Tag Archives: talus

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Evening Light, Trees

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Evening Light, Trees
“Evening Light, Trees” — Just before sunset, evening light slants across trees high in the Eastern Sierra.

In late July a group of us camped for two nights at a lake just east of the Sierra Nevada crest. The lake is at about 10,000′ of elevation, and peaks to the west tower almost 3000′ higher. That tall ridge (the Sierra crest) begins to block the direct light remarkably early, in some places an hour and a half or longer before actual sunset. To photograph the “late” light close to this ridge I had to start quite early!

I had a rough plan to start closer to the ridge and catch the last direct light there on this rocky rise, and to then work my way to the east, following that edge of the light. This was one of the first photographs I made, and you can see the alpine terrain beyond these trees growing in this rocky landscape..

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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

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Shoreline in Shadows

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Shoreline in Shadows
“Shoreline in Shadows” — An eastern Sierra lake, surrounded by meadows and forest and reflecting talus slopes, in early morning shadows.

While we love to photograph mountain light, sometimes it can be tricky. I photographed this scene in the early morning. I had gone out well before sunrise, planning to spend some time working with the soft light before the direct sunshine arrived. The the sunlight first touched peaks high above the distant talus slope, then began to descend toward the lake. I made this photograph while the directly-lit talus field was just outside the frame, and moments later things were very bright!

This is, at least for me, the kind of scene that I don’t immediately “see” as a photograph. But when I do I intuitively work out some kind of composition, moving forward and backward, left and right, higher and lower, and adjusting focal length until it just seems to come together.

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: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Trees in Morning Light, Granite Dome

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Trees in Morning Light, Granite Dome
“Trees in Morning Light, Granite Dome” — Trees grow on a bit of talus at the base of a Yosemite dome.

Scenes like this are a big part of what characterizes Yosemite, especially the park’s high country: trees growing on granite, domes, forests, and that “range of light” atmosphere. The features are so common that it is possible for a longtime visitor to almost take them for granted.

I have paused at this spot on virtually every visit to the Yosemite high country for decades. The dome rising to the left in the photograph was my original interest — it is a beautiful dome in an especially aesthetic location. But later on the trees became an equal attraction — easy to overlook among millions of other trees, but once you see them you don’t forget.

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

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Rock and Ice

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Rock and Ice
“Rock and Ice” — A permanent ice field and rugged alpine terrain in the Sierra Nevada.

This is a classic example of alpine Sierra Nevada terrain. At the very bottom is a bit of alpine meadow, located right at the upper edge of the local tree line. Above that we see large expanses of glaciated granite with rounded and smoothed forms that are now cracked and broken by erosion. Still higher, a permanent ice field (one of a diminishing number of them) nestles in a bowl eroded by its glacial ancestor. The ice field sits at the base of very steep and rugged slopes that rise to unseen peaks.

One result of spending a lot of time in the higher reaches of the Sierra Nevada is that it is easy to forget how exotic such landscapes look to those who don’t visit them. To them, this terrain might seem forbidding and out of reach. But the reality is that once you reach this elevation, the land opens up and you can go almost anywhere without trails, limited only by your imagination and you ability to find routes and navigate.

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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