Tag Archives: yosemite

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

Shoreline and Slabs

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Shoreline and Slabs
Glaciated granite slabs rising from shoreline meadows reflected in the still water of a backcountry Yosemite lake.

Shoreline and Slabs. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Glaciated granite slabs rising from shoreline meadows reflected in the still water of a backcountry Yosemite lake.

This photograph comes from the early morning hours, before the sun had risen high enough above the surrounding peaks to directly light the immediate landscape. The light is soft and blue-toned, the water is smooth, and the entire scene at this backcountry lake was serene. My recollection is that I had been up at the first hint of light, and that I spent the next few hours exploring the periphery of this lake. .

The photograph comes from very early autumn back in 2009, when I hiked in solo to join a larger group of my friends who were starting a weeklong photography visit to this area. I had teaching responsibilities back in the “real world,” so I was only able to remain for a few days before heading out to civilization. I later found out that I has missed some, uh, “special” weather… that brought the temperatures at this location down to about 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Ah, autumn in the Sierra! Most of the time it is pleasant and comfortable, but every so often an early bit of winter sneaks in to bite you!

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: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Tree, Boulders, and Shoreline

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Tree, Boulders, and Shoreline
An old, gnarled tree grows among shoreline boulders, Yosemite National Park.

Tree, Boulders, and Shoreline. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An old, gnarled tree grows among shoreline boulders, Yosemite National Park.

This photograph comes from a short trip to a popular Yosemite National Park backcountry lake more than a decade ago. It was the very beginning of autumn, and I managed to squeeze in a short escape between back-to-college meetings and the start of a new academic term. A group of fellow photographers was beginning a back-country stay of a bit more than a week, so I decided to join them for the first few days. (It turned out that my need to leave early was perhaps fortuitous — they reported to me that a few days after my departure an early season snow storm came in and dropped temperatures as low as five degrees!)

Autumn is the quiet season in the Sierra, or at least it was a decade ago. The summer crowds begin to thin after Labor Day, and by the end of September and the first half of October the backcountry seems almost deserted. It is a time to sit quietly and take in the scene before the winter snow arrives.

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

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Autumn Light

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Autumn Light
Autumn light on a Sierra Nevada slope with early fall color.

Autumn Light. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Autumn light on a Sierra Nevada slope with early fall color.

This photograph come from that beautiful time of year in the Sierra Nevada when summer is drawing to a close, all the signs of the coming autumn are appearing, and the crowds diminish. (Or at least they used to — a subject for another post…) I’ve frequently written that the signs of autumn appear well before the calendar says the season arrives. This photograph comes from the first week of fall — weeks before the peak of autumn aspen color, but a time when many other autumn colors begin to burst forth.

I am a bit embarrassed to say that I’m not quite positive where I made this photograph back in 2009. I know that I came off the trail from a short backcountry photography trip on this day, and that some time after I made this photograph I seems (looking at my archive) that I went to some location where very early aspen color was beginning to appear. The likely time of day, the direction of the light, the relatively barren upper slopes, and the time of day all suggest a location near to or just east of the crest. But the exact spot? Not sure!

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 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.

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

Alpine Lake Shoreline

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Alpine Lake Shoreline
Morning light on shoreline terrain at a backcountry Yosemite lake.

Alpine Lake Shoreline. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning light on shoreline terrain at a backcountry Yosemite lake.

Today I continue the retrospective reminiscence, looking at a few older photographs made more than a decade ago at a favorite Yosemite backcountry location. By the time I made the photographs in this series, I had probably been visiting this place virtually every year for over two decades. Perhaps because it is the sort of place where you can get to high elevations pretty quickly, it drew me back again and again. Over time I became very familiar with the lake and its surroundings, to the extent that it became a sort of backcountry home away from home.

I would typically camp here in an area sheltered by trees and equipped with glacial rocks apparently designed with excellent sitting and cooking opportunities in mind. Over the years I tended to go later and later in the season, often making this the last trip of a season after the summer crowds had departed. While there are lots of photographic opportunities in the surrounding alpine meadows and ridges, I often simply got up and wandered around the lake in the early morning 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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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.