Tag Archives: sunrise

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Winter Sun, Fog, Trees

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Winter Sun, Fog, Trees
Morning sun glows weakly through tule fog to silhouette a grove of winter cottonwood trees.

Winter Sun, Fog, Trees. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning sun glows weakly through tule fog to silhouette a grove of winter cottonwood trees.

This New Year’s Day my photography was supposed to focus on migratory birds, but somehow I ended up with a bunch of landscape photographs! This is a bit ironic, since I go to these places to photograph birds — but perhaps it isn’t too surprising given that it is hard to photograph birds when the fog is so thick that it obscures things more than 100 feet away.

Before I made this photograph I had tried to photograph cranes. I could hear them nearby, but I could not see a single one through the fog aside from a few that occasionally flew directly overhead. I finally decided to look elsewhere, and before long I passed these familiar trees. In the fog they took on a new and mysterious aspect, so I stopped and set myself up in landscape photographer mode — off came the really long lens and out came the tripod. As I worked the fog changed from moment to moment, and at the instant of this exposure the sun was barely visible through the 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.

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Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Wetlands Cranes, Dawn

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Wetlands Cranes, Dawn
A flock of sandhill cranes at a wetland pond at dawn.

Wetlands Cranes, Dawn. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A flock of sandhill cranes at a wetland pond at dawn.

This group of sandhill cranes was “hanging out” along wetland ponds earlier this autumn, standing quietly in the soft light of a foggy morning. These noble birds are found across vast areas o f America, and at this time of year they visit more southerly locations. When I go out to photograph migratory birds, one of the things I look forward to every time is opening my car door when I arrive before dawn and hearing the distinctive call of the cranes.

From looking at a lot of bird photography (and reading some of the descriptions of it) you might think that it is a thrill-a-minute, non-stop action endeavor. You would be wrong. The reality is that much of the time is spent not photographing the birds! There’s the pre- and post-photography drive to get to these places and home again, usually done in darkness. Then there are often some very busy moments right around sunrise and sunset. Between those times there is a lot of quiet sitting and waiting, wandering around trying to find the birds, napping (!), snacking, followed by more wandering and waiting. This is not necessarily a bad thing. In a world full of constant demands and stimulation, the slow and quiet times with these birds can be restorative.

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: Central California, Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

The Perch

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The Perch
A hawk perches on the topmost branch of a wetland copse beneath Central Valley autumn sky.

The Perch. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A hawk perches on the topmost branch of a wetland copse beneath Central Valley autumn sky.

This little clump of wetland trees is very familiar to me at this point, since I’ve photographed in this area for several years, typically during late autumn and winter months. I like to claim I go to photograph birds (yes, it is true) — but I also go to see and photograph the atmosphere and landscape of this corner of California’s Great Central Valley. One near constant with this copse is that there is virtually always at least one raptor perched on the highest branches.

This past week I understood a bit more another reason to go to such places. During the pandemic and its attendant travel restrictions, we’re all spending a lot more time in a very localized area around our homes, and for most of us that means that we are not seeing the expansive views that place like this offer. I’ve missed the wide-open sky and the big landscapes — and even short visits are therapeutic. For many of us it isn’t necessary to travel to a faraway location and a day or even an afternoon may be enough.

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Central Valley Winter Sky

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Central Valley Winter Sky
Pre-sunrise winter sky and thin fog above Central Valley wetlands.

Central Valley Winter Sky. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Pre-sunrise winter sky and thin fog above Central Valley wetlands.

These days it is hard to precisely put my finger on the character of California’s Great Central Valley, comprised of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys and the delta where they merge with the San Francisco Bay. Many years ago a drive though the valley was all about agricultural communities, but today things are less homogeneous. Some areas seem more like extensions of the urban San Francisco Bay Area — see towns along the busy I80 corridor and the “bedroom communities” from which long-distance drivers commute in each day. Other towns further into the Valley, including many along Highway 99, have become so large that their agricultural roots seem more distant. To be sure, agriculture remains pervasive in the Valley, as a drive though almost any portion of it will make clear.

Among the features that continue to define this valley for me are its flat geography and the vast expanse of uninterrupted sky. This photograph focuses on both. I chose to place the horizon very close to the bottom of the frame since that’s were it is when we look up at skies like the one in this photograph. It was very early on a late-winter morning, before the sun had come up. The light was blue and thin dawn tule fog was dissipating above these wetlands.

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 | Flickr | Facebook | Email

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

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