I joined a photo group tour to Yosemite National Park.  The tour was sponsored by the Safari Club (Johnson Photo Imaging) of Bradenton.  The leader of the tour, James Johnson, spent 15 years working at Yosemite as a photographer in the 80s and 90s; thus, he was very knowledgeable as to where the best shots could be taken in the Park and when the light was best.  He was also very adept at avoiding the large crowds of people at the Park, especially on the weekend.

This was my first photo tour.  I learned quite a bit as to techniques and what equipment to use.  We usually spent at least 12 hours a day in the field, from 7 am to 7 pm; some days we would return to our lodging around 3 pm and depart again around 6 pm. And stay out to after sundown.  The days were very busy and tiring, but very enjoyable.  The scenic views were unimaginable.  If I had the time, I could have easily sat at one spot for hours at a time enjoying the scenery.  I took over 1300 images, all digital (no developing costs) and made some new friends.

We were very fortunate the second evening of our visit.  It had been an overcast day with intermittent showers.  We went up to Glacier Point, at an elevation of over 7,000 feet, where one had good views of the valley and other rock formations such as the Half Dome.  The clouds were low and we couldn’t see the valley that evening.  However, the top of Half Dome was intermittently covered by clouds; occasionally the sun broke through, providing wonderful lighting on the Dome.  It was unbelievable.