Tag Archives: usa

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

Sandhill Cranes, Morning Light

Image Leave a comment
Sandhill Cranes, Morning Light
A small flock of lesser sandhill cranes reflected in a wetlands pond.

Sandhill Cranes, Morning Light. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A small flock of lesser sandhill cranes reflected in a wetlands pond.

It was a relatively slow day of bird photography on my first foray to the Central Valley of the season. Not that this was a surprise — it was still early for the arrival of the big flocks of geese that I look forward to a bit later in the season. So sandhill cranes were my primary subject s— flying overhead or standing in shallow ponds like this one.

While the scene lookS tranquil, I knew that it would not last. Typically, at some point around sunrise or just a bit later, the cranes lift off from the ponds where they spend the night. This does not happen all at once, as it often does with geese. Instead, small groups suddenly take to the air, sometimes leaving their compatriots behind. I stopped to photograph this group because of the reflection, but also because I knew that they would soon fly out.

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 | Post | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)

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

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: New York City, Photographs: Travel

The Lake, Autumn

Image Leave a comment
The Lake, Autumn
Manhattan skyline reflected in the Lake on a hazy November day, Central Park.

The Lake, Autumn. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Manhattan skyline reflected in the Lake on a hazy November day, Central Park.

We went for a walk in Central Park on the first morning of our November visit to Manhattan. We planned to meet up with family later in the day, but we had free time and the park was only a couple of blocks away. Our New-York-resident (grown) “kids” have occasionally wondered why in the world we always visit the city in the dead of (freezing) winter or the (wilting heat and humidity of) summer — they have suggested a spring or fall visit. And they were right. The weather was pleasant and the fall colors were spectacular.

The body of water is “The Lake” — perhaps not the most creative name, but a lovely place just the same. It is surrounded by paths beneath hardwood trees, and those trees were in full autumn color. I made the photograph from a small bridge, placing a few of the towers of Manhattan between the trees so that they would reflect in the surface of the water.

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 | Post | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)

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

Photographs: New York City, Photographs: Urban/Street

Gatehouse, Reservoir, and Manhattan Skyline

Image Leave a comment
Gatehouse, Reservoir, and Manhattan Skyline
“Gatehouse, Reservoir, and Manhattan Skyline” — Manhattan skyline, gatehouse building along the shore of the Jacquelyn Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, Central Park.

It was the final morning of our November visit to New York City, and we had a few hours to kill before checking out of the hotel and heading to the airport to catch our flight back to the West Coast. What to do? Given that Central Park was only a few blocks to the east, the answer seemed clear — take a (semi-random) walk! We headed to the park, where the fall colors were still on display, and gradually worked our way north(-ish) toward the reservoir. The photograph features one of the gatehouse buildings along the upper shoreline.

The bit of skyline visible on the right features a few of the super narrow buildings that are appearing in Manhattan. They are somewhat controversial, and there’s plenty to dislike about them. On the other hand, if you imagine this photograph without them and their reflections… you have to admit that in this case they are visually interesting.

Leave a comment or question using the form. (Click the title to see the full article and to comment if you are viewing it on the home page.)

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

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

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

Crane Flock, Morning Light

Image Leave a comment
Crane Flock, Morning Light
A flock of lesser sandhill cranes in morning flight over the California Central Valley.

Crane Flock, Morning Light. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A flock of lesser sandhill cranes in morning flight over the California Central Valley.

The sound of cranes is the first thing I notice when I arrive before dawn to spend a day photographing birds in California’s Central Valley. I pull into a parking area, turn off the car, get out… and that sound greets me. I spend a moment listening, then try to gauge distance and directions, as that will inform by pre-sunrise plans. I head off to a likely spot, planning to arrive while the sun is still below the horizon so that I can be ready for the dawn show.

The cranes often start to become restless and take flight a bit before sunrise, but right around that time and for a little bit longer they gradually take the air in groups. At this point I consider several things. I want to be more or less under their likely flight path, and I want to be a bit off to one side so that the birds are in the morning sunlight as they pass. That all came together in this photograph of a flock passing nearly over my position in the colorful early morning light.

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 | Post | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)

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