Back in 2011 my wife and I visited Yosemite National Park. Our three day visit turned into an airline debacle but we salvaged one day. At the time of our journey we were a bit on edge, about what I felt was a tiny glitch in our plans, the possibility of a government shutdown. Informing our rental car office of our destination brought gasps of “Is it still open?” and “Where will you stay if they don’t let you in the park?” Both questions were thought provoking and a bit unnerving, but what could we do? We had been planning the trip for months; it was a destination we had talked about for years. Fortunately for us the National Parks were not closed during that government calamity but we were always wondering if a park ranger would be waiting for us at the door to our lodge informing us that he regretted the inconvenience but through no fault of his own we would have to forsake one of the most beautiful places God had created on this Earth. This never happened, but I’m sure it has in recent days. The picture was taken from Yosemite Valley looking up at Glacier Point. Its peak is 7,214 feet above sea level. To give you some perspective just how high that is, the valley floor where the photographer in the orange coat is standing is 3,200 feet lower. The scale of the park is vast, and difficult to convey in pictures. The picture is actually eight pictures joined together. It was the only way to get the whole scene in. But it makes everything look smaller than it actually is. You have to tilt your head back to look up towards Glacier Point from this clearing. I recommend a visit to get the effect. But not now, while the government won’t let you in.
Rubbing elbows with the Philadelphia Flyers
I was warned, let me state that up front… I was warned repeatedly before the game to pay attention to my surroundings at all times when photographing professional hockey. During the first period I was assigned a location at ice level. What this means, is that I would be photographing the first section of the game on my knees at the end of the stairs that terminate at the boards that separate the athletes from the spectators. There is a small hole, about 3x4 inch, cut through the plexiglass barrier which credentialed photographers can use to take pictures. The advantage of this is not having countless reflections in your photograph, along with many autofocus problems. The rather exciting “keep you on your toes” drawback, is that your camera can become part of the action. After a few body checks rattled my cramped position, I spent a few precious seconds visually comparing the size of a puck, to the size of the hole directly in front of my face. The conclusion I reached wasn’t in my favor, but I soldiered on.
My position was roughly mid way between the visitor’s goal and the “Blue Line” and I was using predominantly a lens that zoomed from 70mm to 200mm. At 200mm my field of view was just a bit larger than the width of the goal. I was snapping away while Thomas Greiss, the goalie for the Phoenix Coyotes, was protecting his net with admirable speed and agility. I never saw it coming. One of the Flyers players, being chased by a Coyote, bumped my perch, elbowing my lens on the way by. Needless to say, I quickly withdrew a few inches, checked my nose for blood, made sure my eye was still functioning, and resumed my assignment, albeit with a bit more paranoia. It was a fun filled evening and I look forward to returning soon
Purple Haze
No words today, just a little color I found by the side of the road. Have a great weekend.
Nikon D4 , Sigma 85mm f/1.4 @ 85mm f/1.4 ISO 100 1/320 sec
Reminiscing
This picture was taken on our trip to California last year. Sometimes I like to take a fresh look at pictures I’ve taken in years past. The drive along the coastal highway was one of the most exciting parts of the trip for me. My passion for photography was blossoming and the views were spectacular. So leaving the car to venture out on the seaside cliffs was a frequent occurrence. I’ve learned a lot about photography since then, but the pictures are still some of my favorites. I’ve thought about what I would do differently were I standing there now, with more “know how”, more sure of my techniques, more ideas, more swagger, more stuff to sift through in my head, more lenses, more pressure to perform more... more... junk! That’s when I remembered words I read a long time ago. Words to live by, not only for photographers, but for everyone. It was something like...If you want to take more interesting pictures, put your camera in front of more interesting things. If you want beautiful pictures, put yourself in front of beautiful places. If you want wonderful life experiences, put yourself into those memories. I look at it this way. Do the things now you want to remember enjoying when you reminisce in the future.
Nikon D5100 Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17mm f/11 ISO 100 1/180 sec
Attention
I’ve never looked twice at this field. I’ve driven by dozens of times and never paused to spend a few minutes. I don’t know what was different this time. Maybe the clouds, maybe the colors in the trees, maybe that patch of blue in the sky, who knows? Something caught my attention enough to make me pull over. Maybe it wasn’t even in the landscape, this poke at my mind to stop and stare. I don’t know, maybe you can see it.
Nikon D800 Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 48mm f/8 ISO 100 5 image HDR