From gdanmitchell.com
Mono Lake Shoreline, Morning | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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Sierra Nevada autumn photographs often feature the colorful leaves of aspen trees, but this is what fall looks like at the base of the eastern escarpment of the range. The grasses have turned golden brown, there's often a bit of haze in the air, and things seem to be quieting and slowing as the seasons
#fall #autumn #nature #monolake #landscape #monocraters #photography
on Sat, 4PM
From gdanmitchell.com
Aspen Grove and Pond | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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I came to this spot rather late in the day, though that was partially intentional. I knew that rows of aspens here can glow in backlight in the late afternoon, and there is a short window of opportunity between the time that the sun moves behind them and when it drops behind the surrounding peaks.
on Fri, 7PM
From gdanmitchell.com
Eastside Canyon | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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This might be one of the most classic Eastern Sierra canyons. A short spur road off of US 395 quickly climbs old glacial moraines, and before long high desert and cottonwoods transition to the first aspen trees. There is a parking lot at the end of the road, and from there a trail heads straight
on Thu, 5PM
From gdanmitchell.com
Thoughts About Camera Upgrades in 2024 | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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I am not one to upgrade camera gear every time a new model comes out, but I typically do replace older gear when truly major upgrades are introduced. There have been significant changes in cameras over the past few years as mirrorless designs have taken over. Yet I am still using a Canon full-frame DSLR
on Thu, 5PM
From gdanmitchell.com
Sierra Pines | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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These lodgepole pines could be anywhere in a wide range of places in the Sierra Nevada — it is a very common tree found at higher elevations. Its form ranges from tall and upright, through slightly bent (like these trees at the edge of a high forest) to twisted and warped trees growing in rocky
on Wed, 4PM
From gdanmitchell.com
Mono Shoreline, Dawn | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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At some point on virtually every visit to the Eastern Sierra I end up photographing at Mono Lake... again. I've photographed the place for decades, but I still find new ways to see it on almost every visit. This time I headed to the northwest 'corner" of the lake to watch the sun rise, and
on Tue, 3PM
From gdanmitchell.com
Autumn Aspen Forest | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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Returning to the same locations has its pluses and minuses. I suppose that one negative could be the danger that the subject becomes overly familiar — there is an argument that it would be a better use of one's time to head off to new places. But there are a lot more positives in my
on Mon, 4PM
From gdanmitchell.com
Mt. Dana, Sunset Clouds | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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There is a special autumn feeling in the Sierra high country that I love. It is hard to describe, and it may be the sum of a variety of seasonal features. Summer is a time of wild abundance as the plants (and the mosquitos!) take advantage of the short growing season. Within a couple of
on Nov 10
From gdanmitchell.com
Autumn Berry Plants | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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This is a sort of accidental photograph. I had stopped along an Eastern Sierra road to photograph a grove of autumn aspen trees that were in soft light, shaded by a nearby hill. The subject initially looked promising — colorful trees, nice light, a creek flowing nearby. However, despite...
on Nov 9
From gdanmitchell.com
Morning Haze, Mono Lake | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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A photograph can be viewed in more than one way. The default is to regard it as an objective record of the subject — a "capture" of what was there when the exposure was made. But photographs are not really objectively accurate, and it might be better to think of them as expressions of how
on Nov 8
From gdanmitchell.com
Gully, Morning Light | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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While camped in the Sierra near the eastern border of Yosemite National Park during the early fall season, I decided to head down to Lee Vining and then turn south. My plan was to do some early morning photography along the base of the Sierra where the mountains begin to rise toward the crest and
on Nov 7
From gdanmitchell.com
Aspens and Conifers, Autumn | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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In our search for the biggest, most spectacular aspen trees and the biggest and most expansive groves, we sometimes overlook these smaller "scrub aspen" trees. At least I do. But often they are just as colorful as the bigger trees, and they can be quite fascinating when draped across the right...
