Dan's Outside

I go, I see, I do, I walk, I think, I like…

My Photography

It occurred to me after I moved this blog to the new URL that some new readers might arrive here without the context that some who followed the old version of the blog might have. One big chunk of that context is my photography – the thing that often takes me to the places I write about here.

While I did travel to Yosemite last weekend largely to see and experience the transition from winter to spring in the Sierra, making photographs is a very important part of such trips. I don’t post them all here, but I do post a new photograph every day at my photography blog: G Dan Mitchell Photography.

Additional photographs from opening day along Tioga Pass Road are already posted there, with more to come from TP Road and Yosemite Valley.

June 9, 2010 Posted by | Commentary, News, Photography, Site News | , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on My Photography

Photographs as Holiday Gifts

It occurred to me today that I should mention the fact that my photographs are available as holiday gifts. (Actually, they are always available for almost any purpose, but that wouldn’t have been a very timely message, would it?)

While I occasionally post photographs here, I post my photographic work daily at my photography blog: G Dan Mitchell | Photography and archive much of it in my online gallery. My photographs feature many images from wild California, especially the Sierra Nevada, the Pacific coast, Central California, and Death Valley.

If you are interested in the photography, wander on over to the first of those two links above. If you are so inclined, you can read the page there concerning print purchases. Since I custom print every photograph it is a good idea to get orders in early.

Thanks,

Dan

December 10, 2008 Posted by | Photography | Comments Off on Photographs as Holiday Gifts

Issues With Photographs on This Site… and an Alternative

Due to some issues with my hosting company, it is quite likely that many of the older photographs on this site will return a broken link. My apologies, but I’m going to take this as an opportunity to change how I handle images on this site. With that in mind, a few comments and guidelines:

  1. The majority of my most interesting photographs are found at my photography web site at http://www.gdanmitchell.com/.
  2. I think I have configured things so that clicking on broken link icons will, in some cases, take you to the original photo in my online gallery.
  3. In the long term, I plan to post far fewer photographs on this site. Instead I’ll continue to post them at the photo site and associated gallery and Flickr.

Dan

September 25, 2008 Posted by | Photography | Comments Off on Issues With Photographs on This Site… and an Alternative

Photos on Flickr

This is just a test…

… of one way of displaying my photographs that are posted at Flickr.

The test is concluded for the moment.

May 19, 2008 Posted by | Photography | Comments Off on Photos on Flickr

Spring in Central California


Calero Trail, Spring. Calero Hills, California. March 8, 2008. Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

NOW is the time to head for the central California hills – the new grass is coming up, the trees are budding, and wildflowers are beginning to emerge. After last year’s drought, this season’s normal or near-normal rainfall has produced a spring show that you don’t want to miss!

March 8, 2008 Posted by | Commentary, Photography: Calero | 1 Comment

Stalking Horsetail Falls

Although I’ve been going to Yosemite regularly since I was perhaps five years old (and I’m not going to say how long ago that was… ;-) I’ve never managed to see the February marvel of Horsetail Fall at sunset. Horsetail is a seasonal waterfall near the east end of the face of El Capitan. During early to mid February (and, according to some a bit earlier and later in the year as well) the light from the sun hits the waterfall just before sunset, creating an amazing light show for those who are a bit east of El Capitan where they can view the backlit waterfall. Galen Rowell made the sight famous with one of his photographs taken several decades ago, and it has since become of of the “must do” photographs in the Valley.

Partly inspired by Edie Howe’s information at The Little Red Tent web site, I made plans to get up there last weekend. The conditions were, indeed, right this time. Several things have to fall into place for this to work. There must have been good snowfall on the area just above the Valley. There must have a been a period of warmer weather that has melted some of the snow in order to get the creek feeding the fall running. The weather must be such that the sun can hit the wall at sunset – either clear weather or else clouds that permit the sunlight to shine through right at sunset.

I went to the Valley on Friday and got myself a campsite in the early afternoon, after which I spent a couple of hours scoping out shooting locations. I found several along Southside Drive on the opposite side of the Valley from the fall. However, the closest location is at the El Capitan picnic area on Northside Drive. Unfortunately (or maybe not so unfortunately…) Northside Drive has been closed by a combination of construction work and some rockfall farther east in the Valley. I finally decided to try for the picnic area. Since this requires a bit of a walk across the Valley, some time in the currently snowed-in picnic area, and a dark walk back across to Northside drive, I dressed warmly and got an early start.

In the end I was rewarded with some quite good photograph opportunities and I made a lot of exposures. However, I decided to go back and give it another try the next night – and that is when I got the image posted below.


Horsetail Fall, Sunset. Yosemite National Park, California. February 16, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.

February 18, 2008 Posted by | Photography, Yosemite | Comments Off on Stalking Horsetail Falls

Death Valley Photos by "w9jim"

I’m enjoying a series of Death Valley photographs posted on Flicker by w9jim, who apparently visited recently.

February 3, 2008 Posted by | Commentary, Photography, Places | Comments Off on Death Valley Photos by "w9jim"

At the Coast, but Not at Mavericks

The famous Mavericks surf competition was held yesterday along the Pacific coast south of San Francisco. Lots of people head out there to try to view (and photograph) the event. (Take a look John Mueller’s photographs at Flickr to get an idea of the crowds, the beautiful weather, and even a bit of surfing.)

I went over that direction, but intentionally stayed away from the scene at Mavericks. It was a wonderful day – where I was it was not too cold, but the surf was tremendous and there was lots of interesting clouds, fog, and light.


Winter Surf, Gulls. South of San Francisco, California. January 12, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.


Winter Surf – Pacific Ocean. South of San Francisco, California. January 12, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.

If you go there soon, you’ll find a few others at my Flickr site.

January 13, 2008 Posted by | Commentary, Ocean, Photography | Comments Off on At the Coast, but Not at Mavericks

Uncommon Views

A photo from a recent hike at Castle Rock State Park…


Monterey Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains – Castle Rock State Park. December 2, 2007. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.

I guess it is fair to say that we are a bit spoiled here in the SF Bay Area when it comes to scenic vistas. (From the ridge of the Santa Cruz Mountains, this photograph looks south across Monterey Bay all the way to the Monterey Peninsula at the top of the frame.)

December 22, 2007 Posted by | Commentary, Photography, Places | Comments Off on Uncommon Views

Autumn Hiker

A photo from today’s hike at Calero Park:


Autumn Hiker. Calero Hills, California. December 15, 2007. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell

December 15, 2007 Posted by | Photography | 3 Comments

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