#monobasin — Public Fediverse posts

“First Light — Tufa, Clouds, Mountains” — The first dawn light on Mono Lake tufa towers, with desert mountains and morning clouds in the distance.

The landscape of Mono Lake and Mono Basin seems reduced to essentials: rocks, mountains, water, sky, light. And all of this is in a place of uncommon quiet and immense space — it is difficult to truly comprehend the scale of the basin. These qualities seem especially strong if you come down from the peaks and intimate landscapes of the nearby Sierra Nevada…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2025/08/28/first-light-tufa-clouds-mountains/

#monolake #monobasin #mountains #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #morning #photography

“First Light — Tufa, Clouds, Mountains” — The first dawn light on Mono Lake tufa towers, with desert mountains and morning clouds in the distance.

The landscape of Mono Lake and Mono Basin seems reduced to essentials: rocks, mountains, water, sky, light. And all of this is in a place of uncommon quiet and immense space — it is difficult to truly comprehend the scale of the basin. These qualities seem especially strong if you come down from the peaks and intimate landscapes of the nearby Sierra Nevada…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2025/08/28/first-light-tufa-clouds-mountains/

#monolake #monobasin #mountains #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #morning #photography

“Tufa, Island, Distant Mountains” — Shoreline tufa formations, an island, and distant mountains, Mono Lake.

This view looks roughly north across the expanse of Mono Lake and Mono Basin. The foreground formations are tufa towers, exposed as the lake’s level dropped decades ago when Los Angeles began taking the water from feeder streams. The main body of the lake lies beyond the tufa. What appears to be the far shoreline is actually Paoha Island, a volcanic feature. In the far distance are desert mountains of the basin and range country.

I knew some history about the fights over Mono Lake’s water…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2025/08/04/tufa-island-distant-mountains/

#monolake #monobasin #nature #landscape #desert #morning #photography

“Tufa, Island, Distant Mountains” — Shoreline tufa formations, an island, and distant mountains, Mono Lake.

This view looks roughly north across the expanse of Mono Lake and Mono Basin. The foreground formations are tufa towers, exposed as the lake’s level dropped decades ago when Los Angeles began taking the water from feeder streams. The main body of the lake lies beyond the tufa. What appears to be the far shoreline is actually Paoha Island, a volcanic feature. In the far distance are desert mountains of the basin and range country.

I knew some history about the fights over Mono Lake’s water…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2025/08/04/tufa-island-distant-mountains/

#monolake #monobasin #nature #landscape #desert #morning #photography

“Dawn Sky, Mono Basin” — Tufa towers in Mono Lake waters reflecting the dawn sky.

It is difficult to resist a visit to immense Mono Lake when I visit the Eastern Sierra, even when it isn’t the main goal of my trip. OK, it is actually just about impossible to resist making at least a quick stop. In early July I spent a few days around the Sierra crest along the eastern boundary of Yosemite National Park, and one morning I decided to head down to Mono Lake before dawn and spend a few hours photographing in the early light…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2025/07/23/dawn-sky-mono-basin/

#monolake #monobasin #sunrise #sky #nature #landscape #photography

“Dawn Sky, Mono Basin” — Tufa towers in Mono Lake waters reflecting the dawn sky.

It is difficult to resist a visit to immense Mono Lake when I visit the Eastern Sierra, even when it isn’t the main goal of my trip. OK, it is actually just about impossible to resist making at least a quick stop. In early July I spent a few days around the Sierra crest along the eastern boundary of Yosemite National Park, and one morning I decided to head down to Mono Lake before dawn and spend a few hours photographing in the early light…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2025/07/23/dawn-sky-mono-basin/

#monolake #monobasin #sunrise #sky #nature #landscape #photography

“Mono Lake, Morning” — Pahoa and Negit islands silhouetted against early morning lake reflections with desert mountains.

I have shared a few other Mono Lake photos made at this elevated location some distance from the lake. This camera position gives a different and broader sense of the lake and its surroundings. It is a huge body of water — there’s far more water on the far side of the islands than between them and the near shore. The desert mountains are many miles beyond the far edge of the lake. All in all, Mono Basin is a place of immense space and great distances…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2024/12/31/mono-lake-morning/

#monolake #monobasin #mountains #easternsierra #nature #landscape #photography

“Mono Lake, Morning” — Pahoa and Negit islands silhouetted against early morning lake reflections with desert mountains.

I have shared a few other Mono Lake photos made at this elevated location some distance from the lake. This camera position gives a different and broader sense of the lake and its surroundings. It is a huge body of water — there’s far more water on the far side of the islands than between them and the near shore. The desert mountains are many miles beyond the far edge of the lake. All in all, Mono Basin is a place of immense space and great distances…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2024/12/31/mono-lake-morning/

#monolake #monobasin #mountains #easternsierra #nature #landscape #photography

“Burned Pines, Mono Basin” — Burned trees near the end of a giant pine forest, Mono Basin.
This desolate scene is along the fringes of Mono Basin, the large valley holding Mono Lake. It is just east of the Sierra Nevada, but it is a very “un-Sierra-like” place, being dry sagebrush country for the most part. The photograph looks past a sparse forest of dead snags and in the direction of Mono Lake itself…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2024/12/27/burned-ponderosa-pines-mono-basin/

#monolake #monobasin #trees #wildfire #nature #landscape #monochrome #blackandwhite #photography

“Burned Pines, Mono Basin” — Burned trees near the end of a giant pine forest, Mono Basin.
This desolate scene is along the fringes of Mono Basin, the large valley holding Mono Lake. It is just east of the Sierra Nevada, but it is a very “un-Sierra-like” place, being dry sagebrush country for the most part. The photograph looks past a sparse forest of dead snags and in the direction of Mono Lake itself…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2024/12/27/burned-ponderosa-pines-mono-basin/

#monolake #monobasin #trees #wildfire #nature #landscape #monochrome #blackandwhite #photography

“Ponderosa Pines, Mono Lake” — A few ponderosa pines near the shore of Mono Lake.