on Nov 6
From gdanmitchell.com
Aspens, Last Light | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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The light in this location is unusual for the Sierra — for geographic reasons that I'll explain below. This forest of autumn aspen trees is on the east slope of the range, at what I think of as a middle elevation. Here the high desert sage country meets aspens and a few conifers, then transitions
on Nov 5
From gdanmitchell.com
Black Point, Mono Lake, Evening | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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I made this photograph on an autumn evening after incoming clouds had ended my aspen photography for the day. I decided to make a quick run down to the shoreline of Mono Lake to see if there might be any interesting dusk light. The conditions were a bit subtle, but I think that they are
on Nov 4
From gdanmitchell.com
Evening Aspens | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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As I photographed here in the late afternoon I was keeping an eye on the sun as it descended toward clouds and the Sierra crest to the west. These trees are beautifully back-lit by late afternoon sun, but it looked like that light source might disappear early behind the clouds. As it turned out, the
on Nov 3
From gdanmitchell.com
Mono Lake, Before Dawn | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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This photograph may look very similar to a previously shared Mono Lake photo — both feature the reflecting surface of the lake and a colorful sky. But they are quite different images, photographed from very different places and at different times of the day. The other one was from an evening...
on Nov 2
From gdanmitchell.com
Peaks and Autumn Aspens | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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For years I have felt that the best light at this Eastern Sierra Nevada location comes in the late afternoon, just before the sun drops behind the crest of the mountains. Here the high desert and mountain terrains intermingle, and aspen groves alternate with dry "sage brush country." In the...
on Nov 1
From gdanmitchell.com
Subalpine Meadow, Lake, and Peaks | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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This monumental string of peaks running west from the Sierra Nevada crest was our companion during a two-week late-summer base-camp here a few years ago. A group of nine photographers packed in and set up basecamp for a week. This gave us plenty of time to extensively explore and photograph the...
on Oct 31
From gdanmitchell.com
Two Peaks, Aspens | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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When I became aware of the Eastern Sierra Nevada autumn aspen color spectacle a few decades ago, I became obsessed. I traveled there every autumn over a period of several weeks, often visiting three or more times, and photographing up and down the range. I got to know this subject quite well — so well
on Oct 30
From gdanmitchell.com
The Quiet Pacific | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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There is not a lot happening in this photograph. In fact, the scene was as close to static as ocean scenes can be. It can be quite dramatic and dynamic here, especially if the sun is out, a big swell is generating high surf, the wind is blowing, and wildlife is present. But on this
on Oct 29
From gdanmitchell.com
Evening Shadow | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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This is one of the best times of the day in the backcountry — when the shadows lengthen and fall across the landscape, with nightfall inevitably not far behind. On typical evenings, everything slows down as the winds die and it becomes very quiet — a kind of deep quiet never experienced in our city
on Oct 28
From gdanmitchell.com
Aspens and Evening Shadows | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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This photograph comes from one of those evenings when I almost packed up and left too soon. At this location there is beautiful late afternoon back-light on aspen groves in the fall, but then the sun quickly drops behind higher peaks and "turns out the lights." That had already happened on the...
on Oct 27
From gdanmitchell.com
Alpenglow, Dissipating Thunderhead | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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I remember this evening well. I'm not always sure why, but the details of certain specific days in the Sierra stick with me. As I recall, it was a quiet evening well into our weeklong stay near the lower end of this high basin. We were relaxed and enjoying the spectacle of large storms dissipating
on Oct 26
From gdanmitchell.com
Broken Branch and Wildflowers | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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We were camped on a low hill covered with trees — likely an old lateral moraine of some sort. A subalpine lake below our hill was surrounded by meadows, and the wildflowers were still in bloom even though it was late in the season. On several occasions I just wandered slowly around and through the
on Oct 25
From gdanmitchell.com
Mono Lake, Dissipating Storm | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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It is well understood that some of the most interesting landscape photography light comes at the edges of the day, around sunrise or sunset. When things work out just right, Sierra Nevada weather conditions amplify this light. During the summer months afternoon thunderstorms are not uncommon,...
