Yosemite National Park

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 185 (Off to Hetch Hetchy)

Jeff

Entrance to Hetch Hetchy

Hetch Hetchy Welcoming Archway

If you are heading north from Yosemite Valley to the more remote Hetch Hetchy area, you will come to this wooden “gateway” welcoming visitors. This is not to be confused with the official entrance where the rangers greet visitors entering the district. This is primarily a decorative archway that adds to the ambiance.

 
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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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 184 ( El Capitan Photo – Better)

Jeff

A better photo of El Capitan

A wider view of El Capitan

The photograph of El Capitan above is certainly more visually pleasing than the photograph posted yesterday as part of YOY Day 183. The differences are obvious. The trees can be easily used as a “yardstick” to gain a sense of scale. The orientation of the frame, i.e. portrait mode accentuates the vertical height of El Capitan.

This is not to say that this is a dramatic photograph of El Capitan, but it is certainly better as a measure of the strength, size and grandeur of the mountain.

 
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 184 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 183 (El Capitan – OK Photo, Not Great)

Jeff

El Capitan from the meadow

While hiking the meadow area, El Capitan appears and reappears in many places

The picture above is anything but an awe-inspiring image of El Capitan. Part of the problem is, once again, the context of the mountain. We can see that it is large, but it is lost among the tops of the trees. There really is no clear definition of where the ground is and thus we are left to intuit how tall the trees are.

The full height of El Capitan is not appreciated. Because the trees are in the foreground, they look relatively large in comparison to El Capitan. This could serve as a picture of record to explain the jaggedness of El Capitan along with other physical features, but it does not present the monolith as the huge presence it is in the valley.

 
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 183 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 182 (Sentinel Rock from the Meadow Area)

Jeff

Sentinel Rock

Sentinel Rock as seen from the meadow area

One of the amazing features of Yosemite National Park is that it offers so many perspectives of the wonderful natural formations. As we have been discussing, perspective and context tend to influence how we perceive something. This picture (above) of Sentinel Rock taken from the meadow area presents a much different view of the spire than the views from above the valley where it tends to get lost among the other mountain tops.

 
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 182 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Nikon D3300

 

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 181 (Half Dome as Waldo is Found)

Jeff

Half Dome a closer context

Showing Half Dome with more context

In yesterday’s post, I tried to demonstrate how the context or environment in which the main subject or focal point of the picture is placed has much to do with defining that main subject. If it is too small, or without other elements to lend perspective, the photograph is likely to be less successful.

Context, i.e. the surroundings of the object, helps to stress the main interest when the composition is well done. In addition, making sure that the main subject is large enough and distinguishable enough increases the overall effectiveness.

In the picture above, there is a leading line going from the bottom left angled upward to the right to Half Dome. This leads the viewer’s eye toward the main subject.

You can see yesterday’s picture of Half Dome and how insignificant it appears in the composition and context. Click HERE

 
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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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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Meta Data – Day 180 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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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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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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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.

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Meta Data – Day 177 YOY – Year of Yosemite
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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 176 (Merced River Early Morning)

Jeff

Merced River Morning

Morning sun shining through on the Merced River

This is one of my favorite pictures of the Merced River. If you are hiking anywhere in Yosemite Valley, there is little chance you can escape crossing the Merced River at one point or another. My bet is that you will find it a constant companion as you hike the various valley trails as it meanders through most of the scenic areas of Yosemite Valley.

This photograph wasn’t too far from El Capitan and the light was a very pretty color. The reflections, the various hues of green and the water’s calm add to the beauty of the river.

 
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 176 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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