Tag Archives: wood

Roots and Rocks

Roots and Rocks
Roots and Rocks

Roots and Rocks. Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington. August 28, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Weathered tree roots stretch across boulders at Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington.

I made this photograph at our first stop after we arrived at the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. (Technically, that isn’t quite true, since we had earlier stopped at the “ranger station” to ask some questions, but this was the first “real” stop for photography.) The road into this area twists and turns as it ascends toward and then past a ski area, and here we couldn’t help but pull over at a hairpin curve that provided a panoramic overlook to the valley below and the ridges to the east (?) of our position. Although the original reason for stopping was this dramatic view, I soon found nearby “intimate landscapes” to also be very interesting. While I often hike and climb long distances to find my photographs… for this one the tripod was on asphalt and the subject right next to the road.

On a technical note, for this photograph I used a lens that I’m increasingly fond of for photographing subjects like this one, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM (link to B&H). I find it useful to be able to put a bit of distance between myself and subjects in which the entire image may include only a few square feet, and the ability to fine tune the composition with the zoom is very useful. Although I didn’t do it in this photography, working with a slightly longer focal length also lets me have the option of isolating the subject against an out of focus background. I have the non-IS version of the lens – because that was the only version available back when I got mine – though I would almost certainly get the IS version if I were to replace it.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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Old Garage Doors, Mission District

Old Garage Doors, Mission District
Old Garage Doors, Mission District

Old Garage Doors, Mission District. San Francisco, California. February 20, 2010. © Copyright – all rights reserved.

Very old and worn out garage details in the Mission District, San Francisco, California.

Another (perhaps the second-to-last) in the series of photographs of these old and very worn garage doors found in a Mission District ally in San Francisco.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 35mm f/2.0
ISO 200, f/8, 1/80 second

keywords: the, mission, san francisco, california, usa, north america, street, urban, city, street, district, wood, worn, dilapidated, weathered, worn, boards, paint, lock, latch, window, nail, texture, grain, stock

Brightly Painted Wall, Mission District

Brightly Painted Wall, Mission District
Brightly Painted Wall, Mission District

Brightly Painted Wall, Mission District. San Francisco, California. February 20, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Detail of a brightly painted red, yellow, blue, and white wall in San Francisco’s Mission District.

One sub-category of my photography focuses on businesses and shops and so forth that are not cookie-cutter chains. I love the way that these businesses seem to collect their own character over time, and I also like the wild and diverse ways that small business owners present themselves. I spotted this wild conjunction of brightly painted colors as I walked along 24th street in the Mission District of San Francisco on a Sunday afternoon. In this version of the photograph (yes, there is another) I framed a small section of the building wall closely to try to fill the frame with these colors.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

G Dan Mitchell Photography | Twitter | Friendfeed | Facebook | Facebook Fan Page | Email

Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
ISO 200, f/8, 1/25 second

keywords: the, mission, san francisco, california, usa, north america, street, urban, city, texture, pattern, stripe, line, red, yellow, white, red, vertical, bright, painted, paint, district, 24th, wall, wood, city, stock, color, primary, reflection

Garage Doors, Virgil Street

Garage Doors, Virgil Street
Garage Doors, Virgil Street

Garage Doors, Virgil Street. San Francisco, California. February 20, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Old and dilapidated garage doors and “no parking” sign in afternoon light on Virgil Street, San Francisco, California.

This seems like a photograph that most people would not identify with San Francisco. If anything, it first appears to be some sort of rural image, perhaps a rustic old barn on a ranch or similar. However, this shot was made along a narrow alley in the Mission District of San Francisco. (Again, as in the “yellow building” photo I posted recently, I suppose I could be accused of attempting to make the Mission not look like the Mission!)

The light was changeable and from time to time beautiful on this afternoon. While it was a cloudy day and mostly somewhat gray, the clouds were thin and broken enough that occasionally soft and diffused light would break through. Here that light brings a bit of relief to the complex and rich textures of this very old and very run-down garage wall and door – and that little bit of green at the lower left softens the whole thing just a bit.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

G Dan Mitchell Photography | Twitter | Friendfeed | Facebook | Facebook Fan Page | Email

Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 35mm f/2.0
ISO 200, f/8, 1/60 second

keywords: virgil, street, alley, mission, san francisco, california, usa, north america, no parking, day, night, driveway, opposite, garage, sign, urban, street, wood, wall, door, window, hinge, rust, distressed, green, plant, afternoon, light, winter, structure, downtown, latch, lock, sidewalk, peeling, paint, panel, stock