2011 Favorites

It is always very difficult to select a set of my annual “favorite” photographs. I inevitably find that I have left out photographs that others like a great deal, and I know that I include some that I like but which may not appeal as much to others. And I always want to include more! :-)

With that in mind, here is a group of slightly more than twenty favorite photographs that I made in 2011. Criteria for inclusion, loosely and subjectively applied, included: a desire to include a wide range of my work, what others told me they liked, photographs that have positive personal associations for me, and element of randomness.

There is a story behind every photograph that I make. (As anyone who has talked to me about one of my photographs probably knows – I can go on… and on… and on… about any of them!) If you want to know more about any of the photographs, you can click on them to go to the original posts here at the blog. And I’d love to hear your reactions to the set, along with any questions you have – there is a place for comments at the bottom of the page.

I hope you enjoy my 2011 Favorites!

Dan

(There is also a gallery version of 2011 Favorites – which may be better for low bandwidth connections.)

Yellow Buildings, Shadows, Moving Clouds - Night photograph of two large yellow buildings, shadows, and streaks for clouds moving across the sky above the Mare Island Naval Ship Yard, California.
Yellow Buildings, Shadows, Moving Clouds - Night photograph of two large yellow buildings, shadows, and streaks for clouds moving across the sky above the Mare Island Naval Ship Yard, California.

Central Valley Sky, Winter - Thin winter clouds drift about farmland, Central Valley, California.
Central Valley Sky, Winter - Thin winter clouds drift about farmland, Central Valley, California.

 

Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, Morning Haze - Black and white photograph of Golden Gate Bridge north tower, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, and the East Bay Hills in morning haze.
Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, Morning Haze - Black and white photograph of Golden Gate Bridge north tower, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, and the East Bay Hills in morning haze.

 

Zabriskie Point Gully, Morning Light - Morning sun back-lights the dense pattern of folds in a small gully at Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park, California.
Zabriskie Point Gully, Morning Light - Morning sun back-lights the dense pattern of folds in a small gully at Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park, California.

 

Mesquite Dunes and Cottonwood Mountains - Soft and hazy late-afternoon light on Mesquite Dunes and lower Cottonwood Mountains, Death Valley National Park.
Mesquite Dunes and Cottonwood Mountains - Soft and hazy late-afternoon light on Mesquite Dunes and lower Cottonwood Mountains, Death Valley National Park.

 

Dogwood Bloom and Leaves - An early dogwood blossom and leaves in Yosemite Valley, California.
Dogwood Bloom and Leaves - An early dogwood blossom and leaves in Yosemite Valley, California.

 

Sandhill Cranes in Flight, Evening - Five sandhill cranes take flight above the Merced National Wildlife Area in evening light.
Sandhill Cranes in Flight, Evening - Five sandhill cranes take flight above the Merced National Wildlife Area in evening light.

 

Four Tule Elk, Point Reyes - Four tule elk in the meadows at Point Reyes National Seashore.
Four Tule Elk, Point Reyes - Four tule elk in the meadows at Point Reyes National Seashore.

 

Boulders, Cascade Creek - Granite boulders deflect the turbulent flow of Cascade Creek as it descends to the Merced River, Yosemite National Park.
Boulders, Cascade Creek - Granite boulders deflect the turbulent flow of Cascade Creek as it descends to the Merced River, Yosemite National Park.

 

Trees in Silhouette, Olmsted Point, Sunset - Trees at Olmsted Point are silhouetted agains a brillianlty colorful spring sunset sky, Yosemite National Park.
Trees in Silhouette, Olmsted Point, Sunset - Trees at Olmsted Point are silhouetted agains a brillianlty colorful spring sunset sky, Yosemite National Park.

 

Trees and Granite, Morning - Morning light shines on the trees clinging to massive granite domes in the high country of Yosemite National Park.
Trees and Granite, Morning - Morning light shines on the trees clinging to massive granite domes in the high country of Yosemite National Park.

 

Lamp Post, Brooklyn Bridge - A Brooklyn Bridge lamp post stands against a backdrop of several iconic lower Manhattan structures, New York City
Lamp Post, Brooklyn Bridge - A Brooklyn Bridge lamp post stands against a backdrop of several iconic lower Manhattan structures, New York City

 

Reflections, Metal Wall, WTC Site - A metal wall near the World Trade Center site reflects the colors of surrounding buildings and passers-by.
Reflections, Metal Wall, WTC Site - A metal wall near the World Trade Center site reflects the colors of surrounding buildings and passers-by.

 

Small Trees and Plants, Granite Slabs - Small trees and plants grow in a thin crack among stained granite slabs, Yosemite National Park.
Small Trees and Plants, Granite Slabs - Small trees and plants grow in a thin crack among stained granite slabs, Yosemite National Park.

 

Broken Branches - The broken branches of a fallen tree on the ground in the back-country of Yosemite National Park.
Broken Branches - The broken branches of a fallen tree on the ground in the back-country of Yosemite National Park.

 

Sunset, Lower McCabe Lake, Shepherds Crest, and Virginia Canyon - Afternoon storm clouds clear from the sunset sky above Lower McCabe Lake, Shepherds Crest, and Virginia Canyon, Yosemite National Park.
Sunset, Lower McCabe Lake, Shepherds Crest, and Virginia Canyon - Afternoon storm clouds clear from the sunset sky above Lower McCabe Lake, Shepherds Crest, and Virginia Canyon, Yosemite National Park.

