Ribbon Falls video

Here is North America's tallest single waterfall during the peak of the spring runoff a few years ago. I'd like to hike up to the base of the falls this spring and see what I can capture.

Watch me ski!

Here's an attempt at doing video with my old Fuji camera. It's a little difficult to watch until I get down to the easier part of the ski run. High speed internet recommended.

Birthday Trip, Part Deux

I have just a few more pictures to share from that great day. I am kind of disappointed that I didn't get more (and better) shots but, I had some technical difficulties with cold batteries. (That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!)

Here's another Merced River pic that is just so serene. It hadn't snowed in about 10 days but being in the shadow of massive cliffs has kept the snowpack looking pure and white. In fact, there was "hoar frost" everywhere that occurs when moisture in the air condenses on the existing snow and freezes into large flakey crystals that reflect light in interesting ways.

Here's a view from the courtyard of the Ahwannee Hotel. Despite the pricey luxury, a visitor can't help but feel so tiny in such a huge setting. The cliffs lead up to Glacier Point.

From the Wawona Tunnel View, I zoomed into Cloud's Rest and Half Dome, which dominate the eastern end of Yosemite Valley. On the left is a small taste of El Capitan, which I couldn't squeeze into the picture with my wide angle lens.

This zoom shot is the most balanced out of all the rainbow shots I took of Lower Yosemite Falls. This is somewhat of an abstract shot and it won't appeal to everyone. It seems that I have almost exhausted all of the best shots in this particular spot. Maybe I'll come back during the spring runoff to capture the amazing intensity.

Here's another capture inside the "Mural Room". I really like the shimmering effect of the copper fireplace. The mural has some pleasing colors and even the gray wall serves a purpose, reflecting the natural light coming through the big picture windows.

Birthday trip to Yosemite Valley!

I've planned this trip out weeks in advance, hoping for fine weather in the midst of this harsh winter, and it worked out great! However, it almost never happened. On the way to the Park, I ran into some very slick ice and nearly slid off the road, In fact, a car a few minutes in front of me did just that. Staying off the brake saved me from ending up where they did. They were OK and just shaken up a little bit.

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Again, I intended to explore some of my favorite spots to get another winter perspective on Yosemite Valley. I also found some ways to get different shots from those same areas, too. I climbed up to a small ledge about 12 feet up and took this Half Dome shot from near the bottom of Yosemite Falls. It's nice but, not a jaw-dropping picture.

I had intended to have an awesome birthday breakfast at the VERY ritzy Ahwannee Hotel but, I just wasn't hungry enough to eat $60 worth of food at the time. If I had never eaten there, I would have dined just to say I have been there and done that. Instead, I wandered around the inside of the historic hotel and tried to capture some of its wonderful features. The fireplaces had roaring fires, except for this one.

I generally don't go to places where the other tourists go but, the Wawona Tunnel view is a special place. I came up with an idea to get a unique perspective on this spot by walking into the tunnel and shooting outward. Interesting but not really a showpiece.

I always go back to my "secret spot" and see what the Merced River will give me. The cold was giving my camera battery fits and I couldn't fully explore this place again before my battery got too weak.

On the way into the Valley, I saw this wonderful scene in the Merced River Canyon. This particular spot gets very little sun during these short days and the snow was still hanging in the trees and on top of the rocks. I struggled to get some nice new shots and a few did come out very good.

More to come!!

A "Golden Era"

More than ever, this new year holds lots of questions and changes (on many, many levels, for all of us) but, I think I am on the verge of a Golden Era for my photography.

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I went through my past year's files to find some pics that had "flown under the radar". Some of these were passed over in favor of other nice pics.

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This one below is somewhat similar to other favorites of this scene but, it includes some other elements not found in the other more zoomed-in photos. This shot has a lot more to look at than the others. I printed it up, matched it with a grey and black mat, and put that into an 18x24" frame to make a very exciting piece.

Here's another undiscovered gem taken from Scout's Lookout in Zion. It was tough composing this shot while standing on this ledge with no railing. The wide angle lens enabled me to get all the grandeur in while still keeping some sense of scale of the hugeness that is Zion.

Here is even another pic that languished on my hard drive for many months. Once again, the wide angle lens captures this fantastic Bryce Canyon landscape very well. I'm still intending to take an extended exploration of this area sometime soon. This could be a big part of that Golden Era for me.

This rather abstract shot of the Kolob Canyon area of Zion does something for me. I always love those gnarled pines, growing in areas on their very edge of survivability. Something to be admired from these ponderosa pines, who out live us all.

Finally, I cropped this shot out of one of the pics I posted below. I have yet to print this one up but, I'll have to give it a try. So much neat stuff packed into one picture, here on the Merced River in Yosemite Valley.