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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Autumn Snow, Sierra Crest

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Autumn Snow, Sierra Crest
Dawn light on the snow-dusted Sierra Nevada crest along the northeastern boundary of Yosemite National Park

Autumn Snow, Sierra Crest. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Dawn light on the snow-dusted Sierra Nevada crest along the northeastern boundary of Yosemite National Park.

After my first night camping on the East Side during this year’s autumn aspen color season, I got up before dawn, broke camp and loaded my vehicle, and was on the road before sunrise. My plan was to head down US 395 to a more southerly location where I was sure I would be able to access high elevation trees that often are the first to turn colors. The drive began with a short road taking me back to the main highway, and as I passed thought cattle country here I realized that it was only 19 degrees outside. That was a bit of a shock to a person who had only recently experienced 90 degree weather back home!

The actual realization of the cold arrived after I stopped to make this photograph. The light waits for no one, so when I saw that it was about to strike these high peaks along the northeast Yosemite National Park boundary I pulled over and got ready to photograph. And, boy was it cold — a good reminder to keep jacket, gloves, and other warm gear handy for the rest of this visit.

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: Sierra Nevada

Begin

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Begin
A cryptic but arguably appropriate roadside sign seen at sunrise in the Eastern Sierra Nevada

Begin. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A cryptic but arguably appropriate roadside sign seen at sunrise in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.

This sign was along a route I drove in the Eastern Sierra Nevada on my first fall color foray into the range this year, back in the first week of October. I had camped out near those far mountains the night before, arisen before dawn to make a few photographs in the 19-degree weather, then started heading farther south toward the location where I planned to camp. Very soon a I did a double-take as I passed this sign. I quickly turned around and went back to make a quick photograph!

I’ve long been intrigued by what I assume are left-over signs that must have once actually meant something a bit more concrete. (When I was a cyclist I regularly passed a sign along one route that thoughtfully noted, “Next 1/4 Mile.”) Perhaps there was another sign nearby announcing some particular route, or a construction zone, or something — but that is gone and we’re now left with the simple and enigmatic message, “Begin.” Not that “begin” is bad advice, or that sunrise is an inappropriate time to offer it..

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

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

Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Oh See!

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Oh See!
An old neon sign in full sun.

Oh See! © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An old neon sign in full sun.

I try to take (almost) daily walks in various areas around the South San Francisco Bay Area — occasionally trail walks, but more often just neighborhood walks that take me through residential areas, business districts, and locations where various companies have their warehouses and workspaces. Although I almost always bring a camera along, I usually don’t stop to photograph. But every so often I am glad that I lugged the thing along. (If nothing else, carrying a camera changes my orientation to my surroundings and forces me to see more and more clearly.)

This business sign has been at this location for a very long time. The surrounding neighborhood is rapidly changing as the area converts from older business (and, at one time, extensive cannery facilities) to more urbanized tenants: shopping centers, condominium/apartment buildings, and similar. But the history is only part of what fascinated me about this sign. It also presented a sort of visual puzzle, in which the shadows of the old neon tubes produce a sort of synthetic alphabet on top of the less-legible lettering.

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

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

Aspens, Ferns, And Boulders

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Aspens, Ferns, And Boulders
Early autumn aspen color with ferns and granite boulders

Aspens, Ferns, And Boulders. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Early autumn aspen color with ferns and granite boulders.

My arrival at this well-known Eastern Sierra location was perhaps a few days too early, and the color would not really peak until three or four days later. However, even when there are still a lot of green trees it is possible to find a few that are changing colors — and in some ways the striking fall leaf colors may even seem a bit more so when there are still some green leaves in the scene.

This photograph probably looks fairly static… but it was a very windy day! In fact, moments earlier I had given up photographing in a more exposed location because the winds were so strong! This grove was a bit more sheltered, being at the bottom of a steep, narrow bit of valley. Even so, the aspen leaves are easily moved in slight breezes and I had to wait for just the right moment to find a time when the motion was minimized. There is more going on in this scene than may be immediately visible. In a sense there are four primary components: the vertical lines of the light-colored trunks, the patterns of green and yellow leaves, the golden brown of the ferns, and hiding in the background the darker tones of rocks.

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.

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