Photographic meanderings

Loyd over at Yosemiteblog.com shared a look into the past today. It included this photo taken on June 1st, 1948 by Charles Webber, courtesy of California Academy of Sciences.

Notice that in the older picture, the towers look taller. That’s because the auxiliary containment gates aren’t raised. In my shot, the water level is actually higher! Also note the growth on the bank beyond the last tower.

Special thanks to Loyd Schutte for finding the 1948 image, and to California Academy of Sciences for allowing Fair Use of this historic image.

Updated to add:The Manzanita Project is a fine place to browse old-timey images of California. Give them a visit!

Access stairs, face of O’Shaughnessy dam.

Afternoon sun makes for a high contrast images of the access stairs on the face of O’Shaughnessy Dam, Hetch-Hetchy.

A weathered log balances on the edge of freedom. Hetch-Hetchy is at full capacity due to an above-average snowpack on the Tuolumne river drainage.

Hetch-Hetchy reservoir is at full capacity due to the above-average snowpack on the Tuolumne River drainage. As a result, old logs once stranded by low water have floated free and have collected against the dam. This one seems to have made it past the protective boom and sits poised on the edge of the spillway. Will it ever escape?

Once again, Steve Bumgarder does a fabulous job! Good onya, Steve!

Yes, I nudged the color–vibrance and saturation. OK, gave it a healthy push. *sigh* All right, I shoved it.

Indian Paintbrush (I’m not really sure I like that name, seems it could be demeaning to Indians) are the orange-red flowers. Penstemon are the smaller, mauve-pink flowers.

This lake shimmered with blues and greens in the mid-day sun.

OK, OK, so I’m utterly ignorant of contemporary photographers. I’ll chalk it up to not owning a television this time. Oh, sure, PBS is a great station, but to be frank, I’d rather spend my time in front of the TV I can talk back to than the boob tube. Deirdre Skillman, Art’s Stock Photo Manager responded to my request to use this image (Hi, Deirdre!) and sent me the embed code. Sorry folks on the iPad, it’s Flash based, but you take what you’re given with gratitude. I’ve asked Deirdre for a plain old jpg URL, and hopefully she can provide. (Puppy-dog eyes in Deirdre’s direction)

I first heard of Art Wolfe in an article by Scott Bourne on finding good criticism: He said “If you want to comment on my photography, and you’re Art Wolfe, I’ll gladly listen to what you have to say. You see Art Wolfe has the standing to criticize my work. He has the credibility and the authority to give me advice that I care about.”

O-Kay. Who the hell is Art Wolfe? Google is my friend. Holy carpe diem. Yeah, if Art Wolfe were to offer critiques of my work, I’d definitely sit up and listen. The guy definitely has the chops. Like, totally. Ok, enough with the Valley Girl speak. He’s a shit-hot photog with the talent *and* the technical skills to really make a name for himself.

And he has.

Art hosts “Travels To The Edge”, a public television program. Man, sometimes I wish I had a TV. Then I remember I have the internets…
(googlegooglegoogle) Ah… here we go: Travels to the Edge with Art Wolfe.

Not only that, but he’s successful enough to hire a “stock photo manager”. Damn.

The reason I chose to include the above image is because lately I’ve found myself frustrated with color photography. You may have noticed that my images have been rather monochromatic, and that’s because color has not really called to me lately. But Art’s “Batstars” really has made me re-think color work, and to not be afraid of color. I think my problem is that right now the Sierra is lacking this kind of vibrancy for me.

Thank you, Art and Deirdre.

Pardon the portmanteau pun up there: It’s a combination of “Two-heeled Drive“, the name of a blog by Tom Mangan on the subject of–you guessed it–hiking, and the venerable Meals on Wheels program that provides hot meals to elders and shut-ins across America. While neither are the subject of this post, might I suggest perusing them after you read this?

If you plan on going into the back country overnight to take pictures during the magic light hours, two things are really important. Bear-proof canisters, and a good stove. We all have to eat, and that presents a challenge. Of course you might not need a bear canister in some areas; The White Mountains of California are too dry for bears, and so food storage becomes much easier. But in Yosemite National Park, bears are a troublesome reality. You will need a bear canister. You can rent them at the wilderness centers for a flat per-trip fee, and then deposit them in the boxes provided at the centers on your return. Or you can buy your own–google Garcia Bear Canister to find all sorts.

Bear canisters are heavy, and some folks think they can’t carry enough food in them–au contraire, mon frer! The trick to packing one is to repackage your food; sealable storage bags are a god-send to folks headed into the back country. They reduce space, weight, and waste.

Backpacker magazine has wonderful trail menus, with tips on how to repack ingredients!

The Yosemite NPS website has a page on how to use and pack bear canisters, too. Bears and Food Storage While Backpacking

Another item that I highly recommend is a lightweight stove; We’re not talking your family’s Coleman propane stove, but a wide variety of alcohol, butane, or white gas stoves. They pack up small, and take a minimum of fuel to run. Do a bit of research, ask at your local sporting supply store. Nothing beats a cup of instant coffee on a chilly morning in the back country. Creamora never tasted so good!

Planning your meals is an important part of Plan Ahead and Prepare, the first principle of Leave No Trace ethics.

My photographer buddy G. Dan Mitchell is way more dedicated to the light than I am; He’s out and about before sun-up, and waits until the dead-light hours to have his first cup of coffee. Me, I need that kick to get me going before I lift a camera for a shot!

I remember setting up a JetBoil stove with a real coffee pot at the head of our “trail” in Death Valley, before we climbed up for some spectacular shots, and then it was ready for us when we got back down. It was heaven in a green plastic cup, lemme tell you!