Tag Archives: water

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Wildlife

Geese, Sunset Sky

Leave a comment
Geese, Sunset Sky
Geese settle in for the evening as dusk sky comes to the San Joaquin Valley

Geese, Sunset Sky. San Joaquin Valley, California. December 3, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Geese settle in for the evening as dusk sky comes to the San Joaquin Valley

The approach of winter in California’s Great Central Valley reminds me of a number of great seasonal cycles — the days shorten, temperatures drop, mornings are again often foggy, and the monumental migration of birds brings geese and cranes and more back to the state. This area, which can be less than compelling in the visual sense during the summer (though it has its attractions then, too) becomes one of the most special places in California if you know when and where to look. Yesterday I made this season’s first trip back to this landscape.

We can make some predictions about things like the birds and the weather in this place, but there will still be many surprises. Yesterday’s visit brought two such wonderful surprises. I had been watching weather forecast, hoping for tule fog, but had been consistently disappointed to see nothing but predictions of clear weather. But as I left the last small town before my destination the fog appeared, and by the time I arrived it was so thick that driving was a challenge and the rising sun was invisible. Then, late in the day, I felt that my photographic opportunities were ending, and I stopped at an out-of-the-way corner to just watch the sky after sunset. Suddenly a huge flock of geese rose noisily into the air far across the ponds, circled for a moment… and then suddenly landed directly in front of me in the fading light!

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: Mono Lake, Photographs: Nature

Tufa, Wildfire Smoke, Mono Lake

Leave a comment
Tufa, Wildfire Smoke, Mono Lake
Tufa formations, the vast expanse of Mono Lake, and smoke covered desert mountains

Tufa, Wildfire Smoke, Mono Lake. Mono Lake Basin, California. September 18, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Tufa formations, the vast expanse of Mono Lake, and smoke covered desert mountains

This nowhere near the first time I have photographed from this location, though it is the first time I have worked with conditions like these. Quite a bit earlier this morning I began to photograph before dawn, quickly realizing that the thickening smoke from a nearby wildfire was blanketing Mono Basin and creating atmospheric effects ranging from very dark sky, to clouds illuminated from behind, to drifting layers. After photographing near the lake I headed to a higher elevation area to the north, photographed there, and then headed back down toward Mono Lake.

As I descended I soon began to enter the fringes of the drifting smoke clouds. Lit from behind, the clouds glowed from within and softened the edges of elements of the landscape. Coming past this spot along the edge of the lake I noticed that some tufa structures formed a near semicircle near the shore, giving a bit of definition to a scene that was otherwise quite soft.

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: Mono Lake, Photographs: Nature

Wildfire Smoke, Morning Light

Leave a comment
Wildfire Smoke, Morning Light
Morning light reflects on the surface of Mono Lake, partially obscured by drifting wildfire smoke

Wildfire Smoke, Morning Light. Mono Lake, California. September 18, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning light reflects on the surface of Mono Lake, partially obscured by drifting wildfire smoke

The night before I made this photograph I had driven back to my Lee Vining Canyon camp from a backcountry hike in the Tioga Pass area, leaving the park and descending the steep route after dark. As I crossed the upper end of Lee Vining Canyon, where there is a relatively clear view to the east, I saw the pall of smoke from a developing wildfire and the glow from the flames lighting it from below. Given California’s drought, the late point in the dry season, and the number of other fires in this area, I was quite concerned about what might be happening.

I got up well before dawn the next morning and as I headed down canyon toward Mono Lake there was just a bit of smoke in the air. As I came around the final bend before the junction with US 395, however, I could see that there was a very dark cloud to the southeast and that layers of smoke were starting to drift across the surface of Mono Lake in the pre-dawn light. My first though was a bit of disappointment that the smoke was likely to interfere with my photography plans, but this was quickly replaced by the realization that I was starting to see some very special and unusual conditions as the dawn approached. I found a high place and went to work photographing abstract and soft patterns composed of the reflecting surface of Mono Lake, the drifting smoke bands, and the partially obscured distant mountains.

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: Northern California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Pacific Ocean, Light Beams

Leave a comment
Pacific Ocean, Light Beams
Light beams shine through breaking storm clouds onto the surface of the Pacific Ocean, Northern California

Pacific Ocean, Light Beams. North of Fort Bragg, California. November 19, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Light beams shine through breaking storm clouds onto the surface of the Pacific Ocean, Northern California

I remain intrigued by ocean horizons, which take on an amazing range of appearances depending on the effects of light and atmosphere. The horizon might be a distinct line, it could be (and was on this day) broken by distant swells and breakers, it fade in fog and mist to the point where it is almost invisible, or it may actually be invisible the obscured by fog or rain.

On this afternoon almost every one of those conditions appeared at one time or another. As rain squalls moved onshore, the view of the water and horizon was periodically blocked, only to be lit by brilliant bands of sunlight moments later as the clouds opened. Late in the afternoon, as the sun lowered toward the horizon, the atmosphere became back-lit and began to glow, especially in spots where the rain was still falling. At times beams of light (“God Light,” to use the common photographic description) came through the clouds, passed though slightly opaque mist and rain, and lit the surface of the water.

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.