“Sunset on Mt. Dana” Canon 60D, EF-S18-135mm, 1/40 sec. at f/13, ISO 200

On Monday, Yosemite National Park opened Tioga Pass road for the season. This road travels through the high country of Yosemite with some of the most spectacular views you will ever see. Teri Robinson and I drove up there on Friday.

There was very little precipitation last winter and there was very little snow for this time of the year. It was too early for wild flowers at such a high elevation. We had to settle for photographing spectacular waterfalls, stunning vistas, and beautiful reflections.

Mother Nature was kind enough to stud the sky with a few clouds to make the views a bit more interesting.

“Mt. Gibbs Reflection” Canon 60D, EF-S18-135mm, 1/200 sec. at f/16, ISO 200

Priscilla Portrait

Earlier on that same Friday, we had a child model, Priscilla, for us at Gertrude School. We’ve had her older sisters pose for us and she wanted to do it too. She was darling and tried very hard to hold her pose for the artists. She found out that sitting still for 2 1/2 hours is not easy. Still, she did a great job.

“Portrait of Priscilla” Canon 60D, EF-S18-135mm, 1/16 sec. at f/8, ISO 800

“Moonbow on the Lower Yosemite Falls” Canon 60D, EF-S18-135mm, 30 sec. at f/5.6, ISO 1600, Manual mode

Last Friday and Saturday nights, we had a “super moon” – The moon was full when it was at its closest position to Earth. It was much brighter than a regular moon. When the light of the sun is refracted by water, it creates a rainbow. So when the light of the full moon hits a waterfall, it creates a moonbow. The combination of a super moon and the spring snow melt meant that this weekend was the perfect time to visit Yosemite to see the moonbow.

Now, normally, the human eye can’t see the colors of the moonbow. It appears to be a white misty arch in the waterfall spray. Through the magic of the camera, the full colors of the spectrum become visible.

Teri Robinson and I drove up to Yosemite on Friday to see if we could actually photograph this ephemeral phenomenon. We weren’t the only ones; there were hundreds of photographers swarming over the valley looking for moonbows and dogwoods in bloom. We joined photographers Nancy Robbins and Philip Fayne at the base of Yosemite Falls. The tripods were three and four rows deep.

Afterwards, we all toured the valley floor painting dogwoods with light, making ghostly images with long exposures, filming the moonlight on the waterfalls, and having an incredible amount of fun. I didn’t make it home until after 5 in the morning, but it was worth every second.

Portrait of Jessica

Earlier on Friday, at the Yosemite Western Artists Portrait Group, we had a beautiful model dressed in the loveliest wedding gown I have ever seen.

So last Friday was the best day and night of photography I have experienced.

“Jessica” Canon 60D, EF-S18-135mm, f/10, ISO 320, AV mode

“Upper Cascade Falls” Canon 60D, EF-S18-135mm, f/6.3, ISO 1000 AV mode

In keeping with all the falls photos I’ve been posting lately, here’s one from Yosemite’s Cascade Falls, taken from off Highway 120. Teri Robinson and I went to the park to photograph the dogwoods in bloom. Unfortunately, while it had been a bright and sunny day down in Ahwahnee, Yosemite was cloud-covered and gloomy. But we still managed to get some nice photos of the falls and the dogwoods in full bloom.

“Dogwoods” Canon 60D, EF-S18-135mm, f/7.1, ISO 400 AV mode

“Corlieu Falls” Canon 60D, EF-S18-135mm, f/11, ISO 200 AV mode

In honor of Earth Day, on Friday, I visited the local Earth Day celebration in Oakhurst and then spent the rest of the afternoon photographing wild flowers on the way up to Yosemite. Saturday will be spent in the great outdoors watching the Las Mariposas Civil War Reenactment with friends. I’ll be taking a lot of photos there, as well.

I hope you will all take some time to enjoy the beauty of the Earth and do what you can to preserve our home.

“Climatic Clematis” Canon 60D, 50mm, f/3.2, ISO 250 AV mode

“Cloud Falls” Canon 60D, EF-S18-135mm, f/18, ISO 400 AV mode

After California had such a dry Winter this year, it’s been a relief to watch the storms return to our area. Yosemite once again was draped with clouds and snow. Upper Yosemite Falls looked like mist flowing from the clouds rather than water.

As Scott Kelby, the photoshop guru, says, “If you want to take dramatic photos, you need to go to dramatic places.” It’s a pleasure and a privilege to live on the foothills of the Sierras and to have Yosemite National Park for a neighbor. Yosemite is dramatic all year round.

“Hearty Jogger” Canon 60D, EF-S18-135mm, f/18, ISO 400 AV mode

“Magenta Majesty” Canon 60D, EF50mm, f/2.8, ISO 250 AV mode

Happy Easter, everyone! Easter is the time for renewal of hopes and dreams, a time to appreciate and be thankful for the beauty and the blessings that surround us all.

“Calla Light” Canon 60D, EF-S18-135mm, f/5.6, ISO 100 AV mode

I got a chance to spend some time in San Francisco this week. The rhododendrons, cherry trees, and calla lilies were all in splendid bloom.

I hope you all get a chance to enjoy the beauty of this season.

