Tag Archives: valley

Commentary, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Gates of the Valley

1 Comment
Gates of the Valley

Gates of the Valley. Yosemite Valley, California. November 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Gates of the Valley and the Merced River, Autumn – Yosemite Valley, California.

I made my annual fall color pilgrimage to Yosemite Valley this past weekend and since I had a few extra minutes while going from point A to point B I decided to stop at this over-photographed location and try a long exposure using a 9-stop neutral density filter, thus the effect you see on the surface of the Merced River in the foreground.

The trip was not quite what I anticipated. The fall colors were quite good, with lots of bright yellow maples, my favorite yellow and brown oaks, golden meadow grasses, and more.
But it rained. A lot.

It started almost as soon as I arrived on Saturday morning, got worse as the day wore on, poured overnight, and rained off and on most of the day on Sunday. Even this shot in seemingly clearing weather was taken as a light mist fell.

keywords: yosemite, valley, national park, el capitan, three brothers, merced, river, reflection, plant, tree, grass, meadow, forest, fall, autumn, color, clouds, fog, blue, sky, time, exposure, landscape, nature, scenic, travel, california, usa, stock, ripple

Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Half Dome, Sunset – Olmsted Point

Leave a comment
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

Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Corral, McGee Canyon

Leave a comment
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

Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Rocks and Reflections, Merced River

1 Comment
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