Yosemite National Park

Today, hundreds of thousands of photographs will not be taken.  The US Congress has declared war on landscape photographers.  Thousands of locations are now posted:OFF LIMITS.  Across the country, vacations, that dreamed of and earned respite from a year’s toil, are being collectively ruined. People who actually work for a living and do their jobs are being punished.  American and foreign tourists are being held hostage as pawns in a game of chess while our elected leaders  in the pockets of rich men argue insurance profits and health care kickbacks.

Today is Yosemite’s birthday. Google is even celebrating the event.  However, it’s a Mad Hatter’s Party; no one will be there.  The park is closed.  With grade school tactics at their finest, House Republicans are playing a game of “I’ll show you.”  Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of photographs will not be taken today.

The Photo of the Day is from the Yosemite Web site. A picture is worth a thousand words.

As a photographer, the first time I experienced Yosemite was an awakening for me.  The crisp bite to the air, the feeling of age in the earth, the insignificance of men standing beside 2,000 year old living Sequoias rising high above it all and at the same time dwarfed by an ancient polished granite outcropping called “Half Dome” rising in immensity behind it all.  To my senses, Yosemite Valley is wild, open space at its finest.  Even with the many year round tourists busily going about their touristy business, I know of no better landscape photography location with access to this wide variety of wild locations and world class photographic backdrops.  It’s hard to shoot an iconic photo in Yosemite, but as an advertising or fine art location it is stunning.  I highly recommend it.  However, maybe some other time.  Not today.  Meanwhile, click above and explore Yosemite via video.

written by Chuck Jones and Suzanne Birrell