Tag Archives: usa

Two Cranes, Morning Sky

If you follow my photographs, it is possible that you recall another photograph of these two cranes in morning sky a few weeks ago. Sometimes I use burst mode to photograph birds as they fly past. One advantage is that you have a better chance of getting that perfect moment when things happen quickly. However, a disadvantage is that you end up with a lot of photographs to review! When this pair flew over, out of perhaps a dozen frames there were two that I liked.

The photograph, and its near-twin, are slightly unusual for me. For one thing, I tend to include some landscape or foliage with the birds. But here it is just birds and sky, albeit with some lovely, fluffy clouds. The angle and color of the light were just about ideal. It was coming at a low angle from my right, where the sun was just over the horizon. As a result the warm, early light shone upwards onto the undersides of the birds.


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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Meadowlark Song #2

As I recently posted, I am not a classic “birder.” I’m just a photographer who counts birds among the many subjects that fascinate me. Years ago I was originally drawn to flocks of birds — often consisting of thousands of geese — but over time I’ve become more interested in individuals. The meadowlark is a beautiful bird, not just visually, but also for its exuberant song.

This one posed on a fencepost near me back on a New Year’s Day adventure with the birds. I had been photographing geese and cranes, and was taking a break from that later in the day. I turned my attention to some of the smaller birds hanging out in brush and alongside the roadway I was using. I came slowly up to this meadowlark, hoping to avoid spooking it. It stuck around, posing and singing its song from its perch.


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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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

Winter Surf and Clouds

If you visited this beach, located south of San Francisco, on a sunny summer day you would be tempted to wander the sand, perhaps wade into the surf, or even go for swim. But this was not that day. Between Christmas and New Year’s Day stormy weather in the Gulf of Alaska sent huge swells toward the California coast. Waves topped thirty feet and were close to that here. The furthest waves in the distance in this photograph were just plain huge.

It was cloudy and trying to rain when we arrived. But the storm was passing and the clouds soon began to thin. Beams of light broke through, and it wasn’t long before blue sky appeared. But the surf continued to rage, and as the waves broke they rolled up onto and across the beach — a place where you definitely did not want to stand on this afternoon.


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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | PostEmail

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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

Winter Corn Stalks

This is where I should share a corny joke, maybe one about stalkers. Sorry… What we have here is a photograph of a corn field that is maintained all the way into the new year. Why are these stalks still standing on New Year’s Day, and why has the corn not been harvested? This crop is grown to provide feed to migrating waterfowl.

Over the next month or two, before the birds begin to depart the California Central Valley for distant summer homes, the stalks will be gradually knocked down so that the birds can feed on the corn. On our visit we passed this spot when the midday bird activity had declined, so I paused next to the field and made a few photographs of these textures, shapes, and colors.


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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | PostEmail

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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