Thank you very much Rick for asking me to be a guest
blogger, it’s a great honor. I first met
Rick at his Mount Rainier photo workshop in September 2011. Rick’s personality and enthusiasm for helping
his students learn is what sets him apart as a photography teacher.
I live in Eugene, Oregon near some of the most beautiful
scenery in the world. My love of
photography began when I was about 13 years old on a family vacation to
Yellowstone National Park. My dad gave
me his old Kodak camera, with a fixed focal length lens and aperture settings
such as “sunny” and “cloudy bright” and a bag of film to preserve the family
memories.
One of my favorites National Parks is Yosemite, in
California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range.
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to have visited there several
times in the past few years. Many famous
photographers, including Ansel Adams and John Sexton, have created iconic
images at Yosemite over the years. As a “mere mortal,” to be photographing in
their shadows can be quite intimidating.
After arriving at Yosemite and before heading out to photograph,
I like to visit the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Village. I find inspiration
by studying the photographs on display for their composition, subject and
lighting. Besides the photos by the “The Master” himself, there are several
portfolios of professional photographers along the back wall. One pro photographer’s book had only one
photo that included any sky in the image.
I like to keep that in mind when shooting on days with boring skies.
Opening image for this post: Nothing Beats Golden Hour Light
John Muir called the Sierras “The Range of Light.” A sunset at Glacier Point can be
captivating. Make sure you stick around
after the sun goes down or you may miss the best part. The composition of this photo reminds me of a
portrait of a person sitting next to a flag.
The photo was cropped to a square to eliminate distracting elements.