“Bridalveil Rainbow” Canon 60D, EF-S18-135mm, f/10, ISO 320 AV mode

Friday was one of those magical days. The morning sky was deep blue with streams of horsetail clouds. The breeze was cool and the sun felt warm and comforting after the reprise of winter we’ve had recently. I had a lot of work I needed to get done, but the lure of poppies and photography was a siren’s call to me.

I spent a few hours at Gertrude School taking photos of a lovely young girl at the portrait meeting of YWA. Artist Jerome Grimmer afterwards gave a lesson on canvas stretching that was a good review for me – I haven’t stretched my own canvas for decades. Then Teri Robinson and I played hookey and spent the afternoon traveling to Yosemite.

The poppies were brighter and more profuse than last week’s show. We made it up to Yosemite National Park just as the sun was starting to set. It was the perfect time to catch the rainbow on Bridalveil Falls.

The sky looked promising for a colorful sunset, so we drove around a bit to find the perfect spot. We knew that the best spots would already be lined with photographers. So I drove us to one of my favorite places to photograph Half Dome – right beside a parking lot. We had the location to ourselves – or so it seemed.

Then I heard a noise and saw a large brown bear less than a hundred yards away. He climbed down the log he was on and then ran right past us. It was an awesome sight.

Nor did the sunset disappoint us – the clouds were cotton candy against the deep blue sky.

All in all, it was definitely a Double Rainbow sort of day.

“Half Dome Reflections” Canon 60D, EF-S18-135mm, f/9, ISO 400 1/20

“Half Dome Sunset” Canon 60D, EF-S18-135mm, f/10, ISO 320 AV mode

“Poppies on the Hillside” Canon 60D, EF-S18-135mm, f/10, ISO 250 AV mode

Last Sunday, we had our first real Winter storm drop snow on our house and on Yosemite. So Monday, the road to the Flying Aardvark Ranch was slushy and muddy and we didn’t try to drive anywhere. Tuesday it was sunny and warm so we took a jot up to Yosemite valley to see the snow. Unfortunately, there were too many clouds in the sky around the valley to get any really interesting photos.

It was on the trip home as we drove along the Merced River basin that I saw the unmistakeable sign of Spring – the poppies blooming on the hillsides.

There are many wildflowers starting to bloom in this area, but none are quite as spectacular as when the California Poppies decide to cover the hills with Cheetos.

This next week, they should be at their peak of color. The redbud is blooming along the river with deep pink hues and the hills are orange. If you get the chance, take a drive along Highway 140 from Mariposa to Yosemite Valley. You don’t even have to make it all the way to Yosemite to enjoy the majesty of nature.

Portrait Time

On Friday at Yosemite Western Artist’s Portrait Session, we had Brian King as our model. He was dressed in silver spurs, a duster, a colt-45, a marshal’s badge, and all the proper accoutrements for a cowboy. Here is my digital painting of this root’n toot’n buckaroo.

“Brian King” Canon 60D, EF-S18-135mm, f/10, ISO 250 AV mode

“Snow Blossoms” Canon 60D, EF-S60mm f/2.8 Macro lens, f/8, ISO 400 AV mode

Two weeks ago, it was a lovely, warm Spring day in the midst of Winter. Today, on the cusp of Spring, we are having our first heavy snowfall of this Winter season. I awoke this morning to a world frosted in lacy clouds of white. As I write this, large snowflakes stream down upon the dark branches of the oaks and the wooden fence posts in my backyard. It’s a beautiful Winter scene.

It’s been a very dry Winter up until now. The vernal falls in Yosemite were already drying up. This storm should give the mountains some much needed snow pack.

I just feel sorry for all my daffodils buried under that blanket.

Here’s a photo I took from this week’s photo session at Gertrude School.

“Banjo Ralph” Canon 60D, EF-S18-135mm lens, f/5.6, ISO 640 AV mode

“The Mushroom” Canon 60D, 50mm lens, f/5.6, ISO 250 AV mode

Last Saturday, I went to the Black and White Photography Workshop with Harold Davis and Vincent Versace. It was well worth the trip to the Bay Area and the expense. I learned a great deal about how to think about creating a photograph as well as how to make a good black and white image.

Both Harold and Vincent believe that a great photograph is made, not taken. It takes the act of pre-visualization – of seeing what the picture should look like even before you take a shot. Post-processing is as much a part of the art as is camera knowledge.

I knew beforehand that you never use the black and white mode when making black and white photos. However, the instructors clearly demonstrated the reason this is so – color gives nuances to the photo that mere grayscale cannot. We got to see the portfolios of both photographers and really appreciate the fact that the print is the ultimate expression of the photographic art. Gee… I always thought photos looked best on a computer screen.

My only real complaint about the workshop was that it was too short. It really should have been at least two days long to cover the amount of information the two photographers intended to share with us.

We did have fifteen minutes to go off into the area and capture some images to create black and white photographs. These are a couple of the images I made from those snapshots. Right down the street from the workshop was the East Bay Vivarium where they sold reptiles, snakes, and amphibians. I had no problem finding suitable subjects for monochromatic photographs.

“The Lizard” Canon 60D, 50mm lens, f/4.5, ISO 400 AV mode