Tag Archives: valley

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Clearing Clouds, Merced River Canyon

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Clearing Clouds, Merced River Canyon
The morning sun breaks through clearing clouds above Merced Canyon

Clearing Clouds, Merced River Canyon. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The morning sun breaks through clearing clouds above Merced Canyon

If I had to choose my favorite conditions of atmosphere and light, something like this morning would be on my short list. The light was a surprise that emerged after I had almost written off the potential as being bland and gray. Since the clouds were in motion, the light was constantly changing — at moments it actually was not that interesting, but suddenly the clouds would shift and light would emerge, frequently moving across the scene and providing more than one opportunity. There were multiple levels and types of clouds. A thick overcast lay high above, though it was occasionally broken. Other clouds occasionally formed directly on the peaks, and others drifted below me, often low enough to count as fog. This show actually continued for several hours.

The location here is a fairly iconic spot that many who have visited Yosemite will immediately recognize. (However, as I discovered as visitors new to the park stopped and asked questions, to many this is a wholly unfamiliar view, which probably makes in even more spectacular to them.) If you look closely you will likely recognize the famous feature that provides a point of focus. The vantage point gives a view looking up the canyon of the Merced River and into the lower end of Yosemite Valley. This section has more of the v-shape of a river gorge, but the classic glacial u-shape begins under the brightest section of the lower clouds and then tracks to the left. Those light beams are real, and as I photographed they were traversing the scene from right to left.

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: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Dogwood Blossoms, Dark Forest

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Dogwood Blossoms, Dark Forest
Blossoming dogwoods in dark, dense forest, Yosemite Valley

Dogwood Blossoms, Dark Forest. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Blossoming dogwoods in dark, dense forest, Yosemite Valley

On one morning during my recent sojourn to photograph spring subjects in Yosemite Valley I had extraordinary lighting and atmospheric conditions. The morning produced a number of photographs that have been and will be shared here. They make me think of “channeling Bierstadt” — with effects of clouds and haze and light combined with dramatic ridges and cliffs. This is not one of those photographs. In fact, this image is inserted here to break up the flow of those others…

The timing and nature of some spring events in Yosemite Valley is variable — the amount of snow in the high country and when it melts out, for example, determine the timing and character of river and waterfall flows. Other events hold to a pretty consistent schedule from year to year, though climate change is edging some of these in new directions. One of the fairly consistent events is the arrival of dogwood blooms in the Valley and then in higher locations nearby. When I visited two weeks ago I saw the first buds on these trees and only a few tiny, green blooms. A week later there were many more blooms, and some trees were nearly full of them. I photographed this forest scene, with a primary tree full of blooms and other more distant blooms seen less vividly in the darker forest, one evening after the direct sun had left this spot.

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: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Detail, Granite Face

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Detail, Granite Face
Detail view of a section of a Yosemite Valley granite cliff face

Detail, Granite Face. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Detail view of a section of a Yosemite Valley granite cliff face

Yosemite, and especially Yosemite Valley, is famous for its “granite” (quotation marks for any geologists reading this post…) cliffs, towers, domes, slabs, and other formations. While we tend to think of this rock as being “gray,” the coloration varies quite a bit depending on the nature of the rock itself, the presence of lichens or plants, and on the light. Almost everywhere the expanses of granite are cut through by intrusions of different colored rocks. I don’t usually think of this particular face as being all that colorful, but on this morning the light somehow brought out the rust-colored tones on many sections of the rock.

I did just enough rock climbing many years ago to have developed memories of the sensations of such rock, from the cold and smooth slabs, to sharp edges of cracks, and rough surfaces (you hope!) on some friction routes. A close look at this section of cliff reveals an amazing variety of surfaces and irregularities. Perhaps most obvious is the large, curving vertical crack towards the left. The dark water stains are also striking, as is that rust colored rock. A closer look reveals other patterns, including a diagonal rising from left to right.

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 | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Email

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Black Oaks, Spring Snow

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Black Oaks, Spring Snow
Spring snow falls on a black oak grove, Yosemite Valley

Black Oaks, Spring Snow. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Spring snow falls on a black oak grove, Yosemite Valley

It is hard to pick a favorite season in Yosemite Valley. Fall brings much cooler temperatures, diminishing crowds, and autumn colors. Winter brings snow and clouds drifting among peaks and across meadows. In spring the waterfalls flow strongly again as rivers rise, and the Valley’s vegetation comes back to life. Perhaps the ideal time is the transition between winter and spring, when on the ideal day you can experience a bit of both seasons. (Identifying the least favorite is easy. That would be summer, on account of the sometimes extreme heat and the frequent crowds of tourists. I generally stay away between June and mid-September.)

This was one of those spring days that briefly felt more like winter. A quick snow storm came through, dropping temperatures and leaving a few inches of snow on trees and on the ground. (It was almost all gone before noon the next day, when spring returned.) These black oak trees, with their graceful trunks and branches, are always lovely, but when snow falls they are special. There was just enough snow to coat the upper branches of these trees, and snow and mist swirled beyond among the cliffs surrounding the Valley.

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 | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Email

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