Tag Archives: yosemite

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

Oak And Granite, Autumn

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Oak And Granite, Autumn
“Oak And Granite, Autumn” — Autumn leaves on black oak trees against a background of Yosemite Valley granite cliffs.

I like oak trees and oak leaves, but they do not generally provide the most intense fall color. In normal light the leaves are a sort of tan-brown that I charitably call “golden-brown.” They aren’t typically as spectacular as other trees that turn golden, orange, and red. However, when the sun is behind the tree, the leaves are translucent enough to glow with rich, warm color.

I was at this location in Yosemite Valley to photograph large trees in an open meadow. When I arrived the shadows from cliffs across the valley were staring to move over the meadow, and trees were gradually losing that colorful glow. Standing under this tree, I looked up and saw the silhouetted branches and luminous color. I quickly set up to photograph straight into the tree and managed a few photographs before the shadows arrived.

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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


All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

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

River And Autumn Trees

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River And Autumn Trees
“River And Autumn Trees” — Autumn trees change colors along banks of the Merced River, Yosemite Valley.

While I wrote elsewhere that this end-of-October fall color visit to Yosemite focused on more intimate landscapes, this one might seem like an exception, given that the trees are across the river and there is a rather large cliff beyond. OK, it isn’t exactly “intimate by the usual standards…” but if you knew what I left out of this photograph you might forgive me! This is a spot in the Valley where you might typically photograph some of those larger, monumental subjects.

I had passed this spot without stopping earlier in the day, so when I came by again later on I was prepared to pause and photograph. This is a narrower section of the Valley, and those trees grow on the opposite bank of the Merced River. We see several of the sources of Yosemite autumn color here including the golden-brown black oak trees and the brilliant yellow big leaf maples.

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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

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

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

Forest With Autumn Leaves

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Forest With Autumn Leaves
“Forest With Autumn Leaves” — Autumn leaves on black oak and big leaf maple trees add color to a Yosemite Valley forest.

I enjoy the challenge of trying to make compositions out of very busy, complex scenes. There are plenty of such scenes in typical forest settings, where the amount of detail can be overwhelming, and it can take me a while to find something that works. Often I wander through such places just looking and using a framing card to check photograph potential. At some point, things fall into place.

I already knew of this spot where reflections from a cliff across Yosemite Valley send soft light into the forest and especially to the tall trees at the right. On the last day of October, autumn leaves were sprinkled throughout the scene, too. This feels like a quintessential autumn photograph of the Valley. It is not generally a place of vast forests of color — more common are conifer forests interrupted by intense color from scattered deciduous trees.

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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

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

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

Big Leaf Maple, Autumn

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Big Leaf Maple, Autumn
“Big Leaf Maple, Autumn” — A big, colorful autumn leaf from a big leaf maple tree, Yosemite Valley.

Leaves from the big leaf maple trees are among the most colorful sights in Yosemite Valley during the fall. Their yellow color is especially striking because they often grow in shaded, darker areas and sometimes among the conifers. They may not be that well known since their color season is short and not during the most popular tourist times. The five-lobed leaves are gigantic — sometimes as large as two hands spread out.

Finding this big, brightly-colored leaf was part of the pay-off for a half hour or more of slow wandering through a quiet forested area. Photographing in these places is both challenging and rewarding. There often will not be obvious iconic subjects there, but the rewarding challenge comes from discovering small things and finding ways to make compositions out of complex scenes.

Leave a comment or question using the form. (Click the title to see the full article and to comment if you are viewing it on the home page.)

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

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.