NikonGear'23
Images => Nature, Flora, Fauna & Landscapes => Topic started by: Bill De Jager on December 05, 2016, 03:17:57
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Yosemite National Park is world-famous. The name elicits mental images of all the famous sights there such as Half Dome and Yosemite Falls. Many people, including many Californians, think that's all the park has to offer. However, those famous sights are nearly all located in or adjacent to Yosemite Valley, a very small part of the park. The rest of the park gets a fraction of the use that the valley gets, which I why I usually avoid the valley. Eventually I must return there, of course, and during a lesser-used time of year such as winter. That time has not come yet, but perhaps next year after I retire.
THE PLACE
The park is located on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada range of California. It has tremendous variety, with elevations from 600 meters to 4000 meters and environments ranging from the extremes of hot dry foothills of Mediterranean climate to alpine tundra and glaciers (the glaciers unfortunately about to disappear due to warmer temperatures). The middle elevations of the park are within one of the great coniferous forests of the world, the California montane forests, nourished by tremendous annual snowfall in its upper portions. Portions of these middle elevations, and nearly all of the high country, are glacially sculpted.
Only one road crosses the park from west to east, the Tioga Road, named after Tioga Pass on the crest of the Sierra Nevada at the east border of the park. The road is closed by snow most of the year, usually opening by late May. Ninety-five percent of the park is protected from all development (including roads) as designated wilderness under the federal Wilderness Act of 1964.
Once one crosses Tioga Pass out of the park one is on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada, a whole different world in so many ways. This region is in a rain shadow, so everything is drier than the west side from the top of the mountains to the bottom. Rather than dropping down into a Mediterranean climate as on the west slope, the mountains drop into a true desert climate. This would be a cold desert east of Yosemite and a hot desert farther south. Now we are in a true interior continental climate with harsh temperature extremes. The region east of the crest is made up of a series of endorheic basins (that is, areas that does not drain to the sea), collectively known as the Great Basin. This region has a number of salt lakes, the most famous of which are the Great Salt Lake in Utah and Mono Lake in California.
This east slope of the Sierra Nevada is colloquially known as the Eastern Sierra. The portion east of Yosemite is my favorite part.
MY TRAVEL
I first began going to Yosemite National Park as a small child and it's always been a part of my life. I've often gone there during the peak of autumn color, a very pleasant time of the year. Unfortunately I'd missed the previous autumn in the park, and had only brief autumn trips the two years before that, due to insatiable work obligations at the time. This year I had a little more time to spare and arrived in far more relaxed condition.
I debated whether to post this here or under travel, but in the end this location make more sense. After an initial explanation of context I'll have little to say about travel per se.
EQUIPMENT
I brought two camera systems, a compact one and a performance one. The compact one was an Olympus EM10 with the Olympus 12-40/2.8 and the Panasonic 30-100/2.8. The performance system was a Nikon D810 with various prime lenses, the Nikon 14-24/2.8, and the 70-200/4. The former was easily accessible and the latter was securely locked away.
I ended up using the EM10 almost exclusively. It was right there, and very easy to use and carry. I ended up paying for this convenience with reduced dynamic range due to the small sensor. Still, the camera is a trouper and the lenses performed very well. It's a nice travel kit, and very similar to one of three travel kits Thom Hogan recently recommended.
THE PHOTOS
You won't see any photos here of the familiar sights of Yosemite because I didn't go there. Furthermore, on my first day I arrived in mid-day and conditions were unattractively hazy, so shots of distant subjects or grand scenery would have looked rather flat. Instead I looked closer for compositions.
My first stop was at a favorite location only a few miles inside the park, where Pacific dogwood trees (Cornus nuttallii) provide a beautiful understory to a coniferous forest, in this case incense cedars (Calocedrus decurrens):
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5443/31278902822_e20c866f77_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PE1y4Y)Cedars, Dogwood Hollow, Yosemite NP (https://flic.kr/p/PE1y4Y) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
A closeup of one of my favorite plants:
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5725/31423645615_761520fc77_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PSNp4n)Dogwood Branch, Dogwood Hollow, Yosemite NP (https://flic.kr/p/PSNp4n) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
Next was a turnout where I had stopped with my wife long ago in an April snowstorm that amazed her. Now there was no snow, but there was a large incense cedar with an offspring:
(https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5833/31278907082_f94ef64724_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PE1zkq)Cedars, The Turnout, Yosemite NP (https://flic.kr/p/PE1zkq) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
This tree is often mistaken for the giant sequoia (Sequoiaendron giganteum) due to somewhat similar bark. The dead trees are pines killed by bark beetles, insects which burrow through the cambium layer under the bark, eventually girdling the tree and killing it. The ongoing drought has killed over 100 million trees in California, mostly via bark beetles. You'll be seeing plenty of apparently healthy vegetation in these photographs due to recent increases in rain and snow, but the drought isn't over yet.
