O Ansel, Ansel! Wherefore Art Thou Ansel?

Yosemite Valley as seen from the Tunnel View on State Route 41.

Lower Yosemite Falls

Lower Yosemite Falls

Freshly snow-covered tree in Yosemite National Park in Wawona.

The Chilnualna River.

Melting snow falling past the last leaf.

A set of handprints left on a snow-covered boulder in Yosemite National Park.

Light and shadows play on the trunk of a tree in Yosemite National Park.

The Chilnualna River.

Snow-covered boulders in Yosemite National Park.

This past weekend I visited Yosemite National Park with family and friends. And for three days I pointed my camera and wondered what to photograph. The beauty was simply overwhelming at times and part of me hated the 4 gig card loaded in my camera.

The fact that I could turn on the motor drive and blaze away seemed almost, well, photographically sacrilegious. Notwithstanding, I had in fact earlier in the day, made photos with the Hipstamactic application on my iPhone,

I still felt hesitant to actually...push the shutter release...and...make the photo. I was further challenged by the notion that I should not shoot the same photos as every other tourist in Yosemite that day. And even though I did "make a photo" of the iconic view of Yosemite Valley from atop State Route 41, I challenged myself to find a different Yosemite, a Yosemite that was meaningful to me...defined by the experience of sharing it with my friends and family.