 

Dissipating Storm Clouds, Sunset - Sunset light on dissipating thunderstom clouds above granite slabs, Yosemite National Park
Dissipating Storm Clouds, Sunset - Sunset light on dissipating thunderstom clouds above granite slabs, Yosemite National Park

 

Fallen Aspen Branch, Snow - A small aspen tree branch blown down by an early fall storm rests on snow, North Lake, California.
Fallen Aspen Branch, Snow - A small aspen tree branch blown down by an early fall storm rests on snow, North Lake, California.

 

Aspen Thicket, Bishop Creek - Bright yellow autumn leaves festoon a dense aspen thicket along Bishop Creek near South Lake, California.
Aspen Thicket, Bishop Creek - Bright yellow autumn leaves festoon a dense aspen thicket along Bishop Creek near South Lake, California.

 

Sierra Wave Clouds Above Owens Valley, Dawn
Sierra Wave Clouds Above Owens Valley, Dawn - Sierra wave clouds building at dawn are reflected in the waters of an Owens Valley lake.

 

Rocky Creek Bridge, Sunset - Sunset light illuminates the Rocky Creek Bridge, winter surf, a natural arch, and a rugged section of the Big Sur coastline.
Rocky Creek Bridge, Sunset - Sunset light illuminates the Rocky Creek Bridge, winter surf, a natural arch, and a rugged section of the Big Sur coastline.

 

Golden Gate Bridge and Lunar Eclipse - The moon, in full lunar eclipse, passes behind the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Golden Gate Bridge and Lunar Eclipse - The moon, in full lunar eclipse, passes behind the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge.

 

Sunset Avalanche, Half Dome - An avalanche breaks loose from the edge of Half Dome as sunset light falls over Yosemite Valley.
Sunset Avalanche, Half Dome - An avalanche breaks loose from the edge of Half Dome as sunset light falls over Yosemite Valley.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
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Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

30 thoughts on “2011 Favorites”

  1. Hi Anton: Yes, they were made throughout the year. And, yes, they should share some similar “styling and mood” that reflects my personal style of shooting. I consider that a good thing!

    Dan

  2. I assume that all these photos were made different time different places during the year, but their styling, the mood if you want, is surprisingly the same.
    Good luck this year.

  3. I so enjoy following your photography….hard to pick a favorite. Though the Gully is one I come back to often. Thanks for all the enjoyment !

  4. I’m just back from five days photographing in Death Valley… and I want to thank everyone who has viewed my 2012 Favorites and especially those who left such wonderful comments.

    Dan

  5. Such an awesome collection of images, Dan! I love the symmetry in the Golden Gate & Bay Bridges image, and the scale of the Trees and Granite, Morning is awesome. Always love your work!

    1. Thanks, Jim – I appreciate that! (Anyone else reading this will want to keep an eye on Jim’s Blog where, among other things, he will soon post a giant collection of “Best of 2011” posts from many, many photographers.

      Jim, I plan to get an early start on 2012 by joining a photo walk in the Marin Headlands on New Years Day, and shortly after that heading off to do some serious shooting in DEVA.

      Take care,

      Dan

  6. I really enjoyed looking through these. Hard to pick my favorites, I really like all of them. Aspen Thicket, Fallen Aspen Branch, Zabriski Point and Mesquite Dunes are standouts for me. Very inspiring.

    1. David, thanks for taking a look at them, and I appreciate your comments. I’m especially glad to hear that you like the “Aspen Thicket” photograph – since that one works best as a pretty good size print, and not everyone can see its potential in a small jpg!

      Happy New Year!

      Dan

      1. I have a couple Elliot Porter prints of similar scenes hanging above my sofa in the living room so Aspen Thicket caught my eye pretty much immediately.

  7. Some real gems in here, Dan! My fav is Zabriskie Point Gully. That looks like the kind of shot where one could spend weeks trying to find just the right angle.

    1. My French is, to put it mildly, “weak” – but Google translation tells me that you wrote: “Hello Flickr friends,
      Very nice pictures taken in 2011 and all my best wishes, with lots of good photos for 2012”

      Thank you! And best wishes for a great 2012 to you, as well!

      Dan

  8. Too many gorgeous images to single out just one as a favorite but “Fallen Aspen Branch” and “Rocky Creek Bridge” are certainly at the very top of my list. Thanks for the inspiration, Dan!

  9. Thanks, everyone! You’ve called out a bunch of photos that are really among my very favorites, too. It is always interesting to me to see which photographs people respond to and why – especially since I cover quite a range of subjects.

    My wife was telling me that there is at least one that I left out that she thought I should have included. I’m thinking of a sort of “second opinion” page where I might post a few of those, too.

    Dan

  10. A really good selection Dan. I keep going back to the Sierra Wave Clouds so I’ll put that one at the top of my list.

    Thanks for your daily posts. I know it’s not as easy as you make it look.

  11. My favorite is the dogwood. Outstanding! I chased them for a month and never got close to the beauty of your shot.

  12. What a great collection Dan! Standouts for me are “Small Trees and Plants,” “Fallen Aspen Branch,” “Broken Branches,” “Mesquite Dunes and Cottonwood Mountains”. And of those, the Small Trees and Plants I just return to over and over. The granite backdrop with mineral deposits almost appears very industrial like, a unique contrast to the natural greens. It is another example of how nature finds a way to grow in the most unique places.

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