My third stop was at a former campground, now closed for about 40 years, named Smoky Jack. I'd long been curious about this place I'd never camped at, and having recently located its former entrance I now went there to explore around.
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5484/31423633255_47dd22b8d8_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PSNkog)Forest Floor #1, Smoky Jack, Yosemite NP (https://flic.kr/p/PSNkog) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5506/31423636275_e18a2f99eb_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PSNmhk)Forest Floor #2, Smoky Jack, Yosemite NP (https://flic.kr/p/PSNmhk) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5756/31425584465_4361225300_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PSYkpP)Pine and Fir, Smoky Jack, Yosemite NP (https://flic.kr/p/PSYkpP) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5772/31423644255_d284a24dbc_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PSNoDV)Ant and Wood, Smoky Jack, Yosemite NP (https://flic.kr/p/PSNoDV) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5691/31278909522_ec4fb453d1_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PE1A4u)Creek #1, Smoky Jack, Yosemite NP (https://flic.kr/p/PE1A4u) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5683/31278912252_78d3233a5d_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PE1ASy)Creek #2, Smoky Jack, Yosemite NP (https://flic.kr/p/PE1ASy) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
I'll have much more in time.
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Nice work, text and photos The management of contrast and detail is lovely and doesn't look 'worked". I like the first image best...it captures the feeling of the light and a sense of the plant community.
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Bill, thanks for the photos, and for taking the time and effort to produce an interesting narrative. I look forward to more.
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Great story Bill, and well illustrated.
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thanks for sharing - I enjoyed the photos and the story
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THE PHOTOS
You won't see any photos here of the familiar sights of Yosemite because I didn't go there.
Certainly, the more famous spots in Yosemite are well worth discussion and photos. However, IMO, the Sierras have so much to see and talk about in addition to the sites seen from Yosemite Valley. Nice to see some of your shots that show there is more to Yosemite than Half Dome, etc. I do miss the easy access to the Sierras that I had for the first 40 years of my life, before I wound up here in the desert.
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Thank you Keith, Anthony, John, Elsa, and Carl!
The story continues....
Some kilometers up the Tioga Road and at a higher elevation, one reaches Siesta Lake. This is a small glacially carved lake surrounded by meadow and forest.
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5585/31336330191_1044e0729c_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PK5Te2)Fall Color, Siesta Lake, Yosemite NP (https://flic.kr/p/PK5Te2) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
Sedges in the lake:
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5753/31336342101_8d2f52fa73_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PK5WLn)Sedges #2, Siesta Lake, Yosemite NP (https://flic.kr/p/PK5WLn) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5657/30643946573_60fe2a93a7_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NFUeGr)Sedges #1, Siesta Lake, Yosemite NP (https://flic.kr/p/NFUeGr) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5661/31081385890_68cac2d077_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PmyeaC)Pine and Webs, Siesta Lake, Yosemite NP (https://flic.kr/p/PmyeaC) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. murrayana) bark.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5735/31081387400_711d682810_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PmyeBE)Pine Bark, Siesta Lake, Yosemite NP (https://flic.kr/p/PmyeBE) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
Lodgepole pine branches; note the scaly mistletoe growing out of the branches to the left.
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5761/31336331461_4dcf072929_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PK5TAV)Pine and Mistletoe, Siesta Lake, Yosemite NP (https://flic.kr/p/PK5TAV) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
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Continuing up the Tioga Road, one drops down into the glacially-carved valley of Yosemite Creek. This is the creek that some kilometers farther downstream jumps off the top of Upper Yosemite Falls and then over more cascades and falls into Yosemite Valley. Here it vigorously flows and sometimes cascades down the valley in a boreal forest (https://www.britannica.com/science/taiga).
First, the bark of the Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi), named after an early botanist. Its bark is similar to the more widespread ponderosa pine that grow in mountain ranges across the western U.S., but with this species you can smell vanilla in the deep cracks in the bark during warm weather.
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/213/30719206414_2263f3984a_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NNxXPU)Jeffrey Pine Bark, Yosemite Creek (https://flic.kr/p/NNxXPU) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
Next, the aspen (Populus tremuloides), a relative of the P. tremula of northern Eurasia.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/214/31413660112_f3fb349536_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PRVdHw)Aspen Tree, Yosemite Creek (https://flic.kr/p/PRVdHw) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
And the creek itself.
