Tag Archives: winter

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Panamint Sky

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Panamint Sky
Sunrise sky above the Panamint Mountains.

Panamint Sky. © Copyright 2012 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Sunrise sky above the Panamint Mountains.

This morning, about eight years ago, was one of those that reminds me why it is worth getting up in the darkened driving long distances to arrive at a location before the sun rises. I arrived along the summit of the Panamint Mountains very early, and shortly it became clear that the sky might do something very special. A layer of broken clouds was spread across the sky, perfectly positioned to be illuminated by the first sunlight, and to my north the lines of clouds converged above the horizon.

Several years ago I shared another photograph from this morning — if I recall correctly it was a panoramic format image of the same clouds, separated from this on in time by perhaps a minute. That is, of course, enough to change things considerably in this evolving 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.

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Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Dry Desert Flowers, Winter

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A crop of dry winter desert flowers, Panamint Mountains.

Dry Desert Flowers, Winter. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A crop of dry winter desert flowers, Panamint Mountains.

This may the be the final example in the small series of photographs of dry winter flowers I made in Death Valley this past January, when I spent a few days poking around odd corners of the park. I found this flower — not hard to do if you just stop and look! — during a brief stop along a gravel road. I had paused to take a look at old signs of a mining camp, and as I wandered the area I noticed that these flowers were everywhere.

When I think of desert wildflowers I am usually contemplating the brief (and variable) late winter and early spring bloom that comes when there has been sufficient rainfall. In January, as you can imagine, wildflowers were just about the last subject on my mind. But once again, after all these years of going to such places, I was reminded that there is always something new to discover.

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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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Flock In The Fog

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Flock In The Fog
“Flock In The Fog” — A flock of Ross’s geese in tule fog.

By now, these Ross’s geese are long gone from California, going back to the northern shores of North America, where they return each spring to breed. The last time I saw them here was on March 13, the day of my last pre-shelter-in-place trip to the refuges where I ordinarily look for them. It was a strange visit, with a sense of foreboding in the air. I went there alone, self-contained to the point that I would not have to stop anywhere on my nearly 300-mile out-and-back journey. There were almost no remaining Ross’s or snow geese — they had apparently departed just days earlier. There were also almost no other people. I photographed for a few hours and then turned back home.

This photograph was not made on that trip — it was made back on New Year’s Day, in a more innocent time. A group of us met up, gathered for food and camaraderie, spent the day photographing. There was tule fog that morning, which is just what we want. I made the photograph at just about that magical moment on a foggy day, when the soft light of the sun just begins to break through, making the atmosphere luminous.

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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: Nature

Winter Foliage

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Winter Foliage
A close-up view of winter plants in a formal garden.

Winter Foliage. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A close-up view of winter plants in a formal garden.

This photograph comes from a more innocent time… almost two months ago. Remember? That was back when we were just starting to become away of the potential of the corona virus, when we were still often able to convince ourselves that it would not happen here — wherever your “here” may be. A matter of a few weeks later we truly began to understand how serious this would become — but back then it was possible to spend a morning driving to a place with a large public garden, to spend hours with other people enjoying the place, and to go out for coffee or lunch afterwards. I look forward to the eventual return of such pleasures.

Patty is passionate about photographing flowers and plants, and every so often I’m inspired to give it a try, too. I have a macro lens for one of my cameras, and I took it along on this visit. It was early in the California growing season so the number of flowers was a bit limited, so many of my photographs that day focused on leaves and branches and trunks. I got down very close to these plants to try to isolate their forms from the surroundings.

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 | 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.