Tag Archives: tuolumne

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

Mammoth Peak, Kuna Crest

August 26, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Mammoth Peak and Kuna Crest tower above the Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River

I have photographed this mountain a number of times. It is a weakness, but I know that the weakness is shared by quite a few other photographers, too! If you approach Tioga Pass from the east, as you pass Tioga Lake and ascend the last stretch toward the summit of the pass, this beautiful mountain lies directly ahead, straight across the pass.

It is often photographed from the pass or very close to it, and for good reason. There are several lovely tarns at the pass, and it is quite possible to include them and even the reflection of the peak in their waters. However, I wandered off in a different direction, a bit below the pass, spending a couple of hours exploring the upper reaches of Dana Meadows, which line the Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River as it begins its journey to the confluence with the Lyell Fork and points 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

Tuolumne River, Forest, Evening

August 3, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Evening light falls across forest and granite, Tuolumne River Canyon

On the first evening of my July trip to the Tuolumne Meadows area of Yosemite, having set up my camp and taken care of other chores, I decided to go photograph something nearby. The Tuolumne River is about as nearby as one can find, so I decided to walk down a section where it descends through an area of granite slabs and begins to offer down-canyon views.

My first destination was a particular cascade from which a nearby peak is visible. But as I finished photographing that, a look downstream toward the next bend suggested that better light might be found that way. One thing usually leads to another, just as surely as one bend in the river provides a view of yet another, and eventually I wandered down to this spot, where the river tracked off into the trees and the last light of the day illuminate nearby trees and the ridges and forests further down the river canyon.

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

Forest and River, Evening

July 24, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Evening light comes to the Tuolumne River and surrounding forest

A scene like this can be deceiving, at least when it comes to assumptions about how it might be photographed. It is a peaceful and tranquil scene, and that impression supports the idea that photographing such a subject might be a slow, contemplative, and measured process: explore slowly, consider compositions, set up the camera and fine tune, wait, then photograph.

Nothing could be further from the truth. At this time of day — unless one is photographing a subject that has been specifically planned and scheduled in advance — things happen with extraordinary speed, especially when it comes to the transitions of light. For example, the last light coming through the forest to strike the central tree lasted only moments. Knowing this, as soon as I saw it I photographed more or less instinctively, working quickly and hoping that I would have time before the light was gone— which it was only a moment later.

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

Twilight Clouds, Sierra Crest

July 20, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Sierra Wave cloud above the Sierra Crest at dusk, Yosemite National Park

On an evening of suddenly stunning clouds, this was just about my final photograph. The event was the sort that I have learned to sometimes anticipate when the conditions are just right in the Sierra. Much earlier in the day I had noticed the edge of a high deck of clouds to the northeast, lined up very close to the crest. Such clouds can be examples of the Sierra Wave, a kind of line of clouds that forms above and along the crest, often producing amazing skies.

As I started out photographing in the meadow and worked my way toward its far end, I watched the double-deck wave cloud for developing form and color. Eventually it started to look like there was going to be the potential for a special show, so I headed back to the camera position of this photograph, where I expected to have a view that including the peaks of the Sierra crest, the foreground meadow, and the clouds themselves. Before long the sunset light lit the clouds in extremely intense colors. I continued photographing as the sun dropped below the horizon and the colors gradually became more subtle, as seen in this post-sunset photograph.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: tuolumne

Mammoth Peak, Kuna Crest

Tuolumne River, Forest, Evening

Forest and River, Evening

Twilight Clouds, Sierra Crest

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