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/587/30751044243_172331483e_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NRn96Z)Aspen Leaf, Yosemite Creek (https://flic.kr/p/NRn96Z) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
Much farther along and at a much higher elevation (2800 meters) is the place known as Dana Meadows. The next photo is nothing special but I included it to give an little idea of the upper elevations of the park. This photo shows relatively gentle topography but many locations are far more rugged.
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/1/448/30751039833_4fc8bbdd4b_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NRn7MX)Dana Fork Tuolumne Meadows, October 2016 (https://flic.kr/p/NRn7MX) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
The most common tree in the higher parts of the park is the Sierra Nevada lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. murrayana).
(https://c3.staticflickr.com/1/534/30719205314_bd2258e8da_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NNxXuW)Lodgepole Pine Branch, Dana Meadows (https://flic.kr/p/NNxXuW) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
This is almost at the the top of the Sierra Nevada. Shortly afterwards I crossed the crest and dropped down 1000 meters to the east base of the mountains.
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I love your Biologist's perspective on the subject. You see life everywhere and life in context especially. Wonderful.
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Bill,
Thank you for letting us travel in one of US fantastic National Parks. I thoroughly enjoy the text and pictures.
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Thank you, Frank and Eric!
That night I camped in Lee Vining Canyon on the east side of the Sierra, named after an early white settler. Lee Vining Creek runs down the canyon and empties into Mono Lake, a hypersaline terminal lake. (The American word canyon comes from the Spanish cañon.) The next morning it was time to see what I could find along the creek.
We start again with the bark of a Jeffrey pine.
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/347/31472424511_d8e2944f69_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PX7pjP)Jeffrey Pine Bark, Lee Vining Canyon (https://flic.kr/p/PX7pjP) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
Then a somewhat abstracted view of the creek:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5560/30747060344_5dce9d3e90_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NR1HQ5)Lee Vining Creek Monochrome (https://flic.kr/p/NR1HQ5) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
The colors, water movements, and refractions in the creek were fascinating...
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/1/726/31588570765_47313d4418_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Q8nFyr)Lee Vining Creek #1 (https://flic.kr/p/Q8nFyr) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5540/31472420301_c49431df14_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PX7o5e)Lee Vining Creek #2 (https://flic.kr/p/PX7o5e) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5556/30747061414_d9ecfc3408_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NR1J9w)Lee Vining Creek #3 (https://flic.kr/p/NR1J9w) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5565/31472415821_b92809f0da_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PX7mJZ)Lee Vining Creek #4 (https://flic.kr/p/PX7mJZ) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
I finished the day in Lundy Canyon but only have one photo to share here:
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/22/31588573415_d359ac5532_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Q8nGm8)Lundy Lake (https://flic.kr/p/Q8nGm8) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
Next up will be Mono Lake.
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Mono Lake is a large saline and alkaline terminal lake (no outlet) on the east side of the Sierra Nevada. It's at the western edge of the Great Basin (https://www.britannica.com/place/Great-Basin), a large region of interior drainage between the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains. The lake contains an extremely simple but incredibly productive ecosystem, with trillions of brine shimp (http://www.monolake.org/about/ecoshrimp) and brine flies (http://monolake.org/about/ecoflies). These in turn support enormous number of migratory birds, which unfortunately were not present during my visit. The area has a cold desert climate, with warm summers but with winters getting well below zero degrees Celsius.
Groundwater from the Sierra enters Mono Lake from under its bottom, and the calcium in the groundwater reacts with the carbonate in the lake to produce calcium carbonate (limestone). This precipitates out of the lake water to form spires of tufa (http://www.monolake.org/about/geotufa) called tufa towers. Because the lake level dropped over 10 meters during the latter half of the 20th century (due to the diversion of inflowing streams that provide part of the water supply for Los Angeles), many of the tufa towers are now above water. While they look like salt, they are not.
Water diversions from the Mono Lake watershed are now strictly limited and the lakeshore has been protected. However, after a period of partial recovery the lake level is again dropping due to a prolonged drought. In the long term, efforts to save the unique ecology of the lake will probably be defeated by climate change. You can read more here (http://www.hcn.org/issues/47.20/the-tenuous-revival-of-mono-lake).
