Tag Archives: two

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Two Geese, Reflection, Fog

March 11, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Two geese float on a winter pond in morning fog, Great Central Valley

As is typical, this morning in California’s Great Central Valley began in fog — for so think that it initially obscured almost all potential subjects, at least if they were more than a few yards off of the route. Many times we could hear large numbers of geese and cranes that were not visible in the fog, but eventually some would break off from the flock and fly over and past us.

The fog is among my favorite features of winter in this valley, especially in the lowland wet areas where it can be foggy on many winter days. The fog transforms the landscape in many compelling ways. By obscuring distant detail, subjects can sometimes be seen apart from their regular surroundings. It is possible to make photographs in locations that would have been far too busy in “good” light — the fog selecting obscures of mutes more distant subjects. Here I stopped in a spot where there were few geese at all, though those that were hanging out here we floating serenely on the surface of the pond.

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

Photographs: Flight, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Two Sandhill Cranes in Flight

March 3, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Two Sandhill Cranes in Flight A pair of lesser sandhill cranes in flight above California’s San Joaquin Valley

A pair of lesser sandhill cranes in flight above California’s San Joaquin Valley

Near the end of the winter migratory bird season in the San Joaquin Valley, where we photograph these birds all winter, the birds seem to collect in ever larger number and become more and more active, especially by this late-February period. On this morning visit to a favorite bird photography destination we found tens of thousands of Ross’ geese, along with many white-fronted geese and others, plus huge groups of lesser sandhill cranes. They became active shortly before dawn and didn’t stop until we departed hours later.

I have photographed the sandhill cranes here on many previous occasions, but this turned out to be one of my best opportunities yet to photograph them in the air. Large flocks were on the ground on both sides of the gravel road on which we were driving, and if we stopped in the right spots they would fly almost directly overhead and they moved from spot to spot. These are beautiful birds, graceful in their gliding flight with striking red patches on their heads, and an instantly recognizable cry.

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

Photographs: Night, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Urban/Street

The Crossing

October 17, 2015 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Two men wait on the sidewalk for the traffic light to change, San Francisco

Taking a brief break from the stream of photographs of eastern Sierra Nevada fall colors — I think I need to rest my eyes! — I’m next sharing a couple more San Francisco street photography images from early September of this year, when I joined a group of fellow photographers to wander about in some downtown areas. We started in the late afternoon, with the plan of shooting in the sunset and twilight and then continuing right on into the night. This photograph comes from a later hour, shortly before I wrapped up for the evening.

We eventually ended up in San Francisco’s Chinatown district. This is, of course, a popular tourist area during the daytime, but it has a different character in the evening as the shops close up. From here we wandered down to the Union Square area, where there are almost always crowds of shoppers, tourists, and people passing through. At about this point it was time for me to head back to where I started, so I left the group and started back toward my car, stopping occasionally to make a few more photographs. In a way, this photograph is a bit of a lie and a contrivance — though all photographs are such to some extent. Here, in a rather busy area, I spotted the two men along at a corner and by choosing my composition careful (and quickly, this being street photography!) I managed to exclude the rest of the bustling scene and place them against a sort of amorphous form of the back ground building and in front of the geometry of the cross walk.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Two Trees, Granite Face

August 7, 2015 G Dan Mitchell 2 Comments

Two trees, one very old and one very young, grow high on a granite face in Yosemite National Park

This tree grows high on the apparently barren face of a tall granite dome in Yosemite National Park’s high country. Of all of the improbably places to spot a tree, and one that seems reasonably healthy and strong at that, this has to be one of the most unlikely. Given its location, it must be putting its roots down in little more than a large crack in the rock and it has to be fully exposed to strong winter winds and snow.

I have photographed it more than once in the past, and it continues to intrigue me. For thinking that I know the tree well, I was surprised to find that I had not previously noticed the smaller tree growing just beyond and to the right of the main tree — perhaps the offspring of the larger tree? For a short time in the morning, low angle light streaming across the tops of more granite formations to the east glances across the surface of the dome and beautifully lights the two trees.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: two

Two Geese, Reflection, Fog

Two Sandhill Cranes in Flight

The Crossing

Two Trees, Granite Face

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