Landscape, Nature and Travel Photography

I spent a few minutes during my lunch today to view and listen to a feature on the New York Times web site titled “Ansel Adams’s Yosemite“. With in this article are 9 photographs of Yosemite National park from Ansel Adams along with a short narrated audio piece by Ansel Adam’s assistant Andrea G. Stillman. This is a must view and listen for landscape and nature photography fans. It took only a few minutes to enjoy the photographs and audio commentary but it will have me thinking about heading out to the Sierra’s and other locations to get some photography in for a long time to come. I found it very inspiring and I know it will likely inspire many of the viewers who visit this blog. Enjoy!

Ansel Adams’s Yosemite - New York Times

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Running around a location as beautiful as Yosemite National Park it’s easy to lose track of the more subtle beauty that exists there. For most this will certainly lack the impact of Yosemite Falls, Half Dome or Mirror Lake, but to my eye it is on equal footing. The shadow of the larger tree branches falling on the small plant emerging from the snow caught my eye, but looking at this I’m reminded that timing is everything. Would I have stopped to photograph this if the shadow was not cast on the smaller plant?

Shadowscape, Yosemite National Park
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Below is the third photo in a series of wild Bobcat photographs taken in Yosemite National Park in early March. This is one of many very close photos I was able to capture of this beautiful wild creature. Ironically my entire trip to Yosemite was devoid of wildlife encounters until I began my drive to leave for home at mid-day.

Wild Bobcat (Lynx rufus, Yosemite National Park

The story behind this photo and wildlife encounter is that I was leaving the park and got stuck behind a small traffic jam of 4 cars. As the backup cleared I drove slowly by a shaded snowy embankment. Just as I turned my head to the left to see what people might be slowing for the head of this cat popped up. In fact the bobcat stared me square in the eye as I passed. To date I’ve had horrible luck photographing bobcats so I was very frustrated I couldn’t pull over immediately. After driving a 1/4 mile or so I finally found a spot to safely pull over and park my car. I quickly got my camera out and attached my 70-200mm f/2.8 lens and 2x TC. I was actually quite pessimistic I’d be able to catch up to the bobcat to photograph it, but I decided to give it my best shot. I ran towards the meadow across from my last sighting of the cat.

At the time the park was covered with a thick snow covering from a large storm the previous week. This made running around tricky. The meadows were covered in snow 2-3 feet deep with a few clearings of dead grass scattered across the landscape. Trying my best to stay out of the snow I ran parallel to a guessed path of the cat as quietly as possible. After 3-5 minutes of tracking the bobcat I found it standing in the shade of some trees. I took a few quick “look I saw a bobcat” photos mostly of its profile with very busy backgrounds and decided to try my luck moving ahead of its path to photograph him/her coming straight at me. It was very important to not disturb the bobcat so I aggressively ran far ahead and would take up position out of the cat’s view. I consistently guessed correctly where it was heading next enabling me to get quite a few good photographs. In one instance the cat walked with in 30-40 feet of me oblivious to my presence. The result was the photo you see above.

Technorati Tags: Yosemite, National Park, wildlife, photo, photography, Lynx rufus, wild, stock

A slightly different take on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. The manner in which this photo was taken is not unlike the technique used in making Half Dome Reflection II, Yosemite. Early morning lighting in this area can be elusive and fast changing, but for the purpose of this photo mid to late morning light seemed to work out for the best. This particular photo has grown on me, but I’m curious how it resonates with others. What are your thoughts?

Reflecting on El Capitan, Yosemite

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Mirror Lake is one of my favorite locations in Yosemite National Park. In fact in the early 90’s I took  a photo of this view and became entranced with nature and landscape photography. The photo I took of Mirror Lake then, is now framed and displayed in my office. It is by no means special in comparison to my current work, but it is a constant reminder of my photographic roots that keeps me grounded. I look at my first landscape photo of Mirror Lake and am instantly enveloped with the feeling of nature. Now when I visit Yosemite no matter what the conditions I visit this same location and capture the same view. I keep thinking that by doing this I’ll someday capture an even better photo of this view, but I think sentimentality runs too deep with the original for it to ever be dethroned as my favorite.

 
Here’s my latest of Mirror Lake taken earlier in March of 2008

Technorati Tags: Yosemite, National Park, California, Mirror Lake, Mt. Watkins, reflection, winter, snow, landscape, stock, photo, photography

Sometime ago there was discussion of adult trees near the Tunnel View lookout into Yosemite being cut back. I had heard there would be public hearings to discuss the matter, but apparently that time has come and gone with minimal public notice. Mid-March the trees were removed. YosemiteDonn has posted a recent photo of the view less the trees on Flickr. The decision to remove these trees was a really bad call in my opinion. I am saddened to hear and see the news of their removal.

Below are a couple of my favorite photos of this view point with the old growth trees.

Yosemite Sunset Breaking Light, Yosemite National Park

Yosemite Valley Winter View, Yosemite National Park

More Yosemite photos and blog entries…

Technorati Tags: Yosemite, valley, view, trees, removal, landscape, photography, photo, National Park

The 15th episode of EXIF and Beyond has been released.

In this episode “Mastering Digital Panoramic Photography” is discussed. Topics covered include an introduction to the technique, best practices, pitfalls, alternative methods, computer & software tips, and creative vision. This information packed episode will put you on track to master this challenging photographic technique in roughly (30) thirty minutes.

Referenced Articles and Resources:
Mastering Digital Panoramic Photography by Jim M. Goldstein via JMG-Galleries

Breaking the Gigapixel Barrier - Max Lyons

Recommended Panoramic Photography Resources

Download the latest episodes:
EXIF and Beyond: Mastering Digital Panoramic Photography

For the non-iTune listeners a streaming version of this podcast can be accessed here.

Featured Panoramic Photos in this Episode of EXIF and Beyond:

click to enlarge
“4 Corners - Welcome to Colorado”
made From (16) Sixteen Vertical Images (1×16)

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“Last Light On Delicate Arch, Arches National Park”
Made From (6) Six Vertical Images

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“The Beauty of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge”
Made From (10) Ten Vertical Images

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“Bryce Canyon Sunset, Bryce Canyon National Park”
Made from (5) Five Vertical Images

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“100 Caribou”
Made from (21) Twenty One Vertical Images

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“Caribou Pass View To The South Panoramic ” - Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Made From (35) Thirty Five Vertical Images

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“Caribou Pass and Kongakut River Panoramic” - Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Made From (50) Fifty Vertical Images

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“Cable View Panoramic, Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco”
Made From (3) Three Horizontal Images via Tilt Shift Lens
Between the cables is Alcatraz and in the distance is San Francisco more…

“Golden Gate Bridge Panoramic Sunset”
Made From (3) Three Vertical Images via Tilt Shift Lens more…

click to enlarge
“Yosemite Trees”
made From (11) Eleven Vertical Images (1×11)

Technorati Tags: EXIF and Beyond, podcast, digital, panoramic, photography, technique, tutorial, how to, dSLR, Four Corners, Golden Gate Bridge, Bryce Canyon, San Francisco, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Arctic Refuge, National Park, Caribou, Arches, Delicate Arch,

Another perspective of the wild Bobcat I photographed in Yosemite National Park last weekend. Taken shortly after my previously posted image titled:
Bobcat (Lynx rufus), Yosemite National Park

Bobcat (Lynx rufus), Yosemite National Park II

Technorati Tags: bobcat, Lynx rufus, Lynx, wildlife, cat, nature, Yosemite, NPS, national park, snow, winter, photo, photography, stock