That said, Mono Lake can be a fantastic place to photograph in the right light. Most tourists stop by in mid-day and make boring photographs in very flat light. But even being there during the "golden hour" is no guarantee of worthwhile lighting. One needs to show up prepared, hope for the best, and be ready to capitalize on any gifts nature may provide.
The following photos were taken with a Nikon D810 and the Nikkor 70-200mm f/4 lens.
In the first photo, what appears to be the far shore of the lake is actually Paoha Island. Most of the lake is beyond this island.
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/424/31776526755_1c98fee39e_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/QpZ1jX)Grass and Tufa (https://flic.kr/p/QpZ1jX) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
The dark area in the distance is volcanic Negit Island, the other large island in the lake and the former nesting ground for tens of thousands of gulls. The mist in the distance is a dust storm kicked up by high winds crossing former lake beds exposed by dropping lake levels. This happens often enough to create a serious air quality problem over the course of the year.
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/501/31660530191_1fac7234cf_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/QeJuAc)Mono Trek (https://flic.kr/p/QeJuAc) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
This next one is presented in two crops; I can't decide which I like better.
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5577/30967055423_752e364b46_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PbsfGF)Alkali Wilderness (https://flic.kr/p/PbsfGF) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/315/30967064583_a1dfd55c4b_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PbsiqB)Desolation (https://flic.kr/p/PbsiqB) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
The final photo presented was underexposed so the details on the tufa would be visible and for dramatic effect.
(https://c5.staticflickr.com/1/652/31404393940_40e00b0db8_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PR6JcW)Tufa Sunset 2016 (https://flic.kr/p/PR6JcW) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
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Mono Lake looks like an amazing photo location, thanks for posting.
Of the two crops presented, I marginally prefer the second, but both work IMHO.
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Thank you, Anthony!
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The next morning I headed back over the mountains, but snow had closed the pass temporarily. Eventually it was reopened and I was able to proceed through a wonderland created by the first hints of winter. Now I'm once more using the EM10, mostly with the Olympus 12-40mm. Longer shots are with the Panasonic 30-100mm.
Monochrome at Tioga Pass, the park entrance:
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/451/31059837443_a897c11b1b_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PjDMyF)Tioga Pass Snow (https://flic.kr/p/PjDMyF) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
Blowing snow on Mt. Gibbs:
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/336/31752617171_24f5a7fe48_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/QnSsQK)Blowing Snow, Mt. Gibbs #1 (https://flic.kr/p/QnSsQK) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
Meadows just below the west side of Tioga Pass:
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/621/31752620031_809a23cc52_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/QnStG4)Tioga Pass Meadow #1 (https://flic.kr/p/QnStG4) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/523/31831535926_687a55a487_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/QuQWCW)Tioga Pass Meadow #2 (https://flic.kr/p/QuQWCW) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
Closeup of blowing snow on Mt. Gibbs, from another angle:
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/741/31752615451_45aa6b151c_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/QnSsk6)Blowing Snow, Mt. Gibbs #2 (https://flic.kr/p/QnSsk6) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
Mt. Dana (left), Mt. Gibbs (right) and Dana Meadows:
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/1/554/31059840853_53b1159466_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PjDNzt)Dana Meadows (https://flic.kr/p/PjDNzt) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
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So many good photographs here. I'll leave it at that.
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Thank you, Tom
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5443/31278902822_e20c866f77_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PE1y4Y)Cedars, Dogwood Hollow, Yosemite NP (https://flic.kr/p/PE1y4Y) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
This photo deserves a little more explanation. I took a number of shots in this general location of these and nearby trees. This photo (and one or two that were nearly the same) had the best procession of tree trunks into the distance. However, I then noticed the dead stick in the lower left. I couldn't move it out of the way so I ended up shifting my position to get a less satisfactory composition. In the end I decided to use this photo despite the stick. Maybe next year I'll try again at this exact same spot to see if I can improve on my past effort.
I also tried processing this photo in Photo Ninja, but it turned the sky a nice 'that's what people expect' blue that doesn't ring true to me.
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Very attractive composition and colours.
PN sometimes produces odd results when recovering over exposed sky. Colour correction>Colour recovery often needs to be turned down.
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Many wonderful pictures, but the second one from Mount Gibbs are really wonderful :)
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Great photography. I love the blown snow!
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Thank you for the great images and narrative - and along with the closeups - took me along for a virtual hike.
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Thanks Anthony, Børge, Peter, and Chimper. I appreciate your taking the time to look.
