Tag Archives: trees

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

River Bank, Fall Foliage

November 11, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Fall foliage along the banks of the Merced River, Yosemite Valley

This is a favorite area along the Merced River in Yosemite Valley. Here the river rushes just a bit faster as it descends through an area where I believe the remnants of old glaciers may be seen in the presence of large rocks. Because the area is close to the south cliff walls, it is often in shade — but across the valley the other side is often in such, producing colorful reflections on the moving water.

I’ve photographed here fairly often and at many times of the year. For a few weeks in the fall the spot produces some wild color combinations as the plants along the river’s banks take on fall colors from red to yellow. On this morning there was still a slight remnant of earlier morning fog, drifting through and beyond the trees of the conifer forest.

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

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

River Bank Foliage

November 9, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Thick foliage along the banks of the Merced River, Yosemite Valley

One of the reasons that times like autumn are so interesting is that they bring transitional conditions. Here I found a combination of trees still bearing thick green foliage, others turning autumn golden, and still others already having lost many of their leaves. These trees grow along the band between an open meadow and the Merced River, in and area where it meanders somewhat lazily through the Valley.

This area is full of potential subjects, and even though I’ve stopped and photographed here many times I almost always find something new. This time one subject was this dense little grove of trees, with dark trunks standing out against the complex patterns of many leaves. The light came through high clouds, softening its effect but still producing directional light. A moment later and across the meadow I photographed straight into afternoon light as clouds swirled around the tall cliffs to the west.

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

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

Clearing Autumn Storm, Cliffs, Evening

November 4, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Storm clouds clear from cliffs above Yosemite Valley

No doubt I have mentioned, likely quite a few times, that I love the fall through early spring season in Yosemite Valley — for many reasons but the clouds are at the top of my list. During the cooler season lots of interesting things happen in the atmosphere of and above the Valley, from morning mists in the meadows to the clouds of dissipating storms clinging to the upper slopes. Although this wasn’t the first “weather” of the season in the Valley, it was my first time this fall to be there for the show.

On the day I arrived there was quite a bit of rain, which soon began to pass, leaving behind beautiful light and fog and those thinning clouds. I arrived in the Valley in the afternoon and began following the light, and near sunset I ended up in a meadow with a clear view of an interesting section of the higher valley walls, where the cloud and light show was just beginning. I put a long lens on the camera and began to watch spires and trees appear and disappear as the clouds moved past. The action was continuous and I photographed almost without break as the light took on the warmer tones of evening, making this photograph shortly before the sun dropped behind mountains to the west and shadows replaced the light.

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

Two Trees, River, Fog

November 2, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Colorful trees on the banks of the Merced River on a foggy autumn morning

I remember the first time I discovered the magic of an autumn rain storm in Yosemite some years ago. I had gone there to photograph fall color — I was mainly thinking of dogwood trees back then — and I was camping. But then it rained. For three days straight. And it rained hard. I was equipped to camp in the rain but perhaps not fully equipped to photograph in such conditions, but I faked it (using a had to shield the camera, for example) and went to work. And I found some special Yosemite magic in the combination of fall colors, rising river levels, resurging waterfalls awakening from end-of-summer slumber, and the beauty of clouds and fog.

I encountered just a bit of that during this year’s brief end-of-October visit to Yosemite. On my way up there from the San Francisco Bay Area the rain poured on me. It mostly stopped when I left Oakhurst, but then there was fog and beautiful light all the way into the park. I made this photograph then next morning in the Valley. I arrived in time to catch the end of the post-rain morning fog, and I quickly went to a spot I know along the Merced, where I found the river had risen dramatically, all the w

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: trees

River Bank, Fall Foliage

River Bank Foliage

Clearing Autumn Storm, Cliffs, Evening

Two Trees, River, Fog

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.