Tag Archives: towers

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Bear Gulch Reservoir

Image June 3, 2019 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

This small reservoir sits at the upper end of a very popular trail through caves at Pinnacles National Park. The area has been in my consciousness for decades. The caves were perhaps the “main attraction” when my family visited the park (then a national monument) when I was just a kid, so I distinctly remember emerging from the canyon at the upper end of the caves to arrive at this reservoir. I’m not sure of its history, but I suspect that the reservoir has been there a very long time, certainly before it was even a a national monument.

The reservoir is relatively sheltered in the bottom of this canyon, and the water was very still on the day of this recent visit. The surrounding terrain is filled with the pinnacles that give the park its name. If you look closely, you may be able to see a couple of fellow hikers taking a rest in the shade next to the water in the lower left corner of the scene.

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.

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

Photographs: Mono Lake Basin, Photographs: Nature

Mono Lake, Wildfire Smoke

Image February 6, 2019 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Mono Lake and tufa towers with drifting wildfire smoke in morning light.

My foremost impressions of Mono Lake are usually formed around its vast expanse — the place is absolutely huge, and the low mountains to its east accentuate this effect. The great open space above its water usually presents an equally expansive view of sky, whether it is pure blue or broken by various clouds. (My other strong impression of the place is an audio impression — a combination of early morning silence and the sounds of thousands of birds.)

I made this photograph during very unusual conditions. On this late-summer morning a very large wildfire was erupting south of here, and its smoke was drifting northward in the early morning. The morning light was increasingly blocked by the smoke and eventually (after I made this photograph) the smoke became oppressively thick and I had to leave. When I made the photograph the smoke was drifting softly in front of those distant mountains and glowing faintly in the early morning backlight.

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 and Amazon.

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

Photographs: New York City

Pilings, Hudson River

Image September 20, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Old pilings stand in the water of the Hudson River with New Jersey in the distance

We were staying at the lower tip of Manhattan, and on the morning of our first full day there this past August we decided to head out for a walk. We more or less followed the shoreline along the Hudson, eventually getting up into the streets numbered in the twenties before heading back toward the center of Manhattan.

These days the walk along the Hudson is mostly quite scenic, with walking/jogging paths along the waterfront and occasionally even more park-like facilities. In many places there are great views across the river toward New Jersey and some other areas. (The views back toward Manhattan are mostly up…) When we started our walk there was a threat of rain, but by the time I made this photograph the clouds were breaking up.

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Photographs: Mono Lake Basin, Photographs: Nature

Tufa, Morning Reflections

Image August 17, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Tufa towers and morning light reflecting on the surface of Mono Lake

The tufa towers are often the first subjects that people think of when they consider photographing at this location. I’ve photographed them many times and in may ways — up close, at a distance, in silhouette, in all kinds of conditions and at all times of day. I still find them fascinating, but I’ve come to see the lake as being more about other features now.

The greatest impression I get from the lake is immense space. This comes partly from the sheer size of this landlocked lake, but it may also come from a combination of often seeing it from elevated viewpoints and from the open and sometimes cloud-filled sky. And at early and late times of day the water takes on colors of sky and surrounding mountains, ranging from brilliantly intense to quite subtle. These colors are interrupted when the wind produces patterns on the surface of the water.