green season. And now, in late January, it has begun again in Northern California. As I drove up this little road, new grass was turning the hillsides green, and there were leaves on some trees. I stopped at a wide spot to photograph the delightfully complex silhouette of this tree in hazy sunlight.

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 | BlueSky | 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: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Wetlands Pond, Morning Light

Image Leave a comment
“Wetlands Pond, Morning Light” — Morning sun on a wetlands pond as winter tule fog clears.

The experience of photographing these Central Valley winter landscapes is full of magical instants — combinations of scene, atmosphere, and light that appear and disappear so quickly that they are easily missed. In one direction thick fog might obliterate the view, while in another direction the sunlight may be emerging and bathing the scene in warm light. This was one of those moments — a distant fog bank almost obscures trees, while the reed-covered islands are bathed in direct morning sunlight.

From what I hear, the residents of California’s Great Central Valley are not exactly thrilled by tule fog. When the conditions are right it can last for days or even weeks, holding temperatures to the 30s and 40s and remaining gray and damp. But I love those conditions for photography, and a forecast of fog is often enough to persuade me to drive four hours round-trip to be there.

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 | BlueSky | 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: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Levee Road, Clearing Fog

Image Leave a comment
“Levee Road, Clearing Fog” — Morning tule fog clears and the sun comes out along a Central Valley levee road.

Every New Year’s Day a group of us gather to greet the literal dawn of the new year and make photographs. This year Patty and I turned it into a three-day event, arriving on New Year’s Eve and hanging around through the morning of January 2. This isn’t your typical place to celebrate New Year’s Day — it is a quiet, isolated place in portions of of California that is likely not on most peoples’ maps. But there is beautiful light, quiet, and frequently the sun rising through tule fog.

It was quite foggy when we arrived before dawn on this morning, but not the incredibly thick fog that makes travel dangerous. In fact, the layer of tule fog was shallow enough that we could see the pre-dawn sky overhead. The fog began to thin soon after sunrise, and here along the levee road the intense color of early morning light was winning the battle with the remaining fog.

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: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Forest, Morning Fog

Image Leave a comment
Forest, Morning Fog
“Forest, Morning Fog” — Soft sunlight appears as morning fog begins to clear above a forested hillside, Santa Cruz Mountains.

One of my favorite kinds of light is found at “the edge of the light” —places that are neither in full sun nor fully shaded. Often I search out these spots, especially when fog is involved. The effect can range from subtle to quite striking when there are strong contrasts between deep shadow and light. Here there is an additional factor — not only are the foreground trees in a bit of that gentle light coming through the fog, but the more distant trees almost disappear into the thicker clouds.

We often hear something along the lines of, “photography is all about the light.” That’s not quite literally true in every case, but there’s no question that interesting light can turn an otherwise-mundane subject into something special. To be honest, this scene would not likely catch your attention at all in typical full sunlight nor in thicker fog — it is that glow on the foreground trees that makes it work.

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.