Tag Archives: point

Evening, Tenaya Lake, From Near Olmsted Point

Evening, Tenaya Lake, From Near Olmsted Point

Evening, Tenaya Lake, From Near Olmsted Point. Yosemite National Park, California. September 8, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of early evening light on Tenaya Lake and surrounding valley and peaks as viewed from near Olmsted Point, Yosemite National Park, California.

On this late summer evening I had just hiked out from a three-day backcountry photography pack trip, driven over Tioga Pass to grab a bit at Tioga Pass Resort, and was starting my drive home from the park. I happened to pass by Olmsted Point (where I don’t stop all that often these days) just as the sun was getting read to drop behind the ridge to the west of the point. To my mind, this is just about the most beautiful time of day at this spot, especially as the low angle sun illuminates rocks in the Olmsted Point area and begins to leave the valley holding Tenaya Lake. To make a long story short, I spent 30-45 minutes photographing here before heading home, and I make a few exposures of Tenaya just as the last light was hitting some of the nearby trees in the foreground.

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Bird Rocks, Sunset

Bird Rock, Sunset
Bird Rocks, Sunset. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. December 30, 2007. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Photographed on my last little photo expedition of 2007, an evening visit to Point Lobos on the Monterey Peninsula to shoot a winter sunset. (Note: this is not the actual “Bird Rock” which is located just a bit further south along the coast in the park.)

I suppose that going to Point Lobos to do photography is almost cheating, given the incredible density of subjects to be found in this small park – shoreline vistas, tide pools, forests, wildlife of all types. But sometimes I can’t resist, especially now that the park’s hours have been extended to allow visitors to stay a half hour after sunset. In my opinion this is the most beautiful time to be there.

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Evening at Inspiration Point – Yosemite Valley

Evening at Inspiration Point - Yosemite Valley
Evening at Inspiration Point – Yosemite Valley. Yosemite National Park, California. April 27, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Evening at Inspiration Point, the original “Valley View” – Yosemite National Park, California.

Another photograph from my late April hike up to Inspiration Point to watch the day end in Yosemite Valley. Inspiration Point is the original “Valley View” that was used before the construction of Wawona Tunnel, when the road out of the Valley followed a different and steeper route. This beautiful spot is a 1.3 mile hike up from the overrun Wawona Tunnel View location, and a million miles away in terms of atmosphere. At Inspiration Point you may experience this sublime scene in solitude rather than accompanied by traffic noise and exhaust fumes.

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Yosemite Valley from Inspiration Point

Yosemite Valley from Inspiration Point
Yosemite Valley from Inspiration Point. Yosemite National Park, California. April 27, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Evening photograph of Yosemite Valley from Old Inspiration Point. Inspiration Point was the equivalent to the Wawona Tunnel View before the tunnel was constructed, back at a time when an older route provided a road into the Valley. On this late April evening I decided to forego the usual crowd of photographers at the more accessible overlook and climb the steep 1.3 mile trail up to this beautiful spot – where I enjoyed a sunset view of the Valley alone (except for a couple of neighborhood deer) and in complete silence.

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