I see that Carl Nolte has offered a review of “First Light – Five Photographers Explore Yosemite’s Wilderness,” a book featuring the work of Charles Cramer, Karl Kroeber, Scot Miller, Mike Osborne and Keith S. Walklet.
If you are a Yosemite aficionado, someone who loves the Sierra back-country, or a lover of great landscape photography, I recommend this book. The five photographers have a tremendous amount of experience in the Yosemite back-country, and all five are talented and highly-regarded photographers in their own right. (I’ve been fortunate enough to spend a bit of time with them “on location” in recent years.)
Update: links to the online work of the five photographers are included in the links in the sidebar on this page.
That’s about right. I often ponder how I must appear to those sharing a campground with me. On my recent Death Valley shoot in late March I spent one night at the Texas Springs campground near Furnace Creek. I had driven out earlier that day from the Racetrack and arrived at the campground at about 2:00. I was “camping” in my car on this night so I picked a spot, paid my fee, and took an hour nap. I said “hi” to the folks camped next to me and then headed out at about 3:00 or so.
I shot a bit down near Badwater, but mostly stopped there to fix dinner on my camp stove at the back of my car in the parking lot. After eating I drove a bit further sound where I stopped to shoot Badwater Basin right on into the dusk. After I finished here I headed back to Zabriskie to do some night photography under the full moon. I finally pulled back into the campground at close to 10:00 and almost immediately went to sleep. I was up the next morning well before dawn and I immediately drove away to get to a dawn location before sun rise. :-)
Dan
In regard to the nature photographer’s usual daily routine of waking up before the sun, knocking off during the middle of the day, then going back out to shoot at sunset, it makes total sense to me. But to the general public this routine seems a bit strange. It makes me think of what the late Galen Rowell wrote, that whenever one thinks one should be eating, is when one should be shooting!
Greg, thanks for posting. There are several things I enjoy a lot about the book – a few of them should appeal to many readers/viewers, and a few are perhaps unique to me.
There are wonderful photographs in there by each of the five photographers. While prints are even better, of course, the presentation in the book is very enjoyable.
I also enjoyed the different perspectives and practices of the five of them, which you can read about in the text and in the bits of their individual writing that crop up in the book. I’m a bit familiar with some of Charlies ideas for several reasons. I was less familiar with Keith’s long back-country experience and his unique approach. I wasn’t aware of Mike and his tremendous background as a long time ranger and expert on all thing related to water in the park. Karl has done a lot of work for the park, and I didn’t know Scot at all until recently.
In the past couple of years I’ve had the good fortune to meet up with the group in the back-country twice. The first time was two seasons ago when I knew I was going to be near where they were working – I backpacked into that area but couldn’t find them for a couple of day. Then, one afternoon while I was shooting at Townsley Lake, I saw a heavily laden hiker coming my way. At first I thought he was a heavily laden backpacker, but as he go closer I realized that the load was entirely photographic. We spoke briefly and I soon found out that this was Keith, who was heading up-canyon to shoot above my location. The next day I met the group at Booth Lake (on my way out) – where they had a camp set up… and they offered me a sandwich (!) and cookies (double-!!).
This past year I was able to plan to join them at upper Cathedral Lake – and this time I actually found them. It was great to be a small part of their group for a couple days, though I had to leave after two days – and they were to be in the area of a week. Their routine is interesting. Before dawn it seems that everyone rises more or less individually and quickly heads out to their individual shooting target. Sometime much later in the morning they begin to arrive back in camp – the “good light” is over by now. Everyone sits around and talks and takes care of work and lunch. Dinner is at something like 3:00 ro 3:30… after which everyone head out again, generally not returning until after dark.
Dan
Based on your mention, I ended up buying this book at the Ansel Adams’ Art Gallery in Yosemite Village last fall. I’m familar with the works of Charlie Cramer and Keith Walklet, but I have not heard of the other photographers. Very nice book of photographs, and I found the text very interesting too. One does not read too much about the ins and out of photography while backpacking, but this book gave some insight. I always enjoy reading how other backpacking photographers approach shooting in the backcountry and compare it to my own experiences.