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The Quiet Pacific

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The Quiet Pacific
“The Quiet Pacific” — The Pacific Ocean on a quiet, overcast morning on the Big Sur Coast.

There is not a lot happening in this photograph. In fact, the scene was as close to static as ocean scenes can be. It can be quite dramatic and dynamic here, especially if the sun is out, a big swell is generating high surf, the wind is blowing, and wildlife is present. But on this unexpectedly foggy morning it was quite still and most of the tourists were still sipping coffee back in town.

The location is a very high overlook along the Pacific Coast Highway south of Carmel. Several things intrigued me about the scene on this morning — not just the unusual stillness. The boundary between the ocean and sky was muted by the fog bank, and the light was soft and gray. A mysterious line of foam led from the foreground rocks far out into the ocean.

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: Mono Lake Basin, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sky

Mono Lake, Dissipating Storm

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Mono Lake, Dissipating Storm
“Mono Lake, Dissipating Storm” — An evening thunderstorm dissipates above Mono Lake on an autumn evening.

It is well understood that some of the most interesting landscape photography light comes at the edges of the day, around sunrise or sunset. When things work out just right, Sierra Nevada weather conditions amplify this light. During the summer months afternoon thunderstorms are not uncommon, and they often break up around sunset, allowing light from the west to dramatically illuminate and color the clouds.

I had been photographing in mixed light during the afternoon — sometimes it was clear, but at other times is was overcast. As the day moved toward sunset, I was passing along the west shore of Mono Lake as clouds dissipated and that western light turned the thinning storm clouds into a fiery cloudscape above the lake.

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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Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Big Sur Headlands, Fog

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Big Sur Headlands, Fog
“Big Sur Headlands, Fog” — Morning fog on and early fall morning along the Big Sur coast.

You never can be quite certain of the conditions you’ll encounter along California’s Big Sur Coast. Ocean and continent boundaries are transitional zones, and conditions depend on which one dominates. On this visit I expected to arrive to clearing fog and broken sunlight on the coast. But, alas, it remained cloudy the entire time I was there. Fortunately, there are advantages to such conditions, too. The press of tourist traffic diminishes, and the coast can take on a quiet and moody quality.

I stopped at a high point where I rarely photograph these days, having been there so many times over the decades. When I do stop, it is often to use the vantage point to see if whales are passing by. No whales this time, but the headlands lined up to the north, gradually receding into the mist and haze, seemed pretty interesting — interesting enough to pull out the camera and make this photograph.

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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Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Water Over Stones

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Water Over Stones
“Water Over Stones” — The waters of a Sierra Nevada creek flow over stones.

Every landscape photographer I know is easily distracted by flowing water. Our “thing” might be large-scale landscapes, trees, rocks, you name it. But during slow moments we’ll point our cameras down or across the nearest flowing water and see what we can do with this subject. It provides a lot of opportunities. Long exposures can turn flowing water into cloudy veils. Reflections introduce symmetry and/or colors. And, as in this photograph, the water diffuses and smooths features beneath its flow.

I was actually lucky to find such clear water on this backcountry trip. Right after we arrived at our basecamp the heavens opened up and it rained heavily for the next twenty-four hours. When we finally crawled out of our tents the day after it began, we found a nearby lake muddy with sediments washed down these creeks. But before long the sediments decreased and I found this clear creek.

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 | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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