Tag Archives: towers

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Chicago, Photographs: Travel

Chicago Towers

Image Leave a comment
Chicago Towers
“Chicago Towers” — Chicago towers on a cloudy autumn day.

We spent almost a week in Chicago in late November. We went for a long walk inside “the loop” on this overcast day, first visiting the opera house (where we had tickets for a performance later on) and then following the river back to the east before looping toward our hotel. I’ve long been fascinated by comparisons between Chicago and Manhattan, and while I love Manhattan, Chicago comes out ahead in many ways. For one thing there is more space between buildings, providing more light and more ways to photograph them.

Why in the world, you might wonder, would we go to Chicago in November!? It tends to be cold and windy then — though still not as cold as a few weeks later. We originally had plans to meet up with other visitors to attend some concerts, visit museums, and enjoy meals. Unfortunately, their plans changed, but since we had tickets and reservations we decided to go anyway — and it turned out to be an enjoyable trip.

Leave a comment or question using the form. (Click the title to see the full article and to comment if you are viewing it on the home page.)

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: The Southwest, Photographs: Utah

Sandstone Formations, First Light

Image Leave a comment
Sandstone Formations, First Light
“Sandstone Formations, First Light” — Sandstone towers and walls in first light, Arches National Park.

I made this photograph from an “official” viewpoint…. that is named for an entirely different view that lies behind my camera position. There is something interesting in that other direction, but this tableau of sandstone towers and walls, near and far, seems more compelling to me, especially very early in the morning when the rising sun illuminates them. I made this photograph just before actual sunrise, when the earth’s shadow is visible in the distant sky.

My feelings about Arches National Park are complicated. When we drove into the park in the morning on my very first visit, I really had little idea of what I would see. I was dumbfounded by the wild formations — huge sandstone walls, tall towers, rocks perched in improbable places, long views. It is definitely worth a visit or two, but be aware that it is a heavily impacted place. Its beauty is part of the reason, but it also lies just outside the town of Moab, Utah, making it (perhaps too) accessible.

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: The Southwest, Photographs: Utah

Sandstone Formations, Earlry Morning Light

Image Leave a comment
Sandstone Formations, Earlry Morning Light
“Sandstone Formations, Early Morning Light” — Early morning light on sandstone formations at Arches National Park.

Recently I have been revisiting photographs from a decade ago, including a couple of lengthy trips to Utah in the spring and fall seasons. On one we visited Arches National Park — believe it or not, my first visit. I felt like I sort of knew the place, having read Edward Abbey’s “Desert Solitaire” a few times, but the reality of this landscape astounded me. My wife, Patricia Emerson Mitchell, likes to tell a story about me more or less losing it when I first saw those sandstone formations!

On this morning we entered the park very early, well before sunrise. I had been photographing for some time when I made this photograph. The sun had recently risen, but the light still was warm, and the effect on the red rock formations was striking. This is an example of my long-lens landscape photographs. Some people imagine that landscape photography must be done with wide and normal focal length lenses, but I often like to use long focal lengths to limit my view to small sections of the larger landscape

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: Mono Lake Basin, Photographs: Nature

First Light — Tufa, Clouds, Mountains

Image Leave a comment
First Light — Tufa, Clouds, Mountains
“First Light — Tufa, Clouds, Mountains” — The first dawn light on Mono Lake tufa towers, with desert mountains and morning ing clouds in the distance.

The landscape of Mono Lake and Mono Basin seems reduced to essentials: rocks, mountains, water, sky, light. And all of this is in a place of uncommon quiet and immense space — it is difficult to truly comprehend the scale of the basin. These qualities seem especially strong if you come down from the peaks and intimate landscapes of the nearby Sierra Nevada.

I was out there early on this July morning — having literally “come down” from those peaks near the Sierra crest in predawn darkness. Rather than getting close to the famous tufa formations, my goal was to photograph the lake and its surroundings from a distance, using long lenses to bring together some of the close features and distant elements of the landscape.

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

Join the discussion — you are welcome to leave a comment or question. (Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately.)

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

(All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.)