on Oct 24
From gdanmitchell.com
Aspen Transitions | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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Photographers sometimes debate the "best" moment to photograph autumn aspen color. Some say it is when the first trees start to show golden color. Others prefer the stage where every color from green through yellow, orange, and red is visible. Then the green leaves fall and only the wild autumn...
on Oct 22
From gdanmitchell.com
Two Trees, Sierra Rain | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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In some ways I was surprised to find these two trees standing here, among high rocks not far from our campsite. After a day of heavy weather, I thought about how they had managed to escape significant damage from years of exposure to winds, precipitation, and lightning strikes. But there they...
on Oct 21
From gdanmitchell.com
Big Sur Headlands, Fog | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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You never can be quite certain of the conditions you'll encounter along California's Big Sur Coast. Ocean and continent boundaries are transitional zones, and conditions depend on which one dominates. On this visit I expected to arrive to clearing fog and broken sunlight on the coast. But, alas,...
on Oct 19
From gdanmitchell.com
Meadow to Mountains | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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I made this photograph at the end of August several years ago, camped high in the John Muir Wilderness west of the Sierra crest. Experienced Sierra travelers are probably wondering about the flowers and all that greenery — by this point in a typical year much of this country is brown and dry, and the
on Oct 18
From gdanmitchell.com
New Hampshire Forest | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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We had never visiting New Hampshire or anyplace else in New England for that matter until two years ago — when we went twice! The first visit was for a late-summer extended-family get-together at a place we rented just north of Wilmington. (The other trip was that October, when we went back for the fall
on Oct 18
From gdanmitchell.com
Coastal Redwood Forest | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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Photographing California's coastal redwood forests can be a (fun) challenge. There is often an overwhelming amount of "stuff" in the scene — trunks, branches, undergrowth, all growing densely. So part of the challenge is finding a workable composition among all of the details. Light can also be...
on Oct 17
From gdanmitchell.com
Alpenglow, Meadow | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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Since I was unable to get to the Sierra much this season — it is a long story — I'm revisiting the archives, where I find a lot of interesting photographs that were "left behind." This one comes from a trip into a high backcountry region with a group of fellow photographers a few years
on Oct 17
From gdanmitchell.com
Two Peaks, Clearing Storm | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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Rainy weather in the Sierra Nevada often produces post-storm treats, and many of them involve light and clouds and fog. The storms, often brief afternoon or early evening affairs, increase the humidity and drop the temperatures. So once they begin to dissipate it is common to see clouds floating...
on Oct 16
From gdanmitchell.com
Where Are the New Autumn Aspen Photos? | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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If you have followed me here or on social media for a while you know that I’m passionate about photographing fall color in the Eastern Sierra Nevada. I usually spend a lot of time up there during the first two or three weeks of October when the colors peak. But I don’t have any new
on Oct 9
From gdanmitchell.com
New Hampshire Hills, Autumn | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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If I recall correctly, this was our first morning out and about on the Kancamagus Parkway, that popular fall color route in New Hampshire. We had driven over it late previous day when we arrived to check into a hotel, but there had been little time to stop and photograph. So the next morning we
on Oct 9
From gdanmitchell.com
Rock and Ice | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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This is a classic example of alpine Sierra Nevada terrain. At the very bottom is a bit of alpine meadow, located right at the upper edge of the local tree line. Above that we see large expanses of glaciated granite with rounded and smoothed forms that are now cracked and broken by erosion. Still higher,
on Oct 8
From gdanmitchell.com
Courtyard, Edinburgh Castle | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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Edinburgh Castle dominates the view in the popular, touristy part of Edinburgh — the Old Town and New Town Areas. It is in the former, at the upper end of the "Miracle Mile" that stretches up to it from Holyrood Palace. Yes, it is a tourist attraction now, but it is also a "must see"
on Oct 7
From gdanmitchell.com
Blue Stone Vortex | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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While I'm often drawn to the large scale landscapes, intimate landscapes appeal to me, too. The big photos do give the grand perspective of the landscape, but I think that images of smaller elements and components of the larger scene can tell us just as much about a place. And their...
