History
Mount The mountains cradling Yosemite were formed about 10 million
years ago. The Sierra Nevada is comprised of gradually
sloping western slopes and steeper eastern slopes. About 1 million years ago, snow and ice accumulated in the valleys created by the rivers and streams formed by the sloping terrain. Glaciers
formed and moved down the river valleys to a depth of 4,000 feet in some places. As gravity forced the glacier down the mountain slopes, Yosemite was carved by the massive ice formations.
The first white men to discover Yosemite Valley were members of an expedition in 1833. It was headed by Joseph R. Walker. Though they did not go into the valley there are reports of hunters having
entered the Valley as early as 1844. The discovery of Yosemite was officially attributed, in 1851, to members of the Mariposa Battalion on a patrol tracking hostile Indians. Only 650 visited
Yosemite from the mid-1850s to mid-1860s, making the journey to Yosemite Valley by horseback or stagecoach. By 1907, construction of the Yosemite Valley Railroad from Merced to El Portal
contributed to increased visitation. The National Park Service was established in 1916. Today, approximately 3.5 million people visit the valley annually.
The Ansel Adams Connection
Any serious photographer is well aware of the connection between Ansel Adams (Feb. 20 1902 —
Apr. 22, 1984) and Yosemite Valley. He was born in San Francisco and grew to become a shy young man, having problems fitting in at school. His solitary childhood resulted in a love for nature and
the solitude he began to pursue. From his first visit to Yosemite, with a Kodak No. 1 Box Brownie camera, Adams was transfixed by Yosemite. He would end up spending substantial time in the park
from 1919 until his death. Also in 1919, he became a member of the Seirra Club and for 4 years was keeper of the parks' LeConte Memorial Lodge.
Adams was self taught in music and was proficient to the point that he began to earn his living playing the piano. As his experience in photography increased, and with the exposure to the Sierra
Club, he found that he could earn a living with month long trips into the Valley with, at times, some 200 "explorers".
It would become evident that this provided him more of a
career opportunity than that of a pianist. By 1934, Ansel Adams was elected to the Sierra Club's board of directors.
Ansel Adams was sought after for commercial photography, but the desire to excel his creative drive reduced his efforts to take advantage of business opportunities to the point that he became
financially strapped. But he would persevere, becoming a consultant to Polaroid and Hasselblad among others. He would develop the "zone system" that became a standard for photograph visualization
still in use today. This resulted in many manuals and articles on the subject that became a photographic standard.
Adams is synonymous with Yosemite and his work is a standard all photographers strive to achieve. With my trip to California for the first time ever, it became a driving force to go to this
photographer's mecca. The camera was a Nikon D700 that was purchased about two weeks before. I had broken my D2X by dropping it twice in one day and, not having a
trustworthy place to ship the camera to, was concerned that it would not be received in time to use it for Yosemite. I was adamant that I would not go to Yosemite without the new camera. Luckily it
came, because unknowingly, I would have missed an experience that was to only happen one time. The lens was the new Tamron DII 18 - 270MM. I brought only two lenses with me on the trip. The other
was a small 50MM. In addition, I took my flash unit, and all fit into a small fanny pack. I had purchased a small $25.00 tripod, that if I didn't have the room in my luggage on the plane trip home
to North Carolina, I could just toss it away. I was intent on minimalizing the equipment and focus on the lighting and composition.
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Personal Observations
On the second day I was at Yosemite at first light. There were 3 other people there. One turned to me and said there was a bear I could take photos of. This bear was 30 feet away and coming toward
us. The others thought it was cute and didn't realize the damage it could do. I raised my arms above my head and looked it in the eye and took an abrupt step or two toward him. He looked at me and
turned away. As he turned, 
I brought the camera in front of me and took this photo.
This is a place that every photographer should strive to visit at least once. I don't feel my talents as a photographer captured the true grandeur and beauty of the place. This is a place that,
with only the greatest luck, can a photographer capture the type of photos that would do it justice, especially when time is limited. But I was able to take away, or at least surmise, the emotion
that Ansel Adams felt on his first visit to Yosemite Valley.
Click on any photo to enlarge it.
years ago. The Sierra Nevada is comprised of gradually
sloping western slopes and steeper eastern slopes. About 1 million years ago, snow and ice accumulated in the valleys created by the rivers and streams formed by the sloping terrain. Glaciers
formed and moved down the river valleys to a depth of 4,000 feet in some places. As gravity forced the glacier down the mountain slopes, Yosemite was carved by the massive ice formations.
the solitude he began to pursue. From his first visit to Yosemite, with a Kodak No. 1 Box Brownie camera, Adams was transfixed by Yosemite. He would end up spending substantial time in the park
from 1919 until his death. Also in 1919, he became a member of the Seirra Club and for 4 years was keeper of the parks' LeConte Memorial Lodge.
Club, he found that he could earn a living with month long trips into the Valley with, at times, some 200 "explorers".
It would become evident that this provided him more of a
career opportunity than that of a pianist. By 1934, Ansel Adams was elected to the Sierra Club's board of directors.
financially strapped. But he would persevere, becoming a consultant to Polaroid and Hasselblad among others. He would develop the "zone system" that became a standard for photograph visualization
still in use today. This resulted in many manuals and articles on the subject that became a photographic standard.
came, because unknowingly, I would have missed an experience that was to only happen one time. The lens was the new Tamron DII 18 - 270MM. I brought only two lenses with me on the trip. The other
was a small 50MM. In addition, I took my flash unit, and all fit into a small fanny pack. I had purchased a small $25.00 tripod, that if I didn't have the room in my luggage on the plane trip home
to North Carolina, I could just toss it away. I was intent on minimalizing the equipment and focus on the lighting and composition.
I brought the camera in front of me and took this photo.
