“Tuolumne Sunset” — Looking westward at sunset sky, Tuolumne Meadows.
On this late-August evening I headed to a spot along the Tuolumne River that I had scouted earlier that afternoon. I’ve previously photographed from this location at sunset, so I had a general idea of what I would be working with. The photograph I had in mind was not this one — it fact, the planned photograph had me pointing the camera in exactly the opposite direction, toward the Sierra Nevada crest.
“Tuolumne River, Dusk” — Dusk light on the Tuolumne River and Meadow, Lembert Dome, and the Sierra crest.
Photographing in the morning and evening twilight can be a bit of a crapshoot. The light can be soft yet intensely colorful… or it can simply fade away to gray. Familiarity with the patterns of clouds and light can improve the odds, but you still have to head out there and take advantage of whatever happens. That was my plan on this late-August evening when thin clouds stretched across the sky, presenting the possibility of colorful light.
“Subalpine Meadow, Evening Light” — A ridge rises above a subalpine meadow and forest, Yosemite.
This is another “quiet” photograph — no brilliant colors, not really an iconic location. It simply captures, I hope, something of the feeling of being in the High Sierra as the day winds down, the light warms as sunset approaches, and begin to stretch across the landscape. It is a beautiful time of day — everything slows down, it gets quieter as people go to camp for dinner.
If my memory is correct (no guarantees!) we were out for a walk in Bath — probably looking for something to eat — when I saw these remarkable weathered doors across the street. Their purpose remained a mystery to me — the doors were closed and there were no signs. It is hard to say if they are even still in use. But the distressed surfaces of the wooden doors got my attention, along with the odd set of colors — pink, virtually blood red, and black.