Tag Archives: valley

Half Dome, Sunset – Olmsted Point

Half Dome, Sunset - Olmsted Point

Half Dome, Sunset – Olmsted Point. Yosemite National Park, California. September 8, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Sunset light on Half Dome as viewed from Olmsted Point along the Tioga Pass Road.

Sometimes I can’t help myself and I have to stop for this classic view when driving back from the Sierra via Tioga Pass Road. I drive past this spot at least a dozen times each season, so I’ve perhaps become a bit jaded – and I’ll only stop when the light seems extra special.

Here the very late light is illuminating Half Dome while the lower canyons have fallen into deep shadows on this late summer evening.

keywords: half dome, olmsted, point, tioga, pass, road, yosemite, national park, evening, sunset, alpenglow, tenaya, canyon, valley, ridge, mountain, peak, scenic, travel, landscape, forest, sierra, nevada, california, usa, stock

Corral, McGee Canyon

Corral, McGee Canyon

Corral, McGee Canyon. Sierra Nevada, California. October 5, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Stock corral in afternoon autumn light, McGee Canyon, Sierra Nevada.

After shooting for two days in the Bishop Creek area I headed down to Bishop for coffee and an internet connection, after which I began my long drive back to the Bay Area. Between Bishop and Mammoth Lakes I took the short lateral road up into McGee Canyon. After stopping at the road end I started back down, stopping along the road just below the stock corral to make this photograph of the fall colors in the canyon and the high peaks with a dusting of autumn snowfall beyond.

keywords: stock, corral, fence, ranch, mcgee, creek, canyon, mountain, valley, forest, grove, aspen, yellow, green, gold, ridge, snow, eastern, sierra, nevada, range, california, usa, fall, autumn, landscape, travel, scenic, alpine, sage, stock, fence

Rocks and Reflections, Merced River

Rocks and Reflections, Merced River

Rocks and Reflections, Merced River. Yosemite Valley, California. February 16, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Rocks and reflections from sunlit cliffs in the Merced River, Yosemite Valley, Callifornia.

This is a major re-working of a photograph I made last winter on a very cold morning in the Valley. I had been photographing nearer to the upper end of the Valley and as the sun rose higher I decided to head down toward Bridalveil fall to shoot in the border between sun and shadow. I was almost to Bridalveil and driving along a shaded section of the road (Southside Drive, which is normally not open to traffic headed this direction) when I saw an area of exposed rocks in a deeply shaded area with the surface of the river illuminated by the brilliant golden reflection from the fully sunlit cliffs above on the north side of the Valley. I found a marginal parking space alongside the road and set up with a long lens and looked for interesting compositions among the rocks.

There is a funny story to add to this. As I was shooting, as often happens when one sets up near a roadway with a "pro-looking" gear (hey, all it really seems to take is a tripod), other visitors began to pull over to see what the photographer was shooting, jumping out of their cars with cameras in hand. This in a very dark section of the canyon. With me using a very long lens. Pointed straight down at some boring rocks in the river. Waiting. For something. Quite a few of them just shook their heads, looked at me like I was nuts, got back in their cars, and drove on. :-)

keywords: California, Landscape, National Park, Place, Season, Travel, Winter, valley, merced, river, reflections, swirls, rocks, boulders, current, california, usa, travel, scenic, landscape, water, stock

Meadow and Morning Fog, Half Dome and Glacier Point

Meadow and Morning Fog, Half Dome and Glacier Point

Meadow and Morning Fog, Half Dome and Glacier Point. Yosemite National Park, California. April 21, 2007. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Early morning fog above an oak-studded meadow in Yosemite Valley, with the cliffs of Half Dome and Glacier Point above. Yosemite National Park, California.

This is a photograph I recently revisited. It was made on a very cold April spring morning in the Valley as the sunlight began to stream over Half Dome and illuminate the Glacier Point apron and as ground fog began to lift from meadows on the floor of the Valley.

keywords: early, morning, dawn, light, fog, mist, meadow, grass, oak, tree, forest, half dome, glacier point, cloud, sky, silhouette, yosemite, valley, national park, california, usa, scenic, travel, landscape, nature, stock, cliff, granite