Tag Archives: sun

Photographs: Sierra Nevada

North Lake and Piute Peak, Autumn Snow

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North Lake and Piute Peak, Autumn Snow

North Lake and Piute Peak, Autumn Snow. Sierra Nevada, California. October 4, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An autumn snow squall moves across the upper reaches of Piute Peak with fall colors around North Lake in the foreground. The snow is still falling on the peaks in this photograph, and the high winds have created some choppy lake water. Yes, although you probably can’t tell from this photograph, it was COLD when I shot this!

Photographed on a very cold October morning right after an early season weather front had passed through, dusting Piute Peak with a bit of snow. The post front weather was very windy, as evidenced by the chop on the surface of this small lake.

keywords: piute, peak, north lake, autumn, fall, snow, squall, shower, cloud, blue, sky, mountain, ridge, morning, light, sun, aspen, tree, forest, grove, orange, yellow, green, gold, water, ripple, wave, grass, shore, shoreline, snag, grass, meadow, brush, sierra, nevada, california, range, usa, scenic, travel, season, landscape, stock

Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Shoreline Trees and Reflections, Fletcher Lake

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Shoreline Trees and Reflections, Fletcher Lake

Shoreline Trees and Reflections, Fletcher Lake. Yosemite National Park, California. September 9, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Shoreline trees, grasses, and rocks catch the morning sunlight and are reflected in Fletcher Lake, Yosemite National Park, California.

This photograph is from near the outlet stream of Fletcher Lake, very close to the Vogelsang High Sierra Camp. Early morning light is beginning to flow around the base of Fletcher Peak and strike the rocks and vegetation along the shoreline right below the peak. This is one of a series of photographs I made on this morning as I wandered around this lake in the early light.

keywords: shore, shoreline, trees, forest, bush, grass, meadow, rock, boulder, sun, light, talus, slab, granite, reflection, submerged, alpine, mountain, sierra, nevada, high, camp, vogelsang, fletcher, lake, hike, backpack, landscape, wilderness, stock, california, usa, yosemite, national park

Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Tarn on Lake Townsley Plateau

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Plateau Above Townsley Lake, Sunset

Tarn on Lake Townsley Plateau. Yosemite National Park, California. September 7, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Sunset light on the meadow near a small alpine tarn on the plateau above Townsley Lake, with the ridge between Fletcher and Parson Peaks beyond.

This plateau is located just above Townsley Lake, near the Vogelsang High Sierra Camp and Fletcher Lake. I have visited this spot many times on walks between Fletcher and Ireland Lakes, and I have wanted to photograph here at sunset for quite some time.

(I’ve written a bit about how I get to and across this plateau here.)

This tarn, dry at this late time in the season, sits near the edge of the plateau and catches the low angle sun just before sunset. The ridge beyond runs between Parsons and Fletcher Peaks. The water level is very low due to the lateness of the season – a month earlier this tarn was surrounded by green grasses and wildflowers.

keywords: sunset, evening, townsley, lake, plateau, parsons, fletcher, peak, lake, meadow, forest, grass, tree, peak, ridge, alpine, sun, light, yosemite, national park, california, usa, landscape, travel, scenic, hike, backpack, camp, outdoor, mountain

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Pacific Ocean, Sunset

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Pacific Ocean, Sunset

Pacific Ocean Waves, Sunset. Pacific Ocean Coastline, Northern California. September 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Color photograph of wave patterns and reflections as the sun sets over the Pacific Ocean south of San Francisco, California.

I drove over to the coast on an early September evening with my son to photograph pelicans and other shore birds along coastal bluffs between Santa Cruz and San Francisco. I know of a few spots on high bluffs where you can simply pull to the side of the road, take 10 steps to the west to the edge of the bluff, and then wait for birds gliding along the cliffs and taking advantage of the updrafts to stay aloft. Sometimes the birds will come past within a few feet of your position. I had been concentrating of photographing the birds, but during the breaks between flocks and individuals it was impossible to ignore the increasingly beautiful light as the sun dropped toward the horizon, casting nearly horizontal shadows of fog-diffused light. Essentially on a whim, I pointed my 100-400mm zoom (not exactly a typical landscape/seascape lens) down at the small waves at the base of the cliff and made a few exposures just as the sun began to drop below the horizon.

keywords: color, wave, swell, reflections, pacific, ocean, coast, highway, 1, one, california, usa, pattern, sun, set, sunset, evening, san francisco, coastline, shore, sea, seashore, seascape, landscape, stock