on Oct 6
From gdanmitchell.com
Carpet of Color | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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As I have shared New England fall color photographs you may nave noticed that I often contrast that spectacle with my more familiar western aspen groves. One of the main reasons I made this photograph was practical — I wanted to illustrate just how significant that difference is. Aspens in...
on Oct 5
From gdanmitchell.com
Lake, Ridges, and Haze | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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It is fair to say that I got a lot of photographic mileage out of this view during our stay here a few years back. I've shared numerous photographs of it, though in different formats, times of day, and conditions. Despite the presence of so much other visual material, it dominated our...
on Oct 4
From gdanmitchell.com
Under the Highway | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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This photograph comes from one of our frequent August visits to New York City. New Yorkers reading this are perhaps shaking their heads and wondering about my sanity. There is a reason that people who live there take there vacations in August — heat, humidity, thunderstorms, and all the rest....
on Oct 3
From gdanmitchell.com
Lake in Shadow | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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For more than a decade, during most summers I have spent a solid week in the Sierra Nevada backcountry with fellow photographers, base-camped at various beautiful locations. (Travel and other things have interfered during the past two years.) These trips give us the opportunity to focus on...
on Oct 2
From gdanmitchell.com
New England Leaves | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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This miniature landscape comes from our visit to New England to photograph fall color a couple of years ago. (Wow, has it really been two years?!) With the help of some New England natives who set us straight on timing, we showed up at exactly the peak of color in this area of New Hampshire.
on Oct 1
From gdanmitchell.com
At Tree Line | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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On occasion I have been asked about my favorite places in the Sierra Nevada, the range I have wandered for decades. I do have specific favorite locations, but I often answer more generally: it is the country right at the tree line, where the terrain opens up, the highest peaks are visible, there...
on Sep 30
From gdanmitchell.com
Pipe Organ, St. Giles Cathedral | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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Pipe organs are impressive in many ways. The sound is remarkable, especially in appropriate acoustical spaces. (It must be quite an experience for the lone musician to make that much sound, at volumes that can compete with full symphony orchestras.) The visual appearance is compelling and...
on Sep 29
From gdanmitchell.com
Sierra Rain | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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It is easy to be a bit afraid of backcountry rain — worried that you might get your clothes wet, you could slip, it isn't good for your gear. In our civilized lives we usually stay inside when it rains, and when we must go out we scurry between dry places. But when the rain
on Sep 28
From gdanmitchell.com
Light Beam, St. Giles Cathedral | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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We concluded our three weeks in Scotland earlier this year with a few days in Edinburgh. This marked one extreme on the continuum of our visit, with the opposite end defined by a week spent walking the quiet trails of the Great Glen Way. Edinburgh, of course, is not just a rather large city, but
on Sep 27
From gdanmitchell.com
New England Woods #8 | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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California photographers like me, familiar with the more limited color palette of aspen trees against conifers, are almost overwhelmed by the variation and intensity of autumn colors in New England. I can find all of these colors in the Sierra, but I have to search them out and, even then, some...
on Sep 26
From gdanmitchell.com
After the Rain | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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This photograph evokes memories of a whole range of sensory experiences in the Sierra. Some are specific to the time and place where the photograph was made, but others are more generalized. There's something compelling about backcountry rain and the experience of its passage. We think of the...
on Sep 25
From gdanmitchell.com
Central Station, Glasgow | G Dan Mitchell Photography
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The Scottish railway tracks reach this station via a nearby bridge over the River Clyde, and the tracks are still elevated here. Above we see a glass roof designed to light the interior, while below we see... an underpass between two sections of Glasgow's downtown. Because rail transportation is...
on Sep 24