Yosemite in the Fall

Click on a photo to view a larger image. The photography workshop in Yosemite started on Thursday. A friend I had met at a previous workshop (Mary) and I arrived on Wednesday to have some extra time in the valley. This buck was intent on eating the abundant grass in Cook's Meadow and ignored the many people taking his photograph. I composed this shot and then waited a long time for him to lift his head.

In the 5 days that I was in Yosemite, I took 1,035 photographs, which is a lot for me. I try not to shoot indiscriminately, because more photos mean more time at the computer sorting through them. One of the many things I learned from Gary Hart (http://garyhart.aminus3.com/) who led the workshop, is to shoot purposefully. He stressed the importance of bracketing, not the exposure, but the composition; trying different angles, zooming in to isolate, or zooming out to include context. A vertical view is among the shots posted on my Flickr photostream.
Mary and I were up early on Thursday morning hoping to catch the first light on El Capitan. We missed the turn to El Cap Bridge and had to circle the valley, but we made it back in time to talk to a few climbers, and catch the early light reflecting off a very thin cloud cover.

Of all the many locations we photographed, my favorite was Valley View. I took this photo in the early morning and left the bright sky out of the frame to emphasize the fall colors. This is my second favorite photo from the trip.

If you have followed my blog for any time, you know that I am a self-proclaimed lunatic. After a 40 mile drive to Olmsted Point, Gary led us over a rock strewn, boulder laden path to capture this view of the crescent moon hanging above Half Dome. This illustrates one of the many advantages of joining a workshop. Gary took us to the overlook on the night that the moon lined up with Half Dome at sunset. I never would have found this spot on my own. Photographers usually prefer a sky filled with clouds that add interest, color, and texture, but on this night, the clear sky allowed the moon and 3 bands of color to radiate.

During the workshop I realized that I am drawn more to intimate subjects than grand vistas. I enjoyed finding and photographing the details, like this leaf circling in a pool at Bridalveil Creek. After taking several mediocre shots, I anticipated its path and clicked when it floated over the dark rocks. This is one you should not look at too closely because the leaf is blurred. I should have bumped up the ISO to get a faster shutter speed, but I didn't think to do that at the time.

Fern Spring is a small gem of a spot right next to the road: lots of fallen leaves, a reflective pool, and a small waterfall.
The path along the Merced river across from Fern Spring (near Pohono Bridge) provided dozens of opportunities to photograph the fall color. I am pleased with this photo of isolated leaves against the dark background of the tree.

Cathedral Beach provides majestic reflections of El Capitan, especially in the morning when the river is still. I skipped the Rorschach-like photos and walked along the bank searching for interesting patterns. The golden glow along the pebbly edge caught my eye; the leaf was a bonus. I included just a portion of the reflection of El Capitan. None of the photos I took here during the workshop turned out, so I returned Monday morning to the same spot, tried again and got this one.

I had been wondering about the brown ferns that cover much of the wooded areas in the valley. I thought they must be damaged or diseased because they were not green. Fortunately, I was wrong. These healthy, brown ferns grew along the path from Cathedral Beach that led back to the road.

From a distance, Milkweed looks like cotton. Up close, you see silky strands spilling out of an almond shaped pod. I had to photograph one before I left the park. On my last pass through the valley I found a few that were back-lit in the frost-covered meadow near Sentinel Bridge. I attached the macro lens and got the shot I wanted.

You can see more of my Yosemite photos on
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/suebrazelton/

This group photo was taken at Olmsted Point (where we shot the crescent moon)
by Doug Otto (http://binaryemulsion.photoshelter.com/)
who assisted Gary in the workshop.