Tag Archives: valley

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Evening Clouds, Winter Wetlands

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Evening Clouds, Winter Wetlands
“Evening Clouds, Winter Wetlands” — Dissipating rain clouds at dusk above winter wetland landscape

This past weekend I was doing the long drive back from Death Valley National Park to the San Francisco Bay Areas. This is quite a drive — a long one that takes the better part of a full day, and a route that begins in one of the most arid locations in North America and ends in the cool and moist Bay Area. I have various ways to break up the long drive, and one of them is often to make a final stop at one of the great Central Valley wetland areas a couple of hours from my destination.

In fact, that was my plan on this trip. I wasn’t sure of the weather of my timing, but as I came to the base of Tehachapi Pass in Bakersfield it looked more like my schedule and the weather might cooperate, so I eschewed the usual I-5 homebound route and instead headed up Route 99, with a plan to cut over to wetland further up the Valley. I arrived to find… not too many birds (it was, after all, late in the season) but ponds full of welcome water reflecting a sky filled with dissipating rain clouds.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer

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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


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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Cranes, Fog, Island

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Cranes, Fog, Island
A small flock of sandhill cranes at the edge of a small island and reflected on a pond on a foggy morning

Cranes, Fog, Island. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A small flock of sandhill cranes at the edge of a small island and reflected on a pond on a foggy morning.

Sometimes I photograph birds (and other subjects) accompanied by various friends and fellow photographers. Other times I go alone. I enjoy both, though there is something special about being “out there” in the wilds on my own as I was on the morning when I made this photograph. Working alone (and sometimes working with kindred spirits, too) allows a kind of intense focus on the subject that borders on obsessions. But, perhaps ironically, it also permits a sort of slow and aimless work that simply allows things to happen.

This was that kind of morning. I was, indeed, quite focused on locating and photographing birds and the foggy morning landscape, and an observer might have wondered when I occasionally stopped and worked one subject for extended periods of time. These cranes were standing in shallow water, and I watched them for some time until they finally seemed to have had enough of me, and they took flight and departed for some distant location.

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 and Amazon.

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Geese, Twilight Flight

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Geese, Twilight Flight
A large flock of geese takes to the air at twilight.

Geese, Twilight Flight. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A large flock of geese takes to the air at twilight.

For many of us, one of the most exciting events when photographing birds is the eruption of many thousands of them into flight, a scene usually accompanied by wild sounds — the cries of the birds and a loud rustle (not sure how else to describe it) of thousands of pairs of wings. We often like to speculate about the cause of such take-offs — is there an eagle nearby, or did a plane fly over? — but often it takes place without a clear trigger. It may begin in one portion of the flock, within what seems like little more than a second the launch spreads across the flock.

Compositionally there isn’t a lot to this photograph, but it does have a few things that attract me — both to the shot itself and speaking more generally about these birds. Especially if you haven’t seen such things yourself quite a few times, the sheer density of the cloud of birds is striking. There are some many that it takes some effort to pick out individuals. In addition, there was special light on this evening — a gentle haze had developed and the western sky produced a luminous and colorful glow. Finally, there is a light subtlety here that I have learned to appreciate: The birds are between me and that sunset sky, but the light above the birds and behind my position is the much bluer and darker light of twilight. The birds themselves, while set against that colorful background, are themselves lit from the front by the soft yet intense blue 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 and Amazon.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

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

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

Photographs: Nature

New Year’s Day Sky

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New Year's Day Sky
A New Year’s Day California sky

New Year’s Day Sky. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A New Year’s Day California sky.

Every New Year’s Day for the past few years I have made it a goal to be out in the natural world when the first sun of the new year rises. While this does tend to interfere with New Year’s Eve revelry — hard to stay up until midnight when you have to wake up at 3:30 am — it has produced some pretty special New Year’s Days, especially since some friends have taken to joining us.

We were “out there” again this year, and the day did not disappoint. As I like to say, “We great the actual dawn of the new year” together — sharing photography, wonder, snacks, a meal, a morning champagne toast, and more. Late in the day this year I looked toward the sky and saw some lovely clouds in the south, so I tilted my camera up and made this photograph.

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 and Amazon.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

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

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