Tag Archives: valley

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Two Shores, Autumn Light

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Two Shores, Autumn Light
Autumn light and atmosphere above water and California mountains.

Two Shores, Autumn Light. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Autumn light and atmosphere above water and California mountains.

Have I mentioned that I like atmospheric haze? Light coming from straight in front of the camera position? Reflections? The large landscape? Strong contrasts between light and dark? Well, I do.

I made this photograph while driving back from an early morning visit to California’s Central Valley. I’ve probably passed this location hundreds of times, and while I always look I rarely stop. I have mixed feelings about the place. On one hand it provides some monumental vistas and at times — such as spring, when the hills are emerald green — the scene is beautiful. On the other hand, it is a reservoir, formed by damming a lovely and, some would have argued, historic valley. (I have a long history with this place. I recall traveling across the now-submerged valley with my father in the pre-reservoir days when we took trips to Yosemite.) This time the light and atmosphere caught my attention, and I had to find a way to reverse course and get back to this overlook to make a few exposures.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Cranes Before Sunrise

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Cranes Before Sunrise
Sandhill cranes in wetlands before sunrise.

Cranes Before Sunrise. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Sandhill cranes in wetlands before sunrise.

There are many special times of day out in the wetlands at this time of year, but I love these moments just before sunrise, especially on foggy mornings. The fog, even somewhat thin fog like this, shrinks your world and makes the scene more intimate. It also mutes the light and somehow adds to the quiet and tranquility of the scene.

On this November morning I decided to place my bets on this scene, stopping here and photographing as I waited for the first direct light to strike the birds after sunrise. This hour is a time of transition for the birds, who generally start to become more active as they prepare to depart in the early light. And sure enough, by the time I finished here most of them took off in small groups.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Flight, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Crane Departure, Morning

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Crane Departure, Morning
Sandhill cranes take to the air in morning light above Central Valley wetlands.

Crane Departure, Morning. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Sandhill cranes take to the air in morning light above Central Valley wetlands.

In my experience, bird photography often involves a whole lot of sitting around, thinking about where the birds might be, stopping and watching and hoping that they will engage in some interesting behavior. The actual picture making can take up a small percentage of the total time on task, with vast slow times in between. (And that’s not even counting the long drives — usually in the dark — to get there and back.)

My photographs of sandhill cranes on this autumn morning might be illustrative. I drove two hours in darkness to get here a half hour before dawn. I followed a levee road out into agricultural and wetland country, not seeing all that many birds, at least not of the sort I was looking for. Eventually, in a place where I was not necessarily expecting to find them, I came upon a large flock of sandhill cranes in a pond. It was still before sunrise when I decided to stop and see what developed here. I made a few quick images in the low light, but then I mostly just sat there and… watched. Eventually some of the birds became more active and a bit later the first semi-directional sunrise light came weakly through the fog. And a few minutes after that happened small groups of the birds began to depart. Then they were gone and… not much else happened until I left a few hours later.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

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

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Nature

Autumn Trees and Morning Fog

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Autumn Trees and Morning Fog
Autumn fog clears above wetland trees in California’s Great Central Valley.

Autumn Trees and Morning Fog. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Autumn fog clears above wetland trees in California’s Great Central Valley.

This past week I made my first trip of this fall and winter season to California’s Great Central Valley. During other times of the year I usually pass through this landscape on my way to some other place — to the Sierra, mostly, but perhaps to Southern California or even north toward Mount Shasta and then the Pacific Northwest. To be honest, it is not a place where I want to spend a lot of time in the summer! But in autumn the weather cools, beautiful tule fog rises in the morning, migratory birds are abundant, and the atmosphere and light can be subtly beautiful.

This is hardly a landscape of icons. The terrain is mostly flat and largely agricultural. Perhaps the closest to that sort of thing might be the occasional clear views of the Sierra Nevada. But if you poke around in the right places on the right days in the right conditions… there is a lot to see here. I made this photograph in a wetland area that I frequent. I was hoping for thick fog when I headed out there before dawn — I did not quite get that, but the thinner fog allowed a bit more light on the scene while the thin fog softened the colors and features.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

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

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