G Dan Mitchell Photography

Thanks to Jim M Goldstein for sharing the link to a video interview with Ansel Adams’ son Michael on Fast Company TV’s PhotoCycle program.

(It is fun to watch the video and see so many places I know so well… :-)

G Dan Mitchell :: Jun.30.2008 :: History, Photographers :: No Comments »

Passengers Leaving Caltrain. San Francisco, California. May 9, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of commuters leaving the train at the 4th and Townsend Caltrain station in San Francisco, California.

keywords: California, San Francisco, Spring, downtown, passenger, urban, street, commuter, train, caltrain, station, track, platform, pole, window, people, walk, stock, travel, door, fourth, street, 4th, townsend, transit

G Dan Mitchell :: Jun.30.2008 :: Photographs: People, Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Urban/Street :: No Comments »

Kelsey, Brandon, and Jameson. Temecula, California. June 22, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

OK, not your usual wedding photography – fortunately someone else was handling that! My “kids” at my daughter’s wedding a week ago today.

(So, what do you think? Is it more Weegee or Friedlander? ;-)

G Dan Mitchell :: Jun.29.2008 :: Commentary :: No Comments »

Zeum Reflections. San Francisco, California. May 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Reflections of a downtown San Francisco scene in windows in a curved wall at the Zeum.

keywords: California, San Francisco, Spring, usa, window, reflection, tree, building, sidewalk, street, door, building, urban, downtown, scene, sky, sign, distorted, warped, zeum, mirror, stock

G Dan Mitchell :: Jun.29.2008 :: Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Structures :: No Comments »

Last weekend was very special for us as our daughter Kelsey was married to our new son-in-law Mel. My role was to be the “Father of the Bride” – not the “Photographer of the Bride” – so while I took a minimal camera kit along I left it in the car for the main event. I left the photography to professionals and to the many guests who recorded the event – including my brother and his video crew of various talented nieces and nephews, and my sister whose point and shoot camera recorded several of the most wonderful shots I’ve seen so far from the event.

It was interesting to watch some of the methods employed by our photographer Katy Regnier and her “assistant” (otherwise known as her husband Ben) at the wedding. At times the two of them split up to cover different aspects of the event – Katy photographed Kelsey and “the girls” getting hair done and so forth while Ben photographed the guys getting ready (or, more accurately, “hanging around” ;-) at their hotel. But even when they shot together they worked in ways that complemented one another. For example, it often seemed that Katy would work close in with primes while Ben stood back and worked the same subjects with a longer telephoto zoom.

If you follow this blog, you know that while I do some photography of people I’m certainly no wedding photographer, nor do I aspire to be. However, I have a renewed respect for those like Katy and Ben who do this type of photography well. Good wedding photography requires photographic skills, but it is also requires social skills, timing, attentiveness, knowledge of wedding rituals and traditions, and a good sense of when to step in and direct and when to work invisibly in the background.

I will post a few photographs from the wedding here eventually, though because this event was a personal and family event rather than a photo shoot many of the photos will remain personal and private among my newly expanded family. But here is one of Katy and Ben photographing Kelsey and Mel after the ceremony as the sun set over the vineyards below the hilltop winery where they were married. (Can you say “awwwwww…” ;-)

Kelsey and Mel. Falkner Winery, Temecula, California. June 22, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

G Dan Mitchell :: Jun.28.2008 :: Commentary, Photographs: Nature :: 2 Comments »

Untitled – San Francisco Bay. San Francisco, California. May 9, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A waterfront scene near the Embarcadero in San Francisco, California.

I often go to The City and wander along the Embarcadero and nearby areas with my camera. This photograph was made near the boat landing right behind ATT Park – home of the Giants. There are often large ships anchored out beyond this part of the San Francisco shoreline, and they are a continuing subject for me.

keywords: san francisco, bay, california, water, reflection, object, structure, pole, ships, boats, float, waterfront, embarcadero, morning, sun, usa, travel, scenic

G Dan Mitchell :: Jun.28.2008 :: Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Structures :: 2 Comments »

Grapevines at Sunset, Falkner Winery. Temecula, California. May 4, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Grapevines photographed against the sunset sky at the Falkner Winery near Temecula, California.

This photo is related to some of what I described in the previous post – my daughter’s recent wedding, which took place at this winery in Temecula. In early May we were there to make some arrangements, and in the evening I wandered off for a moment (as the father of the bride is prone to do… ;-) and photographed the new vines of the nearby vineyard late in the day.

keywords: grape, vines, leaves, grapevine, branch, stem, vineyard, winery, falkner, temecula, southern, california, usa, travel, vacation, nature, landscape, scenic, stock

G Dan Mitchell :: Jun.27.2008 :: Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California :: No Comments »