“Photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” Elliott Erwitt
“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.”
A few pictures from the "Your Best Shots" assignment. Click on
any one of the pictures to see them in full size.
Click on the pictures to see the full size images !
Click on the pictures to see the full size images !
I t's been a crazy winter so far. The Omicron variant has thrown
us a curve ball just as things were starting to get back to normal...or
at least close to the 'new normal'. I'm starting to hate that term but
unfortunately, it's become a reality. I know it’s winter, but take this
time to get out and enjoy the sunshine...and snow if you can. Go someplace
that is quiet, where the mind can relax and you can breathe the fresh
air. And take some pictures. It will do the soul good to get away from
the craziness, enjoy nature, and take a few pictures. I find winter
to be the perfect time to visit new places due to less crowds. Even
in winter, you can find things to photograph, you just may need to look
a little harder. Until next time, everybody please be safe! Happy Shooting!
Here are a few upcoming winter photo opportunities
for February :
1. Ice Palace at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival
will be held Friday, February 4 - Sunday February 13th
https://www.saranaclakewintercarnival.com/
2. Lake George Winter Carnival
will be held weekends in Feb - 5 & 6, 12 & 13, 19 & 20 and
26 & 27
https://www.visitlakegeorge.com/events/ice-castles
3. Teatown Hudson River EagleFest 2022
Friday, February 4 - Sunday February 6
https://www.teatown.org/events/eaglefest/
W hen Abraham Lincoln signed legislation in 1864 establishing
a public trust to preserve parts of Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove,
it was the first time the U.S. government had ever set aside land for
the benefit of the public, although it was not the country’s first national
park. The land was originally managed by the state of CA and did not
become a national park until 1890, 18 years after Yellowstone was established.
There’s so much to see in Yosemite - El Capitan and Half Dome rising from the valley floor, the Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls and the enormous trees of Mariposa Grove. I was lucky enough to visit Yosemite twice in 2021. My work took me to CA twice last year (August & December) and each time, I added an extra day to the trip so that my sister and I could visit Yosemite for the day. We only had one day to explore each time, but with a plan, you can see most of the significant sights in one day and can even fit in a few hikes. Visiting in the winter requires some planning because many site and services are closed. We stayed in a hotel in El Portal which is just 2 minutes outside the highway 41 entrance. We entered the park just as the sun was rising so that we could avoid the traffic. The first major sight we came to besides the entrance itself was ‘tunnel view’. In August, we experienced a lot of the smoke from the surrounding area forest fires but in December, we had a clear view.
The sun was just rising and we could see
a slight sliver of orange at the top of El Capitan. Sadly, since we
only had 7 hours in the park, we were not able to wait to see the spectacular
orange glow that we saw in so many photos before we went. On our December
trip, our next stop was Mariposa Grove. I had always wanted to see the
sequoia trees that I had only seen in pictures. Two of its trees are
among the 30 largest giant sequoias in the world. Sometimes we take
for granted that the sights will always be there and we will get there
some day, but in the case of the giant sequoia trees in Mariposa Grove,
sadly, time may be running out. We hiked the 1.8 mile trail through
the snow to get to the Mariposa Grove welcome center – which was closed
as was the main road in due to the previous week’s snow. What we didn’t
know was that the trails within the grove were also closed because of
a previous storm that damaged many of the boardwalks. So after walking
more than an hour in the deep snow, we were not able to walk through
the grove to the famed Grizzly Giant or the Tunnel Tree. But we did
sneak around the barriers to capture a few shots of the enormous trees.
Mariposa Grove was closed earlier in the season due to the risk of the
Creek Fire. Currently, all fires in Yosemite are 100% contained. As
of October 2nd, Yosemite has had 50 fires started by lightning and 12
human-caused fires for the 2021 calendar year. Some of the trees in
Mariposa Grove are 2,000-3,000 years old. Fires have threatened the
trees for centuries and many of the trees have basal fire scars that
bear witness to the fires.
Next up was Yosemite Valley. Yosemite Valley is a 7.5 mile section of Yosemite formed by glaciers which offers towering views of El Capitan and Half Dome and when conditions are right, you can see them both reflected in the Merced River. I was surprised to discover that Yosemite Valley has a dentist’s office, jail, courtroom, auto garage, and church, as well as the more expected mix of lodgings, campgrounds, restaurants, and other guest services. The Yosemite Valley Church is the oldest structure in Yosemite at 130 years old. Across the road from the church is a fantastic view of Upper and Lower Falls. In August the falls were just a trickle, hardly worth photographing but in December, after several bouts of rain, the falls were spectacular. Upper Yosemite Falls is the seventh highest waterfall in the world, or part of the third highest if the lower fall is included!
On our drive out of Yosemite Valley, we captured a few more views of Half Dome, the Merced River and the beautiful forest of pines.
Although sites and services are limited in winter, I much preferred that visit over the summertime visit for a couple of reasons. First, the crowds were much less. We were able to find parking at all the major sites and it was easy to get beautiful photographs without people in the photo. I was very happy to not have to clone anyone out. Second, the water levels were much higher in winter than in the spring so we were able to get many more reflections in the Merced River. And lastly, with less people and more snow, the silence and beauty were magical. I will definitely return, hopefully in the spring next time.
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