Of course I'm not showing the large number of failed compositions, nor have I disclosed the large amount of cropping I sometimes had to do to make the better compositions more focused. I need to do much better at getting the composition right at the start. Still, I feel I'm making some progress and my many mistakes are very instructive.
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The story continues as I slowly proceed back down the west side of the Sierra Nevada.
First, I stopped at Pywiack Dome next to Tenaya Lake. The Sierra Nevada is well known for its large amount of granitic rock, largely granodiorite, which make up the Sierra Nevada Batholith (https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/nature/granite.htm). Particularly in the Yosemite region, much of this rock is very massive with widely spaced joints. The result is a tendency for domes to form, especially in areas where past glaciation scraped away layers of weathered rock above the massive granite below.
Pywiak Dome is named after the local Native American ethnic group's name for the nearby Tenaya Lake, Pywiack, which means shining rock. The nearby area has conspicuous amounts of glacial polish (https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4103/5027919453_18b3de996d.jpg), hence the name. The north side of the dome has interesting variations in color and texture.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/629/32340393166_1f394e8be6_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RgNYaC)North Face Pywiack Dome (https://flic.kr/p/RgNYaC) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
The Tioga Road I'm following started out as a private mining road, the Great Sierra Wagon Road, constructed before the national park was established. Later this road was acquired, and gradually upgraded and realigned for efficient public use. However, the old road is still visible in many locations, sometimes serving as hiking trail. The trees are Sierra Nevada lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. murrayana), forming a true boreal forest (https://php.radford.edu/~swoodwar/biomes/?page_id=92). This photo is presented only for historical interest, not as an effort at art!
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/259/32229219432_6863e502b1_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/R6Zb67)Old TiogaRoad (https://flic.kr/p/R6Zb67) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
The next section of Tioga Road has some of the best red fir (Abies magnifica) forests I've seen. You've heard of rain forests, but this is a snow forest. The combination of tremendous winter snowfall (http://snowbrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SodaSprings3_11.jpg) and relatively dry summers means that over 80% of annual precipitation falls as snow. This is something you might expect in tundra but not in a forest.
Red fir is one of my favorite trees, but I've struggled over the years to try to capture the beauty of its forests in this area. Here are a couple of efforts, with more to come soon.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/679/31568469303_afd8128298_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Q6AE6v)Red Fir Forest #1 (https://flic.kr/p/Q6AE6v) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/412/32340394836_112d75f2a8_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RgNYEq)Red Fir Forest #2 (https://flic.kr/p/RgNYEq) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
This interpretive sign shows the local ecosystems in relation to elevations.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/593/32379782825_5149e44e52_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RkhRkF)Interpretive Sign (https://flic.kr/p/RkhRkF) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
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This next one is presented in two crops; I can't decide which I like better.
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5577/30967055423_752e364b46_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PbsfGF)Alkali Wilderness (https://flic.kr/p/PbsfGF) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/315/30967064583_a1dfd55c4b_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PbsiqB)Desolation (https://flic.kr/p/PbsiqB) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
The final photo presented was underexposed so the details on the tufa would be visible and for dramatic effect.
(https://c5.staticflickr.com/1/652/31404393940_40e00b0db8_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PR6JcW)Tufa Sunset 2016 (https://flic.kr/p/PR6JcW) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
I failed to respond earlier to this marvellous tread.
I envy you very much, I went to those places almost 20 years ago and remember them with great pleasure, only wishing the stay were longer.
I was one of those visiting Mono Lake in the photographically useless midday light, your pictures are much better!
Regarding your question on the crop, my choice would be intermediate between the two options: cropping out the foreground as you did in the second version, but leaving the clouds at the top, as in the first version, and placing the far shore slightly into the lower half of the image.
The last image is also remarkable, original and unearthly stark.
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Thank you, Simone. I'll experiment some more with crops of this photo, including your suggestion.
I'll have one more post with photos up in a day or two, completing this set.
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I am very very happy with this thread and you contribution in words & pictures. It is so much, I can not easily justify to put my work to rest for reading it all and thinking about it.
OK: 10 Minutes review from :22 to :32 because it is worth the effort
You continue to impress me with your knowledge, your words and you pictures. Esp. Mono lake it a landmark location according to your fine crafted camera work!
The wind blowing snow over the mountain is phantastic by any standards!
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Frank, thanks for your kind comments!
It's time now to wrap up this series of photos from a fruitful and enjoyable photographic expedition. This is my last photo post in this thread.
First, though, I'll discuss some lessons learned and questions raised.
