A Trip To The Sierra Nevada Mountains!

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After a busy year of work that included quite a bit of travel, I'm finally on vacation!  This year I'll be exploring two very different locales photographically...the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California and the state of Missouri.  This post will deal exclusively with the California portion of the trip.  

Along the Mt. Whitney Portal Road outside of Lone Pine, CaliforniaFujifilm X100S

Along the Mt. Whitney Portal Road outside of Lone Pine, California

Fujifilm X100S

I packed up my rental, a nice Kia Sportage and departed my home in the Phoenix, Arizona metro area.  I was all ready for my 650 miles drive to my first night stop at Bishop, CA.  I packed several cameras for this trip:

Fujifilm X-Pro1; Fujifilm X-T1; Fujfilm X100S; Fujifilm X-S1; Pentax 67II, Bronica RF645, Voigtlander Perkeo I; Voigtlander Bessa I

I made my first diversion at Lone Pine, CA...diverting on to the Mt. Whitney Portal Road.  As I climbed higher and higher I passed through the Alabama Hills, closing in on the majestic Sierra Nevadas!  It wasn't long before I was putting to use my four of Fujifilm cameras.  The views were simply amazing.  The biggest difficulty in shooting was the angle of the sun.  Unfortunately it was late afternoon and my primary subject of interest, the Sierra Nevadas, were west of me!  I was able to ameliorate this issue by taking my shots perpendicular the suns direction.  Although it wasn't optimal...I was able to capture several really nice shots.  The Mt. Whitney Portal Road ended in a canyon containing monstrous trees.  Yes...this was the reward of vacation!

Base of Mt. Whitney, California  USAFujifilm X-T1; XF14mmF2.8R

Base of Mt. Whitney, California  USA

Fujifilm X-T1; XF14mmF2.8R


When is the time "right" for photography?

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When is the time "right" for photography?  That is quite an open-ended question.  Actually, the time is "right" whenever you are inclined or feel moved to take that shot.  However, sometimes the "right" time equals the "best" time!  If you find yourself at your favorite national park on a cold, windy, rainy, and dreary day...don't despair!  I've found that some of my best photos originate on just these kinds of days!  Take for example this photo.  I was at Glacier National Park, Montana...the weather was not necessarily the best for hiking...but it proved to be excellent for photography.  Often extreme weather conditions can add another dimension to an already beautiful scene!  

Glacier National Park, Montana              Bronica RF645; Zenzanon-RF 65mm F4; Kodak Ektar 100

Glacier National Park, Montana              Bronica RF645; Zenzanon-RF 65mm F4; Kodak Ektar 100

Enjoy the natural beauty...beware of the natural hazards!

It is only natural to be excited and get totally blown away by the natural beauty present at Glacier Natural Park.  Most visitors are quick to immerse themselves into nature, without any regards for safety!  Sure...every single time you hop out of your vehicle you are presented with a series of safety concerns...trips, slips, falls, other drivers, etc.  Looking at this scene, can you detect some possible natural hazards that may be ignored at first glance?  First and foremost is the remaining snowfield  perched above the raging waters of the snowmelt fueled stream.  Many times, both before and after this shot, people ignored the posted warning signs and wandered on to the snowfield.  At any moment, a person walking on the snowfield could fall through a weak spot...plunging quickly to the underlying stream, meeting death via the fall, hypothermia, or drowning.  So the next time you are out enjoying nature...look around...identify potential hazards, and keep safe!  

Bronica RF645; Zenzanon-RF 65mm F4; Kodak Ektar 100