Sailor's Delight

Throughout the trip, clouds seemed to be rather elusive. With a little bit of luck and timing, we were presented with a splendid display of color over Mono Lake. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I chose a simplistic composition utilizing a single tufa, and hoping to focus on the colorful evening sky.

Nikon D300 with Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8

Shot at 32mm f/10 for 0.05 (1/20) seconds ISO 200

Barren Badwater

In total darkness and deafening silence, the feeling of walking out onto Badwater Basin was eerie to say the least. Venturing out onto this flat and seemingly endless abyss was a unique experience. Clicking on the headlamp offered little sense of direction or awareness to what was complete and aimless wandering. Eventually I wandered far enough to find what I was looking for; some undisturbed hexagonal formations in the salt that depict this area. At this point, there was a subtle hint of light beginning to fill the sky. I began setting up and attempting to find a composition in the darkness. Turning around to the direction I came from, I was able to make out the ridge that lines the east side of this valley. With the help of a few test long exposures, I settled on a composition and waited for the light I was looking for. I still have some images to go through from this outing, but this one really portrays the mood of that particular morning.

Nikon D300 with Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8

Shot at 26mm f/11 for 1.3 seconds ISO 200

Alabama Dusting

There were no dramatic clouds this particular morning, however the pre-dawn light of the Alabama Hills was quite calming and subtle. This was my second time being in this particular area, and it was as bizarre and beautiful as I remember. A fresh dusting of snow in the higher elevations is only a small reminder that winter is on her way, soon to cover the Sierras in a deep blanket of white.

Nikon D300 with Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8

Shot at 55mm f/8 for 0.8 seconds ISO 200

Valley Mosaic

During the drive out to Eureka Dunes, seemingly (most likely literally) in the middle of nowhere, I suddenly slowed down and turned the car around. With some recent rain and the return of warm dry weather, there was a patch of ground with an awesome cracked pattern. It caught my eye when driving by, so I whipped the car around so I could go back and photograph it. Definitely an abstract, it was the lines and textures that I thought made for an interesting image.

Nikon D300 with Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8

Shot at 24mm f/10 for 0.001 (1/800) seconds ISO 200

Tioga Stream

Coming down from Tioga Pass, we spotted a stream running through the valley below. With some clouds moving in and the sun's brightness toned down a bit, conditions were great for some waterfall and stream photography. Nestled under some thick brush and mature trees, this stream was the perfect spot to try and capture a few shots. Although colors were not at peak, the mid-October weather was starting to introduce pops of color to the trees.

Nikon D300 with Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8

Shot at 26mm f/13 for 2 seconds ISO 200

Tenaya Steam

After spending 3 days in Yosemite, the trip was beginning to come to an end. We needed to start making our way east which meant a trip back over Tioga Pass. Early morning light combined with some crisp autumn air were the perfect combination to highlight the steam rising from Tenaya Lake. Standing tall and taking in the sun, the pines along the shore offered an added touch of symmetry to the image with their glowing reflections.

Nikon D300 with Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8

Shot at 55mm f/8 for 0.004 (1/250) seconds ISO 400

Intersections

Focusing on simplicity, this is an abstract image I snagged while taking a break in Eureka Dunes. Giving my legs a second to rest and the light to lower its intensity, I literally sat there scanning the landscape while looking through the viewfinder. This is something I do from time to time in order to get a different perspective on my surroundings. Well it worked for me here. Zoomed in to 200mm, the way the camera cropped the view was something I would have never seen with my own eyes.

Nikon D300 with Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR

Shot at 200mm f/9 for 0.002 (1/500) seconds ISO 200

Ridge to Eureka

What is a trip to some amazing sand dunes without the standard "shot". The entire time I was exploring this area, I was looking for at least one opportunity to use the ridge of the sand dunes as the leading line in a photo. Well needless to say I stumbled upon that opportunity. This shot is a bit unique however. Many viewers have mentioned how bizarre the ridge looks. I'm no geologist so I really have no answer as to how it is formed aside for some phenomenon with the way the winds blow.

Nikon D300 with Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8

Shot at 17mm f/11 for 0.006 (1/160) seconds ISO 200