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.
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.
*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
File Name: 0305.CR2
Capture time: 9:57:31 AM
Capture date: June 7, 2016
Exposure: 1/640 sec @ f/5.6
Focal Length: 4.3mm
ISO 100
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS