Tag Archives: usa

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Clearing Evening Clouds

September 27, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

The moon above clearing evening clouds over the John Muir Wilderness

We covered a lot of ground on this afternoon and evening, and this was almost the last photograph I made on this day. Earlier we had climbed above the forest surrounding the lake where we were camped, emerging into a big, open meadow with expansive views in all directions. From here we took off, individually and in small groups, to explore higher areas, walking cross-country over the glaciated granite landscape to ascend ridges and reach various lakes. I noticed that the sun was about to pass behind mountains to the west, so I descended back into the valley I had come from and worked my way back down the course of the creek that drained it.

Before long we were back in the alpine meadow areas where we had started, and I found a high spot with an open view and started making a few final photographs as sunset came to the highest peaks and the clouds thinned as they passed in front of the moon. Since the light wasn’t going to last much longer, we pushed on to the main meadow, stopped for a couple of final photographs of alpenglow on peaks across the valley, and then continued on down through forest, arriving back in camp at twilight.

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Alpine Meadow, Mountains, Storm Clouds

September 26, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

An alpine meadow as storm clouds build over mountain peaks

Over the next week or two, sandwiched between photographs of other subjects, I will share a set of at least four photographs from more or less this same spot, all made the same day. The location was quite special, a broad meadow just a bit below 11,000′ with views toward an impressive range of peaks on the other side of a river valley. The meadow itself was still green, even though it was the end of August, with wildflowers everywhere. Everyone in our party returned to it frequently, morning and evening, and tried to work with its many subjects.

As I introduce the several photographs of the spot, I’ll try to say something about each one, including something about the vision of the mountains that was on my mind as I created it. There were several things at work in this version. The meadow itself is what initially brought me here, of course, and the bright light that fell on it is beautiful, but the photograph includes other elements. The primary secondary element — or is it actually primary? — is the range of jagged, alpine peaks in the distance. I placed the group of small trees in the foreground to balance the image and to lead the viewer into the scene — from the trees, across the meadow to the small pond, then past the small band of further trees and on to the peaks, and then to the sky. The sky is another important element, and emphasizing it was the reason that I used a wider lens and put the horizon relatively low in the frame. (My skies are frequently constrained to the very top of the image… if I include sky at all.) I was struck by the contrast between the sharp peaks and foreground light and how these elements contrasted with the dark and brooding quality of the sky beyond the peaks, where a large thunderstorm was brewing.

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

Photographs: Pacific Northwest, Photographs: People, Photographs: Urban/Street

Beecher’s

September 25, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Seattle street scene

I made this photograph on a recent visit of several days to the Seattle, Washington area. Much of this visit was not photographically oriented, but I did have a couple of days that I could devote to photography. Seattle has a particular character that I enjoy — to generalize, it is partly about the light and weather, partly about the nature of the city itself, and partly about the people. The light is softer and lower angled than what I’m used to in California. The “nature” of the city is a bit hard to explain — though it has both the woodsy quality of being built-in forest as another quality that is shared with San Francisco and its older buildings. There is something, again to generalize, about the people as well. Perhaps more beards and more informal and slightly outdoorsy clothing?

I made this photograph in the Pike Place area, and I just happened to notice the little tableau of people, buildings, and colorful bicycles and other elements as I walked by. If the photograph is about anything, that anything might include the contrasting square shapes of the building and the angled lines of the road and sidewalk, plus something about the positioning of the people. It is also about color, from the yellow line to the colorful elements sprinkled throughout the frame.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Crossing The Stream

September 24, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Two backpackers (and their dog) negotiate a stream crossing in the John Muir Wilderness.

I was out photographing around the lower end of the lake above this stream when two backpackers passed by. I was fascinated by watching them as they came through here, and their progression to and across the stream reminded me of some aspects of backcountry travel that are important and quite different from how we live our typical day-to-say city lives. They were moving efficiently as they approached the obstacle of this stream at the trail crossing. At first glance the crossing seemed obvious, with the trail clearly arriving and departing from opposite sides of this wide spot in its course. But, as is frequently the case, the crossing wasn’t as simple as it first looked — the water was unusually high for this time of year – and no ideal crossing was apparent. They stopped, looked around, tried a few options, finally settled on stepping across on slightly submerged rocks, and they crossed. The first hiker got across fine, and the dog followed, but the second hiker slipped into the water just a bit and then apparently lost a set of glasses. They pondered a bit, realized that they couldn’t get them back, and then set off, once again moving with a purpose across the meadow and on toward a higher lake.

I now think of something else when I see such backpackers, younger (to me, anyway!) backcountry visitors who seem in many ways like me a few decades ago. I envy their ability to carry large loads and to move quickly. I can still carry what I need to, but it is harder and slower than it once was! I also think about how much they cannot yet know about their potential future in these places, including the prospect that their appreciation and connection to the wilderness will grow and mature in ways that they cannot yet foresee. Sometimes I want to stop and tell them… but I never do.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: usa

Clearing Evening Clouds

Alpine Meadow, Mountains, Storm Clouds

Beecher’s

Crossing The Stream

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