Monday Post
Monday, May 25, 2009, 9:29 p.m. local time
Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Valley
Many apologies for the delay in posts. We’ve had no internet access, and yesterday I was so tired I didn’t even feel like writing anything for a future post (as I had for the Saturday post).
The last few days have been an absolute blur of joy and experiences and emotions and just dumb awestruck disbelief. I’ll see if I can recapture some of it here.
Sunday morning I rose early, donned my gear and headed out to Point Lobos, sans M. He gave the excuse that he wanted to sleep in a bit and then work on his Christmas project, but we both knew that shooting Weston Beach was something I should do alone. Good man, M. I’m lucky to have someone who so completely understands me.
Weston Beach was incredible. It’s easy to see why Edward Weston loved it so much, and I decided I need about five years (or five hundred) to really shoot it. I could go back again and again and not be bored. I had the beach to myself for most of the almost two hours I was there; one man came for about 30 minutes to shoot sea birdies but he was it. I fell on my arse once, and it was a doozy. Knocked the wind out of me (landing on rock will do that to a girl) and I was afraid to do a casualty count on the gear stashed in my photo vest pockets. “Deep breath. Just keep shooting. Just keep shooting.” I’ve found I can weather just about anything if I’m focused on making images. So I just kept shooting.
After about 30 minutes I decided to cop a squat on a washed up log and have a granola bar and just contemplate the scene. Then I steeled myself to inventory the gear. Amazingly enough, only one lens cap is cracked and a filter dinged, and the plastic case that holds my new $130 polarizing filter is pretty jacked up – but the filter is fine and that’s all that matters. I thanked the photographic gods for my luck (it’s not often you can slam a couple lenses, a flash and some filters on wet ocean rock and come out that good) and thought that perhaps Edward was throwing me a bone.
Just as I was wrapping up my cell rang. It was Gina Weston, inviting me back since Kim had a few minutes he could spend with me. I rushed back, collected M, and we got the most amazing tour of Edward Weston’s home and darkroom from his grandson. I’m still in shock that I was standing there, but I have the photographs to prove it! The Westons are truly wonderful people, and I’m so grateful for their generosity and warmth.
After getting cleaned up and packing the car, M checked our directions to Yosemite while I circled the house and made a few last images. Fell on my butt again on the gravel drive (jeez, what was with me that day?!) and again all gear was spared. Then we hit the road, bound for Yosemite.
A few hours later (and only one small detour due to incorrect direction reading by yours truly, for which I blame M because he’s known for 16 years that I am not to be trusted with navigation), we entered Yosemite National Park through its southern entrance, near Mariposa Grove and our hotel, Wawona. We drove immediately to Wawona, got checked in, and then kicked back on the veranda and had some cocktails. That’s what one does when one visits Wawona, after all. It was an awesome end to the day. Dinner was excellent (also out on the veranda), and we retired to our quaint little room that featured a claw-foot bathtub and no shower. Cute!
Up early this morning for a breakfast feast Wawona-style, and then we headed to Mariposa Grove, home of the Giant Sequoias. Neither of us anticipated the hike, but we set out and a few hours later found that we had hiked to an elevation of 6,810 feet to Wawona Point, which had breathtaking views of the valley from which we had just come. (I know this doesn’t sound impressive to hiker Stef, but it’s damn good for a wimpy girl like me – I even had M take a picture of me next to the elevation marker!)
The hike took way longer than we expected, and we ended up back at Wawona for a quick lunch before hitting the road to Yosemite Valley. M had the brilliant idea to take a detour and visit Glacier Point, which gave me my first, stunning view of Half Dome. Lots and lots of pictures, and the butt-bust-spared polarizing filter sure came in handy. We stopped at a few other scenic viewpoints along the way, too, and wound up at Bridal Veil Falls, which is in full force right now. Gorgeous, gorgeous. Got as many shots as I could before the camera, lens, filter and I started getting too wet.
We continued our journey into the Valley and checked into our room at The Lodge at Yosemite Falls. We’re here in our little lodge room now, settling down for the night and getting ready to turn in so we can get up early again tomorrow and hit new sights. I’m so grateful we’re going to have the 2.5 day train trip on the way back to recover! I’m already taking regular doses of Advil for all my little aches and pains (the two spills – I’ll call them my Carmel Crashes, an hours-long hike, and the first real go with the new hiking boots).
I’m not sure if I’m up to doing any post-processing on my images to get them posted here, but I’ll see what I can do. I’m just flat-out tired, though, in the very best possible way.
(By the way, we haven’t had cell phone coverage in over two days – so if you were expecting to hear from us, that’s why. I thought I’d freak without it, but it turns out that it’s nice to not have the electronic leash for a bit. We haven’t even carried our phones in two days – bliss!)
Hopefully more tomorrow night…we’re still at the Lodge and will have internet access. Depends on how tired I am!
Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Valley
Many apologies for the delay in posts. We’ve had no internet access, and yesterday I was so tired I didn’t even feel like writing anything for a future post (as I had for the Saturday post).
The last few days have been an absolute blur of joy and experiences and emotions and just dumb awestruck disbelief. I’ll see if I can recapture some of it here.
Sunday morning I rose early, donned my gear and headed out to Point Lobos, sans M. He gave the excuse that he wanted to sleep in a bit and then work on his Christmas project, but we both knew that shooting Weston Beach was something I should do alone. Good man, M. I’m lucky to have someone who so completely understands me.
Weston Beach was incredible. It’s easy to see why Edward Weston loved it so much, and I decided I need about five years (or five hundred) to really shoot it. I could go back again and again and not be bored. I had the beach to myself for most of the almost two hours I was there; one man came for about 30 minutes to shoot sea birdies but he was it. I fell on my arse once, and it was a doozy. Knocked the wind out of me (landing on rock will do that to a girl) and I was afraid to do a casualty count on the gear stashed in my photo vest pockets. “Deep breath. Just keep shooting. Just keep shooting.” I’ve found I can weather just about anything if I’m focused on making images. So I just kept shooting.
After about 30 minutes I decided to cop a squat on a washed up log and have a granola bar and just contemplate the scene. Then I steeled myself to inventory the gear. Amazingly enough, only one lens cap is cracked and a filter dinged, and the plastic case that holds my new $130 polarizing filter is pretty jacked up – but the filter is fine and that’s all that matters. I thanked the photographic gods for my luck (it’s not often you can slam a couple lenses, a flash and some filters on wet ocean rock and come out that good) and thought that perhaps Edward was throwing me a bone.
Just as I was wrapping up my cell rang. It was Gina Weston, inviting me back since Kim had a few minutes he could spend with me. I rushed back, collected M, and we got the most amazing tour of Edward Weston’s home and darkroom from his grandson. I’m still in shock that I was standing there, but I have the photographs to prove it! The Westons are truly wonderful people, and I’m so grateful for their generosity and warmth.
After getting cleaned up and packing the car, M checked our directions to Yosemite while I circled the house and made a few last images. Fell on my butt again on the gravel drive (jeez, what was with me that day?!) and again all gear was spared. Then we hit the road, bound for Yosemite.
A few hours later (and only one small detour due to incorrect direction reading by yours truly, for which I blame M because he’s known for 16 years that I am not to be trusted with navigation), we entered Yosemite National Park through its southern entrance, near Mariposa Grove and our hotel, Wawona. We drove immediately to Wawona, got checked in, and then kicked back on the veranda and had some cocktails. That’s what one does when one visits Wawona, after all. It was an awesome end to the day. Dinner was excellent (also out on the veranda), and we retired to our quaint little room that featured a claw-foot bathtub and no shower. Cute!
Up early this morning for a breakfast feast Wawona-style, and then we headed to Mariposa Grove, home of the Giant Sequoias. Neither of us anticipated the hike, but we set out and a few hours later found that we had hiked to an elevation of 6,810 feet to Wawona Point, which had breathtaking views of the valley from which we had just come. (I know this doesn’t sound impressive to hiker Stef, but it’s damn good for a wimpy girl like me – I even had M take a picture of me next to the elevation marker!)
The hike took way longer than we expected, and we ended up back at Wawona for a quick lunch before hitting the road to Yosemite Valley. M had the brilliant idea to take a detour and visit Glacier Point, which gave me my first, stunning view of Half Dome. Lots and lots of pictures, and the butt-bust-spared polarizing filter sure came in handy. We stopped at a few other scenic viewpoints along the way, too, and wound up at Bridal Veil Falls, which is in full force right now. Gorgeous, gorgeous. Got as many shots as I could before the camera, lens, filter and I started getting too wet.
We continued our journey into the Valley and checked into our room at The Lodge at Yosemite Falls. We’re here in our little lodge room now, settling down for the night and getting ready to turn in so we can get up early again tomorrow and hit new sights. I’m so grateful we’re going to have the 2.5 day train trip on the way back to recover! I’m already taking regular doses of Advil for all my little aches and pains (the two spills – I’ll call them my Carmel Crashes, an hours-long hike, and the first real go with the new hiking boots).
I’m not sure if I’m up to doing any post-processing on my images to get them posted here, but I’ll see what I can do. I’m just flat-out tired, though, in the very best possible way.
(By the way, we haven’t had cell phone coverage in over two days – so if you were expecting to hear from us, that’s why. I thought I’d freak without it, but it turns out that it’s nice to not have the electronic leash for a bit. We haven’t even carried our phones in two days – bliss!)
Hopefully more tomorrow night…we’re still at the Lodge and will have internet access. Depends on how tired I am!
posted by Amy at 9:29 PM
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