Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 180 (Half Dome Plays Where’s Waldo)

Jeff

Half Dome hides among other features

Half Dome is Lost among the myriad of structures seen from Olmsted Point

In the picture above it is difficult to pick out Half Dome from among all of the other features sticking up against the skyline at Olmsted Point. It is nature’s version of “Where’s Waldo.”

A casual onlooker who had no prior knowledge and no guides, but just pulled off of the road because of the scenic overlook, they would probably be hard pressed to tell what it was they were seeing. Half Dome is just another distant mountain.

Our iconization of certain natural wonders is all about context. We need to see the overwhelming beauty of a feature set in an appropriate environment. I suppose that is why we have picture frames for even the most beautiful paintings.

Half Dome hides among other features

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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STATUS QUOtes — 20170107

Jeff

Today’s STATUS QUOtes

“You cannot fatten the pig on market day.” — African Proverb

“Life is like an onion: you peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep.” — Carl Sandburg

“Once you have met someone, you never really forget them.” — Hayao Miyazaki

“Autobiography is an unrivaled vehicle for telling the truth about other people.” — Philip Guedalla

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 179 (Half Dome with Accessories)

Jeff

Half Dome with some Accessories

Closer to the “customary” views of Half Dome

Yesterday I proffered the idea that we often relate to our paragons, whether they are people, historic places, natural wonders, etc. in very specific contexts and when observed in different settings they often do not evoke the same emotions.

Yesterday’s picture of Half Dome trying to poke out above other mountains around Mirror Lake did not render it the majestic mountain we have come to admire. Click HERE to see that post.

The picture of Half Dome above, adds a bit more punch and it comes closer to that majestic look we have come to associate with it. The meadow, trees and other mountains appear to accessorize Half Dome itself and help to increase the splendor of the mountain and overall scene.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 179 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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STATUS QUOtes — 20170106

Jeff

Today’s STATUS QUOtes

“Information is the currency of democracy.” — Thomas Jefferson

“There is something about a closet that makes a skeleton terribly restless.” — Wilson Mizner

“The same people who can deny others everything are famous for refusing themselves nothing.” — Leigh Hunt

“You know you are getting older when ‘Happy Hour’ is a nap.” — Gray Kristofferson

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE

Video – Now that is Entertainment

Jeff

When I consider my life experience, I have to appreciate that I was born at a most advantageous time. I am not going to wax philosophical here about economic outlooks, moral changes or political shifts. What I am referring to is the plethora of creative inventions/options that have been brought forth during my lifetime. There are more ways for people to express their creativity than ever before.

The first movies I saw as a child were not even in movie theaters. They were in an open field on temporary benches broadcast on a makeshift screen. If it rained, no movie. In some cases the movies weren’t even black and white. They were sepia toned. One film was blue and white; now that was weird!

Today’s creators have so much power under their control and with the burgeoning field of computer-generated imagery (CGI) rolling full speed ahead, the consumers of entertainment have much to anticipate and should be excited.

Let’s not forget, however, some of the mesmerizing effects of legacy processes like the Phenakistoscope, Zoetrope, the flip book, etc. In their day, they were entertainment.

In the video below, L’illusion de Joseph, Pask D’Amico creates a most mesmerizing piece of entertainment based on a modernization of old school techniques. I found these particularly alluring, but I have to confess, I am also a sucker for Kaleidoscopes, which may seem like a non sequitur, but watch the short film and you will get what I mean. You are going to like this; I can almost guarantee it!

Oh, did I say that the music is captivating too?

L'illusion de Joseph from Mr.Klesha animation on Vimeo.

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 178 (An Icon with no Makeup – Half Dome)

Jeff

Half Dome from the Mirror Lake Trail

Half Dome is just another mountain when viewed from the Mirror Lake Trail

It is a strange feeling to have read much about something over a long period time and to compile a mental image of what that thing would actually look like “in person” and then to finally see it before you. It might be something akin to seeing a movie star while out-and-about doing chores and thinking how much different they look in the supermarket. That was part of the experience I had when visiting Yosemite and getting to view the major attractions from many different angles.

In the picture above, Half Dome works hard to make its presence felt among the other mountains surrounding Mirror Lake. If you knew no better, you would probably not be very impressed. Much of the awe these landmarks inspire is based on context, i.e. how they play off of the surrounding beauty in a particular area.

To be continued…

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 178 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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STATUS QUOtes — 20170105

Jeff

Today’s STATUS QUOtes

“He that has a choice has trouble.” — Dutch Proverb

“He found that it was easy to make a heroic gesture, but hard to abide by its results.” — W. Somerset Maugham, Of Human Bondage

“The only thing I know is this: I am full of wounds and still standing on my feet.” — Nikos Kazantzakis

“Curious people are interesting people, I wonder why that is.” — Bill Maher

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 177 (Finding DaVinci at Hetch Hetchy)

Jeff

Butterfly on wildflower

Butterfly on one of a number of yellow wildflowers (perhaps Arnica nevadensis) © Jeffrey B. Ross

The photograph above was taken during our hike at Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite National Park. The day was overcast and it had rained a bit prior to our arrival at the park and also a little more during our stay. With the rain and the cooler temperatures, the wildflowers were still abundant around the reservoir.

Being surrounded by the wildflowers and the overwhelming natural beauty of the area brings to mind the quotation above (repeated below for clarity):

“Human subtlety will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple or more direct than does nature because in her inventions nothing is lacking, and nothing is superfluous – Leonardo DaVinci

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

***********************************

Meta Data – Day 177 YOY – Year of Yosemite
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Capture date: June 11, 2016
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STATUS QUOtes — 20170104

Jeff

Today’s STATUS QUOtes

“We don’t always get to choose what we love.” — Scott Westerfeld

“When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome.” — Wilma Rudolph

“How poor are they that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees?” — William Shakespeare

“God help the person who won’t marry until they find a perfect spouse, and God help them still more if they do. [ed]” — Benjamin Tillett

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE

Photography – A Year of Inspiration and Ideas

Jeff

This is the time of year that photography websites start talking about ideas, resolutions, etc. for the New Year. We often hear about a monthly challenge or perhaps even a weekly challenge.

Every once in a while someone steps up and starts a 365 day photography challenge based on a theme or idea that they have. I am doing a modified* 365 day challenge by posting a picture-a-day for 365 days selected from the shots I took during our hiking and exploration trip to Yosemite National Park. This is the link if you are interested:

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 1 & Project Introduction

*NOTE – While I do intend to post 365 separate photos from my Yosemite excursions, I am not doing them strictly on consecutive days because of previous commitments and plans.

The PHOTOBLOG is stepping up to help those who might need inspiration for such a challenge by offering a yearly calendar with a new photography idea for every day of the year. This would be a wonderful resource for those who just want to gather new and fresh ideas or to stimulate ideas of their own. The PHOTOBLOG suggests it might make a nice gift for a phtographer-friend and I agree!

Here are some random examples of suggested ideas:

  • January 24, Tuesday – Something You made
  • February 17, Friday – Outside the window
  • March 20, Monday – Three Things
  • April 26, Wednesday – Flowers
  • May 6, Saturday – Street
  • June 1, Thursday – Together
  • July 23, Sunday – A Pair of Things

In addition to being a springboard for ideas, the calendar itself has very pretty photography and serves its general utilitarian function of keeping track of the dates. Each page has the main month along with the preceding and following month; a nice touch. See the sample screen shot below.

PhotoBlog Sample Calendar Page

Check out all of the details and find out how to post some of your own project shots by visiting this PHOTOBLOG web page.

 
See previous JBRish.com Photography posts HERE