I've spent the last eight years or so trying to unlearn decades of bad entrenched habits and relearn photography. On a practical level this has meant abandoning my former overuse of small apertures and wide angles to produce thematically unfocused photos. I've instead been learning to see (usually) simple and smaller compositions that can be isolated for presentation by using longer focal lengths and wider apertures. I still pursue wide-angle photographs at times as you've seen here. I've improved at the narrower compositions, and the next steps will be to relearn wide-angle photography and the appropriate use of small apertures while continuing to work on improving the narrower compositions.
As far as gear goes, I need to so some rethinking. My FX system consists of a D810 and some nice primes, along with a couple of zooms (14-24/2.8 and 70-200/4) for specialized uses. The whole idea behind this system was careful landscape photography on a tripod using primes (normally), live view focus, mirror up, and a remote to obtain the high resolution that the camera is capable of. One then hopes the wetware behind the camera can do its part to produce worthwhile photos (!).
Yet on this trip I ended up doing a lot of photography in nature while walking around, much more than I expected. Some of this was in places where a tripod was inadvisable and in some other cases one would have been merely inconvenient. Instead of using my compact Micro Four Thirds system for quick handheld grabs, I ended up using it seriously for hours at a time. The zooms were handy in doing close framing when foot zooming was impractical or simply impossible, although much of this framing was substantially revised in post. However, the compact system had the disadvantage of reduced dynamic range in an often high-contrast environment, a shortcoming which was felt keenly at times.
I really need to give the D810 and three or four primes a try for walking around in nature. Yes, it'll be heavier, but I can save the heavier primes for shooting close to the vehicle. For instance, I could try the 25/2.8 Zeiss, the 50/2 Zeiss, and the 105/2.5 Nikon as walk-around lenses. I can choose to carry a tripod over the shoulder at times if I want to try for higher resolution when forced into lower shutter speeds.
All food for thought to mull over and experiment with over time. Now on to the photos...
Continuing with the red fir forest:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/697/32357665726_6cee24381f_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RikuGo)Red Fir Forest 3 (https://flic.kr/p/RikuGo) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/708/32276540861_0e8f627911_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RbaH6P)Red Fir Foliage (https://flic.kr/p/RbaH6P) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
Red fir bark. Each layer is equivalent to a annual growth ring in wood.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/360/31554593464_bfd21f6c50_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Q5nxhU)Red Fir Bark Closeup (https://flic.kr/p/Q5nxhU) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
Sierra Nevada lodgepole pine in its natural habitat.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/281/32276543931_024fc836ff_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RbaJ1K)Lodgepole Pine Bark (https://flic.kr/p/RbaJ1K) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
Finally, I present a Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi) forest at Gin Flat just east of Crane Flat. (Flat is an Americanism for a relatively flat place in the mountains, perhaps a valley but in some cases at the top of a mountain or ridge.) Jeffrey pine is nearly endemic to California and is similar to the much better known ponderosa pine that's common across the American West. One of the ponderosas, in its California version (Pinus ponderosa var. pacifica) is on the left in the photo below. The bark color is visibly lighter and the cracks farther apart than with Jeffrey pine, among other differences.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/727/32357667486_e22bf2d323_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RikvdJ)Jeffrey Pine Forest, Gin Flat (https://flic.kr/p/RikvdJ) by Bill de Jager (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99349448@N06/), on Flickr
It's been a pleasure presenting my photos and text to an appreciative audience!
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It's been a great series, well-written and shot. As goddamn annoying and slow as tripods are to wander with, there is no substitute when needed. Do you have a reasonably light weight tripod that can be carried on a daypack? That's what I've been starting to use.
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I really like the image of the red furs lined up with the saplings in front :)
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Thank you, Keith and Børge.
I do have a lighter-weight tripod and I really need to experiment with stabilizing it with weight, perhaps a water bottle hanging off it.
I forgot to mention that a big part of my miscalculation about how I would go about photographing on this trip is that for around five years (until last year) I was so stressed and overworked that I had no appetite for walking around in the mountains like I used to do. I'd get up there and just lay around, avoiding stimulation (including physical sensations) and mainly just trying to decompress. I'd photograph from close to my vehicle when I had the desire to rouse myself and actually do something. These days I'm getting back to more of my old self, and that means walking around more which is good.
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Bill, thank you for showing me the lodgepole and ponderosa pines, and the red fir. As an avid Louis Lamour fan, I have read about, but never seen them. Your intimate knowledge is truly impressive, thank you for sharing the lesser-seen sights of this beautiful place with us.
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Peter, thank you for your kind words! It was my pleasure to share my love for these mountains with others.