Last November, I embarked on a solo journey to Yosemite Valley, my annual pilgrimage.

As a landscape photographer, life is simplified in Yosemite: a cycle of scouting, shooting, and resting. Resting among granite titans is a glory that borders on blessedness.

Same cycle, different details

I arrive, set up camp, and do it fast, I’m talking minutes. Then I plunge into the valley floor, exploring target destinations, such as Three Brothers, El Capitan, Half Dome, Merced River, and so on.

While wandering, I observe and notice things, and when something grabs my eye, I make a mental note, so I can return to the location and compose shots when light conditions improve.

Sometimes I discover scenes that need to be captured right then and there, “The Road,” for instance, and “Clinging Leaves.” But “Mordor,” which is the ghoulish image at Tunnel View with a Lord of the Rings vibe, required time, patience, and the magic of serendipity.

Nightfall

After the sun sets, my day isn’t over. I don’t return to camp right away. One year, there was a controlled burn, a swath of forest smoldering in the darkness. Cold, I parked my car and moved from one burning stump to the next, warming my hands and face, basking in the incense of it all.

On this last trip, I went to the Yosemite Valley Lodge at the end of the day and hung out with residents, climbers, and others like me who wanted to pass as locals, sitting by the fire, drinking beer, and resting for the next day’s adventure.

Yosemite is Sabbath every day of the week.

To view larger images, please click on the tiles. I hope you enjoy.

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