Yosemite
I've been to Yosemite many times and continue to go back each year since it is about four hours away. Despite the number of visits, though, I often find it challenging to capture the majesty of the park. While there is beauty everywhere one looks, it is not always easy to create a unique photograph. And there are always many other photographers out there reminding you of that as well.
While we sometimes get out a bit and wander around, many visits are only for a few days. Even hiking on park trails is not always an option if the conditions are rough. And I've been to the park many times when the conditions were pretty awful - pouring rain instead of snow for instance. But there have also been trips when everything came together and I managed to come away with images that I am relatively happy with, usually as much because they remind me of the trip later as well as successfully capturing what I saw.
Read MoreWhile we sometimes get out a bit and wander around, many visits are only for a few days. Even hiking on park trails is not always an option if the conditions are rough. And I've been to the park many times when the conditions were pretty awful - pouring rain instead of snow for instance. But there have also been trips when everything came together and I managed to come away with images that I am relatively happy with, usually as much because they remind me of the trip later as well as successfully capturing what I saw.
We took a second trip to Yosemite in 2013, hoping to photograph "Horsetail Falls" when backlit at sunset at just the right time of year. Unfortunately, lack of rain contributed to not enough snow melt to create the falls. And the clouds kept rolling in just as the sun was going down. None of that stopped the hundred or so photographers we saw lined up in various spots but we didn't even try. I did, however, decide to find a new vantage point for photographing Bridalveil Falls. Past photographs were from the more "tourist" sort of locations. This time, I hauled myself up and over a rock pile on the far left side of the falls and tried to get as close as possible without killing myself.
