“Cones and Needles” — Cones and needles litter the ground beneath old Sierra Nevada lodgepole pines.
I made this photograph at that time of day when the shadows were long and most areas beneath trees were in the soft light. That seems to work better for this sort of photograph, which would have way too much contrast in full sunlight. Photographs of largely random subjects always end up being trickier than I think they will be. Once I see the subject framed in the viewfinder, it turns out to be a challenge to find a composition that works.
This area beneath large lodgepole piles was completely covered with a layer of fallen cones, intermixed with some pine needs and a few branches. The number of cones was actually remarkable, and it reflects the impressive fertility of these trees.
“Mountains, Meadow, and Morning Mist” — Ridges leading to Sierra Crest peaks tower above a meadow with rising morning mist.
Tuolumne Meadows runs roughly on an east-west axis along Tioga Pass Road. Consequently, sunrise and sunset light shine along its length. Standing at the west end in the morning the sun rises just left of Mount Dana in the summer. It takes a while for the sun to rise high enough to clear the peaks, but when it does the light is intense.
I made this photograph on such a morning. After photographing a different pre-dawn subject, I headed here with a vague plan to photograph meadow subjects. From this vantage point, the sun’s backlight across the great distances produces striking atmospheric recession on the layers of mountains and ridges between the Meadows and the Sierra Crest.
“Pond, Forest, and Fog” — Fog rising from a subalpine pond drifts through pine forest, Yosemite.
This is one of several photographs I made in this area on the morning after a significant storm moved through the Yosemite high country. It rained for hours and made photography virtually impossible. But it also primed conditions for beautiful morning fog the next day, so I was up very early and out looking for it before sunrise.
Before long I passed a small lake that I’ve known about for decades but rarely photographed. This time the scene was sublime — fog was rising from the surface of the little lake and slowly drifting into the forest. The early morning light (from the now-clear sky) illuminated the scene, but there was no direct sun to overwhelm it. I began photographing, walking slowly along the shoreline and into the forest, eventually tearing myself away in order to seek out some other subjects.
“Trees in Morning Light, Granite Dome” — Trees grow on a bit of talus at the base of a Yosemite dome.
Scenes like this are a big part of what characterizes Yosemite, especially the park’s high country: trees growing on granite, domes, forests, and that “range of light” atmosphere. The features are so common that it is possible for a longtime visitor to almost take them for granted.
I have paused at this spot on virtually every visit to the Yosemite high country for decades. The dome rising to the left in the photograph was my original interest — it is a beautiful dome in an especially aesthetic location. But later on the trees became an equal attraction — easy to overlook among millions of other trees, but once you see them you don’t forget.
Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.
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