Tag Archives: warm

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

Forest and Dome, Sunset

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Forest and Dome, Sunset
“Forest and Dome, Sunset” — Evening light on lodgepole pines and a Yosemite high country dome.

This may (or may not!) be my final post of a summer 2025 photograph from the Yosemite high country. (As long time readers know, sometimes I do dig back into the archives and work up “left behind” photographs.) It is a modest little photograph, but it seems appropriate to conclude the coverage of the high country year with sunset light on forest and granite.

I made the photograph on an early July walk through parts of Tuolumne Meadows. I was up there, in part, to adapt to the elevation before an upcoming pack trip — but also, obviously and predictably — to do some photography. I was out wandering the meadows as the day came to an end, and I made the photograph as the last direct sunlight, soft and warm, illuminated the forest at the east end of the meadow and the line between light and shadow began to ascend the dome.

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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: Croatia, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Travel

Dubrovnik Rooftops

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Dubrovnik Rooftops
“Dubrovnik Rooftops” — Tile rooftops of old Dubrovnik seen from the city walls in early evening light.

Dubrovnik is a remarkable city — very old, very beautiful, and today a sophisticated center of tourism. The age of the place becomes more obvious the further you get away from the central tourist areas. Out around the furthest fringes, on very narrow walkways, you can find places that seem almost… unspoiled.

The old city is almost completely ringed by an ancient wall — the only gap is near the small harbor. On this evening I set out to walk the perimeter of the town along the wall. I made the photograph early on my walk as the light was just beginning to take on the colors of early evening as I looked across a sea of red rooftops.

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: Death Valley, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Canyon Light

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Canyon Light, Death Valley National Park
“Canyon Light” — Direct light, reflected light, and deep shadows as a canyon winds through desert mountains, Death Valley.

We love fantastically narrow and twisty slot canyons, but those are more of the exception to the rule. You can find those in Death Valley, but more likely you’ll find a scene like this one, at least in canyons that run through steep, rocky mountain ranges, like this one on the east side of the valley. Through much of its length it is more than wide enough that a vehicle could pass, if they were allowed here. Note also the very rugged and broken rock formations — this is not your smooth-walled Utah red rock canyon!

At this spot the canyon takes a couple of very sharp bends around the tall face to the right. When the trend of the canyon lines up the right way, very little direct sunlight penetrates all the way down. Instead the canyon bottom is often in shade, but that shade is filled with soft, reflected light that has bounced between the canyon walls. When I hike these canyons I always look forward to passing through these spots.

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

4 responses to “Canyon Light”

  1. Charlie Colladay Avatar
    Charlie Colladay

    Love this shot! The longer I look at it the more I like it. Forgive me for being such a pendant, but I am so moved by the intricacies of the light in this photo.

    Nice, tight composition of three separate layers: the far layer in direct sunlight; the middle, golden layer and the “giant’s foot” in the foreground. At first glance my eye was drawn to the well defined textural striations of the foreground in a seemingly softer, bluer, open shade type light. But no! It’s actually strongly directional (from the left, reflected by ?) which makes the vertical striations really pop. The far layer is being illuminated by the sun’s direct rays coming from the right, which is how we know the foreground light from the left is reflected (assuming no auxiliary lighting). The middle golden layer is the real mystery. The bright gold color and intensity of the light is greater at the left edge and gradually falls off into open shade light at the far right. The reflected light source must be something close by and behind the “giant’s foot” that is strongly reflecting the sun’s rays. It’s almost like the photographer laid out a large gold colored tarp to act as a reflector. But I doubt that. More likely it’s a warm colored rock formation that is serving as the reflector. Beautiful.

    Whatever the case…this is an amazing photo! I love it when a photo strikes you at first and then even more so as your eye roams around and you try to figure out why you like it so much. In the final analysis, it’s no surprise how often it comes down to the “Light” and we are then reminded that the Greek root of “photography” is “light drawing”.

    Nice work Dan!

    Charlie Colladay

    Reply
    1. G Dan Mitchell Avatar
      G Dan Mitchell

      Thanks Charlie,

      YOu certainly have an eye for light!

      The combination of layers and light is pretty much what this photograph is “about.” As you surmised, there are three kinds of ight (at least) at work in the photograph. OK, maybe four.

      There is the direct sunlight on the far canyon wall. Then there is the light reflected from a(n out of sight) reddish section of cliff that illuminates the middle face. The foreground light is coming from behind and above my camera position — a combination of more reflected light and light from the open sky. The forth kind of light? The deeper shadows with the more blue tones.

      One of the things I love about these canyons is precisely that variety of lighting, and especially the way that the light picks up colors from the sky and from whatever surface reflects it.

      Dan

      Reply
  2. Greg Avatar
    Greg

    Dan:

    It reminds me of Dedeckera Canyon over at the Eureka Dunes.

    Reply
    1. G Dan Mitchell Avatar
      G Dan Mitchell

      Thanks for sharing that. I’ve been to Eureka several times, but I have never investigated that canyon.

      Dan

      Reply

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Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Snow Geese in Formation

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Snow Geese in Formation
“Snow Geese in Formation” — A group of snow geese in flight and lined up vertically.

Most of these migratory birds will likely have departed from their winter homes in Central California by the time you see this photograph. They arrive in the fall, overwinter, and then depart some time in early March. Back in the pandemic year of 2020 I visited one of the places where I photograph them about one week into March, and they were still there. I went back one week later, and they had all departed. The place seemed awfully lonely!

This group was part of a much larger flock that was in motion above wetland ponds — thousands of birds swirling around as they contemplated where they might land. The light was just right for this group — it came from the side and from down low, illuminating the birds’ undersides. (Often photos of birds overhead end up too dark against the bright sky.) I also like the fact that the five of them together demonstrate every phase of their wing flapping.

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.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


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