Tag Archives: sunset

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

Wetlands, Winter Sunset

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Wetlands, Winter Sunset, California's Central Valley
“Wetlands, Winter Sunset” — Sunset beyond Central Valley wetlands on a winter evening.

This was just about the final photograph I made on this past New Year’s Day. We had actually started the previous afternoon, come back before dawn, and worked the subject all day long. We photographed the landscape and thousands of migratory birds. As the day drew to a close I found a location with a view of the sunset sky reflected in the surface of nearby pond.

While this is mainly a landscape photograph, if you look very closely you may be able to to spot a group of (most likely) snow geese on the water. Many of their partners had already flow away for the evening, but this final group stuck around bit longer.

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” from Heyday Books, is available directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Mono Lake Basin, Photographs: Nature

Sunset Storm, Mono Lake

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Sunset Storm, Mono Lake
“Sunset Storm, Mono Lake” — An evening storm moves over Mono Lake at sunset.

Occasionally nature throws some light at me that seems just plain unreal — effects so unusual that even I start to doubt what I saw. Often this happens at sunset or sunrise when the conditions align just right, as they did on this evening. It had been cloudy and raining, and there was still moisture in the air as the clouds began to break up in the north and west. As that happened, colorful sunset light came in over the Sierra crest and illuminated the clouds from within.

I had anticipated that something interesting might happen on this evening, but this intensely colorful light took me by surprise. In the photograph we look at and across Mono Lake from a high point to the southwest of the lake, right into the brilliantly colored clouds to the north.

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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Community, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Mt. Dana, Sunset Clouds

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Mt. Dana, Sunset Clouds
“Mt. Dana, Sunset Clouds” — Clouds glow in the final sunset light above Mt. Dana.

There is a special autumn feeling in the Sierra high country that I love. It is hard to describe, and it may be the sum of a variety of seasonal features. Summer is a time of wild abundance as the plants (and the mosquitos!) take advantage of the short growing season. Within a couple of months it comes to an end and things go dormant in preparation for the coming winter. There are fewer human visitors, too — though sadly it isn’t quite as deserted as it used to be. The intense light of summer is gone, replaced by softer, golden, and often hazy light.

This was one of those evenings. I was traveling through the Yosemite high country between Tioga Pass and Tuolumne Meadows, and the place was nearly deserted. Clouds low enough to obscure peaks were drifting about, and the last sunlight turned the west edge of the cloud bank bright red/orange. I stopped here, made a few photographs, and watched as the color faded from the sky.

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

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast, Photographs: Scotland, Photographs: Travel

Oban Sunset

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Oban Sunset
“Oban Sunset” — Shortly before the summer solstice, clouds pass as the sun sets over the waters near Oban, Scotland.

Our brief visit to Oban, Scotland this summer felt a bit like a dream. In part that might have been jet lag — this was the first place we visited after landing, with a plan to spend a few days adjusting to the time difference. Perhaps the Oban Distillery and the ever-present Scotch whisky played a part? And the days were so long here at this northerly latitude, where sunset came at close to 10:00pm during the last half of May.

We stayed in a waterfront B&B. Our room had a large bay window looking out over the… bay. If I recall correctly, we had returned to our room from dinner when this beautiful evening sky developed. I grabbed my camera and quickly walked northwest along the shoreline to find a good vantage point to watch the show and make this photograph.

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.

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