PHOTO TALK

We end our series of images from Yosemite Valley with what just might be my favorite shot of all time.  Whenever I see the image the memories of that day come flooding back, and I can remember just about every detail of the day.

The shot was taken from the northern rim of Glacier Point in July of 1971, during a trip a classmate of mine and I took after our high school graduation.  It was taken on Tri-X Pan 400, pulled to 200, it was during my Ansel Adams period.  The lens and exposure data were unrecorded.  I specifically remember the strong, cold wind blowing directly into my face, while trying to keep my footing on the loose rock beneath my feet.  My buddy laughing hysterically, all the while offering words of encouragement.

As I look back I realise this shot is truly one of a kind, not only will the moment in time it caputres never be duplicated, but as it turns out, a series of slides from the early 90′s to the present, have left that particular viewing area hovering in mid air, 3200 feet above the valley floor.

Today’s image was taken in 1975.  We were hiking along the Merced River trail and a fire was burning in the area.  As we walked along the trail, we moved through the smoke and burn areas.  At times, small fires burned right across the trail.  This shot of the trail was taken just before a series of switchbacks known as The devil’s staircase.  The fire had burned this area just hours before we passed through and the normally lush, green landscape had been reduced to bare trees and grey ash.

There is simply nothing sweeter than a beautiful, crisp, clear day in the Valley during the winter.

It was during a trip to the Valley in February that I grabbed the shots you see here.  I was up and out of the cabin by 4:00am, equipment in hand.  The plan was to walk over to Yosemite Falls and grab some shots in the morning light.  When I got to the Falls, 15 minutes later, it was pitch black.  I must have been a little to excited.  Should have enjoyed that second cup of coffee a little longer before starting my walk.

I decided to walk a little farther down the road and wait for the sun.  When I got to the trail head for Mirror Lake it was still dark.  Third cup of coffee?  I decided to continue on out to Mirror Lake.  I had been on the trail many times before, but never in the winter. When I got to the lake dawn was just beginning to break, and an amazing opportunity presented itself.  The moon was rising just before the sun.  I grabbed a couple of shots, ok, several shots, and then after a short rest, headed back to the Falls.  Along the way I was rewarded with some beautiful images of the Merced River including the shot posted yesterday of the River Rocks.  as I walked along the trail I grabbed a few more shots and eventually arrived at the Falls to finish off an excellent morning of photo ops.

Half Dome has to be the most photographed feature in Yosemite.  Everyone who has ever visited the Valley with a camera has a picture of it.  Over the years I have photographed the monolith more than a few times.  The rock never ceases to amaze me.  Stand below it, and you realize just how small you are.  Stand on top of it, and you realize just how large it is.  Today’s image is one of my favorites of the behemoth.  I was walking from my room at the lodge, over to the Merced River early one morning, hoping to grab some images of the locals doing their thing at the watering hole.  As I was taking what I thought to be a short cut to the river, I found myself halted by some pretty thick brush and looking at the scene you see here.  Never one to let an opportunity go to waste, I grabbed this shot of the big guy before backtracking to the nearest point of escape and continuing my journey to the river.

At 7,917 feet, the Merced River’s headwaters lie at the foot of the Clark Range near Merced Lake.  The river flows down from Merced Lake via a granite canyon around Bunnell Point, and then continues it’s journey through Little Yosemite Valley before spilling over Nevada Falls, and Vernal Falls, where it then meanders along the floor of Yosemite Valley.

Talk about photo ops, there everywhere!  Today’s images are of Merced Lake, Bunnell Point and just some of the many river rocks that make up the ambiance of the Merced River.

I took my girls up to Yosemite Valley in February, 2007.  I wanted them to see the Valley without the hordes of people that visit during the summer months.  We stayed at the lodge in Yosemite and spent three days hiking, driving and lounging around the Valley.

I woke up on our second day and went out on the patio to enjoy my morning coffee.  As I looked to the south I noticed the moon setting over the mountain and grabbed my camera for this shot.  My daughters and I sat in amazement as the moon filled the early morning sky with light.  It was a moment I will not soon forget, and if I ever begin to, I simply look at this image hanging on the wall of my office.

As we continue our visit through the archives of Yosemite, today’s image is of Lower Yosemite Falls.  The shot was taken during a trip with my girls in February of 2007.  Snow lightly covered the Valley floor and the Falls still had ice around the edges.  It is one of my favorite shots for several reasons.  First, I love the Valley in black & white.  Second, I love the Valley in winter, and mostly, I love the shot because it reminds me of the first time my girls got to experience the Valley.

When hiking through Yosemite there are a couple of ways to get from Merced Lake to Vogelsang.  A person can choose to take the Lewis Creek trail or the Fletcher Creek trail.  Both trails cover an elevation gain of 2950 ft.  The Lewis Creek trail climbs over Vogelsang Pass adding 650 ft. of elevation and an additional .7 miles to the trip.  The two trails merge here at Fletcher Creek.  It’s a beautiful sight after the day’s uphill trek.

A couple of days ago we posted an image from our film archives titled Upper Yosemite River.  The shot was taken during my first backpacking trip through Yosemite Valley back in 1971.

Looking through the archives I discovered I had hundreds of images from the Valley, taken over the span of 41 years.  My love affair with Yosemite Valley has never ended and I continue to visit whenever I get the chance.  I have gone through several photographic periods during the years, starting with my “Ansel Adams” period and continuing through my “Galen Rowell” period.  All right, before the emails come pouring in telling me I am nowhere near the same league as Mr. Adams or Mr. Rowell,  let me just say, I already know that.  In fact, in this photographer’s opinion,  no one comes close to either of these two photographers, and never will.  They are iconic figures in the world of photography, and an inspiration to photographers world wide.  Inspiration, being the key word here.  Every time I visit the Valley, I wonder what it must have been like to be in the shoes of Mr. Adams, lugging his old wooden view camera around the Valley and capturing beautiful images of Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, the Merced River, and others.  Or Mr. Rowell, sporting his Nikon while climbing the cliffs of Yosemite and capturing dynamic images  of the Valley.  These days, I’m not lugging my view camera or climbing any cliffs, but I am still shooting the Valley.

Over the next few days we’ll be showcasing some of our work from my years in the Valley.  It may not be up to the standards of Mr. Adams or Mr. Rowell, but I would like to think they would be proud of the fact that so many appreciate their work and try to emulate it.  After all, isn’t imitation the sincerest form of flattery.