Tag Archives: yosemite

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Flooded Forest

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Flooded Forest
A section of Yosemite Valley forest flooded by spring snow runoff.

Flooded Forest. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A section of Yosemite Valley forest flooded by spring snow runoff.

There is often some degree of flooding in the Sierra during snow-melt season, and hiking can involve jumping streams, detouring around seasonal ponds, and occasional walking through some pretty muddy terrain. But this year is an extremely case. When I visited Yosemite Valley in late May there was flooding all over — trails that disappeared under water, meadows that had turned into lakes, and water flowing everywhere.

This particular spot is typically a sort of open forest with some grassy areas interspersed with the trees. But this time it looked more like a swamp, with water covering the perimeter trail and many trees standing in this temporary lake. The upside? Quite a few, including the beautiful reflections of the trees. Downsides? Mosquitos!

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: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Three Trees

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Three Trees
Three conifer trees near the base of El Capitan, Yosemite Valley.

Three Trees. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Three conifer trees near the base of El Capitan, Yosemite Valley.

This was a fruitful camera position on my late-May one-day visit to Yosemite Valley. I made several photographs within perhaps a 100-foot radius here by a little season lake that filled a small meadow. There was forest in all directions, and on two sides cliffs, including the very base of El Capitan as seen in this photograph.

There’s another hidden surprise in this photograph. A stream of water drops across the rock outcropping along the right edge. It is, as best as I can tell, the point where Horsetail Fall — yes, THAT fall — reaches the base of El Capitan and from there make a very short trip to join the Merced River.

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 | Twitter | 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.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Yosemite Fall, Spring 2023

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Yosemite Fall, Spring 2023
Upper Yosemite Fall in full flow, Spring 2023.

Yosemite Fall, Spring 2023. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Upper Yosemite Fall in full flow, Spring 2023.Yosemite Fall, Spring 2023

Yes, it is one of “those” photographs — a full daylight, straight-on photograph of one of the most iconic sights in Yosemite Valley. (One of the top three perhaps? With Half Dome and El Capitan being the other two?) I think it is a decent photograph, in not exactly a unique one, and it does capture Upper Yosemite Fall in its peak flow. It was really roaring on this late-May afternoon as the snow melt intensified.

It is easy to become so used to this valley that we forget how astonishing its features actually are. I often tell a story that reminded me some years ago. I was standing at one of the very popular overlooks, a place I’ve visited many times, thinking, ” Well, no pictures today. It is pretty ordinary looking in this light!” At about that moment a car arrived, a small group got our and walked over, looked at this “ordinary” view, apparently for the first time… and began to weep.

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 | Twitter | 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.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

El Capitan Meadow Trees

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El Capitan Meadow Trees
Tall trees stand at the end of El Capitan Meadow, against a backdrop of giant cliffs in hazy light.

El Capitan Meadow Trees. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Tall trees stand at the end of El Capitan Meadow, against a backdrop of giant cliffs in hazy light.

By Yosemite view standards, this is distinctly non-iconic, at least superficially. (Actually, the meadow is pretty well-known as a place to view climbers on El Cap, but this photograph looks the other direction.) But one of the great themes of this remarkable Valley is the juxtaposition of relatively common things (a meadow and some trees) with the uncommon (a cliff face erupting thousands of feet above the Valley floor.) At the upper right corner you can spot a few remaining late-May snow patches left over for this historic precipitation season.

I suspect that the first point of attention for most people in a scene like this is the powerful vertical of the two tall trees. But I see a whole lot of relatively horizontal layers in this scene. It begins with the nearly flat and very green meadow at the very bottom. Above that is a layer of (mostly) black oak trees. They are backed by a layer (or arguably several layers) of tall conifers. Finally, behind everything else, is the shadowed, vertical wall of this valley.

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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)

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