morris
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gdanmitchell wrote:
Thanks, Morris, and thanks to the rest of you who commented, too.
The outings are a joy — though there is some work involved, too! (Getting ourselves and all that stuff up to the 11k' base camp is a bit of work, even with pack train support. And anyone who has photographed intensely in such a place over a longer period of time knows that there are challenges and occasionally moments of frustration.)
The joy part from several sources. Obviously, being camped in such beautiful places for a week is special, and being able to deeply explore and photograph an area over a longer time frame is special and provides opportunities that we don't always have as photographers.)
Beyond that, this particular group of people is special in a number of ways. Among the original group are folks with long connections to Yosemite and the Sierra that go beyond the usual personal experiences visiting the place. Several of the photographers worked with Ansel Adams back when he photographed and taught in the park. One produces videos that you may have seen on the nature segment of CBS Sunday Morning. One who came along for many years (now retired from active participation) is not only a wonderful photographer, but as a long-time Yosemite ranger is a font of stories and information about the park. (He's also an inveterate trickster, but that's another story...) Another had a long history with the Yosemite Conservancy (and has now moved on to form another group supporting parks). This time we were accompanied by another "new" photographer and by folks from Yosemite Renaissance, who generously sponsored this trip.
With such folks in the group, not only does some excellent and important photography emerge from these trips... but there are some remarkable conversations during the midday photographers' "down time" when the light is less conducive to photography. (The usual routine is: up before dawn to photograph for several hours, back to camp for chores and downtime, then back out to photograph for more hours late in the day.) I've learned a ton from these midday ramblings, including first- and second-hand stories of a bunch of amazing stories about photography, the arts and artists in the parks, and travels in the backcountry, and a ton of (mostly Yosemite) history that is not documented elsewhere. (I try to share a few from my own decades of backcountry travel, too.) Ideas are discussed and plans are hatched — ranging from where we might go next to how we'll leverage our work in support of the park and groups (like Yosemite Renaissance) working to support artists in the parks.
The group is remarkable in another way, too. There is a long tradition in Yosemite (our center, even though our trips also go outside the park) of getting groups of artists into the backcountry. This goes all the way back to Muir — there's a famous story of him getting a group of painters into the backcountry... and then heading off to make the first ascent of Mount Ritter while they painted. Ansel took groups into the backcountry, and they included such illustrious artists as Georgia O'Keeffe. There were several initiatives to continue this in the last decades of the 1900s. And, of course, this group has been going "out there" to photograph — occasionally bringing along a painter or writer — since 2001.
So, yes, a remarkable and very rewarding activity!...Show more →
Sounds fantastic Dan. I've put groups like this together to photograph the snowy owls on the Long Island Atlantic beaches. We also have those conversations midday and also over dinner. 10,000 feet is a limit for this sea level dweller. When I'm at those types of elevations I move real slow and not far.
Morris
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