24 of a million

July 21, 09
afternoon
Seacliff State Beach
sunny, warm, light breeze
with the kids & Sparky
shooting documentary project for Arthouse Co-op
"a million little pictures"

And a couple shots on the digital for me:

yosemite day two

7.8.09

stopped to stretch on the ride up to Glacier Point - deer just below us -

And tree next to us, had to take a few shots:

might try to collage these shots together:

And another pair...

another must-take shot of Half Dome

Sugar pine on Glacier Point, one of my favorite shots of the trip

Hard to catch jay:

tail

checking me out

where he just was


near Glacier Point
midday
sunny, warm

Likely red fir with Half Dome behind

We can see across to Vernal Fall, Emerald Pool & Nevada Fall above that - all far below us. Lots of sugar pine, Jeffrey pine up here, along with Red Fir - Half Dome dominates the view. Blue belling lizards and our scrounging squirrels scuttle along on the ground.

meadow in valley, checking out location for shooting later in evening light

a fortuitous shot of El Capitan

midafternoon
Tuolmne Grove of Giant Sequoias
clear, sunny
lots of kinds of trees here amongst
fewer tourists
more mosquitoes
quiet without voices - a stream not too far - chipmunks and squirrels both scramble here & there

Another pair to collage together later:

nearly 6 p.m.
Merced River
catching the evening light
breeze is picking up
leaves rustle, winds make a rushing sound around the rocks

Crowds are thinning as the light wanes. The river is peaceful and calm here, the light is just right but changing rapidly - we hop back on the bike to go up the road just a short way to an oak grove I had seen this time yesterday. I try to move quickly in the changing light, catching the magic on film to the best of my ability.

oak with Cathedral Rocks

Cathedral Rocks & oak

It's easy to understand how the Yosemite Valley captured even the hearts of the native Miwok Indians so long ago. Coming up the Merced River, the surrounding valley is mostly dry and desert-like in the summer. The foothills to the north are nearly pure desert, dry and only harboring low scrub brush. To then come upon this valley with giant rock walls and the lush and varied growth along the meandering river certainly seems like coming into some completely different, divinely blessed land.

Oak grove with Leaning Tower

El Capitan as the sun is falling

Leaning tree and Leaning Tower

I head back and we leave about a quarter to seven - a scant hour of truly good lighting before the whole valley is in shade for the evening.