Tag Archives: trees

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Aspen Transition

Image November 20, 2025 G Dan Mitchell 2 Comments

The colors of autumn aspen trees are so impressive that you might think that photographing them is simple. But there are challenges, at least not if you want the best possible photographs. The intense fall colors present a challenge to modern digital cameras. Very intense colors,like the yellows, reds, and oranges of these trees, can “blow out” the image if you use a “normal” exposure. The color is very intense, especially if the leaves are in direct sunlight. That’s why I often prefer to photograph these trees in soft, filtered light ore even in shade.

These trees are part of a very large grove on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada. In this frame you can see trees at almost every stage of the transition, from green leaves to a few that are almost bare. In this case the combination of the Sierra crest to the west (right) and some scattered clouds served to make the light more gentle.

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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: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Morning, Forest at Meadow’s Edge

Image November 15, 2025 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

From the time I first visited Tuolumne Meadows (decades ago, as a child) I remember hearing that the meadows were being gradually overtaken by the forests. (I later learned that the story is not quite that simple.) This stuck with me, and I’ve always been intrigued by the boundaries between meadow and forest. This photograph shows three age groupings of pines next to this meadow — the three big and old trees left of center, a dense stand of younger tall trees at the right, and a thick line of “baby trees” extending from the left edge beyond the three big trees.

This was a special morning at Tuolumne. It was the first day of July, in a year when the campground would not open for another month. Park entrance restrictions further limited the number of visitors. I camped just outside the park and was able to enter before dawn. I had the landscape almost entirely to myself as the sun rose and light fog cleared from the meadow.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Merced River Bend

Image November 14, 2025 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

I made this photograph late in the afternoon as long shadows began to stretch across the floor of Yosemite Valley, gradually leaving these trees in shade. Here the Merced River flows slowly through a flat section next to meadows and lined with big cottonwood trees. Although a few of these trees had lost their leaves, many were at peak color.

This is one of several spots in the Valley where I like to wander slowly and look for photographs. This particular spot used to be easily accessible, though increasing Valley crowds have forced the park service to downgrade access. It took me a while, but I found a trail that wasn’t off-limits.

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Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Autumn Forest, Yosemite Valley

Image November 13, 2025 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Auturm Forest, Yosemite Valley — “Autumn Forest, Yosemite Valley” — Autumn color from black oak and big leaf maple trees among the conifers, Yosemite Valley.

This is another of those dense vegetation photographs that I like. I enjoy the challenge of looking at these complex scenes long enough to find order in their complexity and near-chaos. Here that meant setting up a good distance back from the scene and photographing with a very long lens, moving around to find just the right relationships among the elements.

There are two special things about this specific spot in Yosemite Valley. The first has to do with light. Since areas along the base of the southern cliffs tend to remain in the shadows for many hours, I go here to find soft shadow light. But even better, El Capitan is across the Valley from this spot, and it reflects the daytime sun into these trees, giving a directional quality to the light. There’s one more interesting thing about this spot: a road runs fight in front of it, so one must compose carefully to leave it out and then wait for any cars to pass!