I reached this spot on a lonely gravel road that branched off from the main route heading southeast from Mono Lake toward some slightly higher sections of the basin. This group of ponderosa pines includes the last trees that manage to grow here, and beyond this point it was all dry sagebrush country. In the distance you can make out Mono Lake and distant mountains beyond its far shore…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2024/12/15/ponderosa-pines-mono-lake/

#monolake #monobasin #desert #trees #nature #landscape #photography

“Ponderosa Pines, Mono Lake” — A few ponderosa pines near the shore of Mono Lake.

I reached this spot on a lonely gravel road that branched off from the main route heading southeast from Mono Lake toward some slightly higher sections of the basin. This group of ponderosa pines includes the last trees that manage to grow here, and beyond this point it was all dry sagebrush country. In the distance you can make out Mono Lake and distant mountains beyond its far shore…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2024/12/15/ponderosa-pines-mono-lake/

#monolake #monobasin #desert #trees #nature #landscape #photography

“Negit Island, Mono Lake” — Tufa formations along the shoreline of Mono Lake with Negit Island in the distance.

In a recent Mono Lake post I mused about finding and photographing less familiar views of this magnificent place. But I also mentioned that sometimes I do stop and photograph the well-known locations when the opportunity arises. With that in mind, I acknowledge that this photograph was made at one of the familiar places along the western shore of the lake. Heck, there’s even a place there to pull in, pay a fee, have a picnic, and take a hike!…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2024/12/03/negit-island-mono-lake/

#monolake #monobasin #nature #landscape #photography

“Negit Island, Mono Lake” — Tufa formations along the shoreline of Mono Lake with Negit Island in the distance.

In a recent Mono Lake post I mused about finding and photographing less familiar views of this magnificent place. But I also mentioned that sometimes I do stop and photograph the well-known locations when the opportunity arises. With that in mind, I acknowledge that this photograph was made at one of the familiar places along the western shore of the lake. Heck, there’s even a place there to pull in, pay a fee, have a picnic, and take a hike!…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2024/12/03/negit-island-mono-lake/

#monolake #monobasin #nature #landscape #photography

“Mono Craters, Evening Cloudscape” — Dissipating afternoon storm clouds above Mono Craters.

I made this photograph at the end of a beautiful afternoon of aspen photography that was enhanced by the passage of impressive thunder storms. I had completed the day’s aspen photography and dropped back down into the high desert along US 395 in the Mono Lake area when the clouds began to thin and break up and glow in evening light. Here some lenticular clouds were forming over the Mono Craters…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2024/11/20/mono-craters-evening-cloudscape/

#monobasin #monocraters #clouds #sky #nature #landscape #blackandwhite #monochrome

“Mono Craters, Evening Cloudscape” — Dissipating afternoon storm clouds above Mono Craters.

I made this photograph at the end of a beautiful afternoon of aspen photography that was enhanced by the passage of impressive thunder storms. I had completed the day’s aspen photography and dropped back down into the high desert along US 395 in the Mono Lake area when the clouds began to thin and break up and glow in evening light. Here some lenticular clouds were forming over the Mono Craters…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2024/11/20/mono-craters-evening-cloudscape/

#monobasin #monocraters #clouds #sky #nature #landscape #blackandwhite #monochrome

“Ponderosa Pines, Mono Basin” — A group of ponderosa pines on slopes leading toward Mono Lake in distant haze.

Mono Lake is a remarkable place. Lying in a relatively high, desert basin, it covers a huge area. It is so big that it is just about impossible to get a solid impression of its vast size. While you can drive past its west side and access a few spots along the north and south shores, much of it is essentially inaccessible, at least without a lot of very difficult travel. Because its level has fluctuated over time, much of the surrounding area has been submerged in the past, and the evidence of this is everywhere…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2024/06/27/ponderosa-pines-mono-basin/

#monolake #monobasin #ponderosapine #trees #forest #nature #landscape #photography

“Ponderosa Pines, Mono Basin” — A group of ponderosa pines on slopes leading toward Mono Lake in distant haze.

Mono Lake is a remarkable place. Lying in a relatively high, desert basin, it covers a huge area. It is so big that it is just about impossible to get a solid impression of its vast size. While you can drive past its west side and access a few spots along the north and south shores, much of it is essentially inaccessible, at least without a lot of very difficult travel. Because its level has fluctuated over time, much of the surrounding area has been submerged in the past, and the evidence of this is everywhere…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2024/06/27/ponderosa-pines-mono-basin/

#monolake #monobasin #ponderosapine #trees #forest #nature #landscape #photography