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This view won't last much longer, the rangers are in the process of building a fence around the tree so you can only shoot from the trail. When I was there, the signs were already placed to not go under and near the tree.
Another change is that the workshops would now require a license and they may put an end to night photography in this area...how they will enforce the no night photography is left to be seen.
I had invited a few of my friends and their families to come see the meteor showers from Grandview, it was 1st time camping for most of the kids (around 10...all below 15). I drove up on Thursday afternoon to grab the campsites. The drive from lonepine to the campsite was under thick dark clouds with occasional drizzle. As I was setting up the tents with no hope of sunset... I climbed the ridge behind my tent and saw an opening in the west, around 7:15 I finished setting up 2 tents and drove up to the trailhead. Being it a weekday, i was expecting the area to have very limited visitors...my heart sank as I pulled into the parking and saw a photography workshop van...my mind was already panicking that I won't be able to get a good spot...drudgingly I hiked up to the tree...to see the place empty except for 1 other person... I told him how I was dreading the workshop crowd up here after seeing the van...he laughed and said..yeah... I've heard that before...but the workshop is not till next week or so. we both took some pictures, wished good luck and went our way...
Great image of that icon, Sunny. I talked with the rangers there a bit about all the abuse and destruction caused by the current fad of night time photography and all the groups and individuals that come up there for night imaging. I saw a few groups at the Patriarch Grove in just the two nights I was at that spot. It's out of control. Workshop leaders are making money off the wilderness as they destroy it. It's gotta stop.
Jeffrey wrote:
Great image of that icon, Sunny. I talked with the rangers there a bit about all the abuse and destruction caused by the current fad of night time photography and all the groups and individuals that come up there for night imaging. I saw a few groups at the Patriarch Grove in just the two nights I was at that spot. It's out of control. Workshop leaders are making money off the wilderness as they destroy it. It's gotta stop.
Yeah, the ranger spent a good 15-20 minutes at my campsite talking about these things. They are also going to put camera's on the parking lot so they can keep track of anyone who does workshop and didn't buy a permit. They already knew which workshops were coming up after scouring some websites of people who had done workshops there.
Lovely capture and composition! At first I was going to say there's no way to improve on this - but then I see this is handheld and shot at ISO 1000. Did you just forget your tripod?
I'm seeing more and more restrictions being placed on responsible photographers at the expense of ignorant tourists, ungrateful self-centered people and a few photo workshops. Its really time to have an honest political discussion on how responsible landscape photographers can have access to public lands during non-business hours.
