Apple has released the OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 update, and among its features is the new Photos app that has been available to developers since February. Photos replaces Aperture and iPhoto, and is designed to work better with the company’s mobile products. Read more
Tag: Yosemite
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My Most Unique Photo of Yosemite Yet


After spending days researching one of my favorite photo locations on Flickr, Instagram and 500px and then tracking down the almost exact location through shared camera GPS data I drove 5 1/2 hours to capture this amazing Yosemite view that is destined to be a centerpiece of my landscape portfolio. Just when I thought I was the only person who might have thought of capturing this unique vantage point I ran into my friend Colleen Miniuk-Sperry as I was leaving. Apart from some brief small talk as I left, my friend Colleen took my spot in the photographer lineup (after all it was standing room only) to capture her own unique take of this iconic view. I highly recommend seeing her photo on her blog You Can Sleep When You’re Dead.

Happy April 1st – Creative Debt
Copyright Jim M. Goldstein, All Rights Reserved
My Most Unique Photo of Yosemite Yet
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Before the Tempest, Yosemite

A final pipe of light hits Half Dome before the clouds burst into rain.
Sometimes a short break in the clouds is all you need…
along with a lot of patience, a nap in your car, and a notion something might develop out of nothing. All that being said the Sun and the clouds do the hard part in these situations. While waiting for conditions to unfold the hardest part is fighting the nagging doubt that you made the wrong call on where to shoot. This self-doubt is particularly potent when you have limited travel time, but at the same time it is what keeps you on your toes as a photographer to not miss that fleeting moment when everything lines up. If you’re particularly fortunate then maybe that moment you thought was the special moment isn’t the most special moment of the evening.Copyright Jim M. Goldstein, All Rights Reserved
Before the Tempest, Yosemite
The post Before the Tempest, Yosemite appeared first on JMG-Galleries – Landscape, Nature & Travel Photography.
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National Park Service bans drones in Yosemite
More bad news for photographers looking to use unmanned aircraft for photography – at least those hoping to use drones in Yosemite National Park. The National Park Service has issued a statement that makes it clear these devices are banned in the park under any circumstances. Learn more
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Government Shutdown Effect – Yosemite National Park

Tioga Pass East Entrance with Sign – 2013 Federal Shutdown
Day 1 of the partial U.S. government shutdown just happened to fall on the day I left for my fall photography and new moon astro-landscape trip. My first stop was Yosemite National Park which was a high profile casualty of the shutdown. All highways were open to the park so as to drive through, but visitors were asked to refrain from stopping. Quite ironic that the public was and still is being advised to avoid using public land.
Tunnel View Signs – 2013 Federal Shutdown
Having traveled through Yosemite so many times it was incredibly sad and frustrating to not be able to enjoy the scenery as I might normally. I cannot emphasize how frustrating it was to have something of such beauty in reach, but yet deliberately taken away. Lucky for you though I’ve developed a set of images taken during my trip that just might evoke that frustration as I felt. Below are the amazing views of Yosemite as taken during my time in Yosemite during the first days of the U.S. government shutdown.
El Capitan Sunset – 2013 Federal Shutdown
Tuolumne Meadows – 2013 Federal Shutdown
Half Dome from Olmstead Point – 2013 Federal Shutdown
El Capitan – 2013 Federal Shutdown
Tunnel View – 2013 Federal Shutdown
Deer in El Capitan Meadow – 2013 Federal Shutdown
Tenaya Lake – 2013 Federal Shutdown
Photo Details:
iPhone 5S with blur achieved in camera at the time of capture.For more on why the national parks were shut down I recommend this NPR article and broadcast:
National Parks Close As Other Public Lands Stay OpenCopyright Jim M. Goldstein, All Rights Reserved
Government Shutdown Effect – Yosemite National Park
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Shadowless – Yosemite National Park


While it can be enticing if not blinding over time to chase golden hour light I’ve come to savor the moments I can explore a foggy landscape. While photographers will often use depth of field and lighting (ex. rim lighting, naturally occurring spot lighting, back lighting, etc.) to place an added emphasis of focus on a subject fog provides a naturally occurring means of doing the same thing. Fog both obscures and isolates subjects while bringing out naturally occurring color. Leveraging these qualities of fog with the right subject and you can produce a moody and timeless photo.
Around this time last year while driving to the Owens Valley, via Tioga Pass through Yosemite, I was pleasantly surprised that most of high country was socked in with extremely heavy fog. Ironic in such a majestic landscape I could be so excited to have obscured views. Rather than focus on the bigger elements of the landscape the fog provided a means to see the finer details and work to capture them in an intimate fashion. If you’re ever driving through a scenic location with heavy fog my recommendation is duck off the road to a safe spot and explore the area with your camera.
Photo Details
5 image vertical panoramic, Canon 5D Mark II, Canon EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, 1/100 sec, f/9, ISO 320Copyright Jim M. Goldstein, All Rights Reserved
Shadowless – Yosemite National Park
The post Shadowless – Yosemite National Park appeared first on JMG-Galleries – Landscape, Nature & Travel Photography.
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Yosemite Falls Moonbow and Star Trails


Last Spring I decided to hike up Yosemite Falls Trail to spend the better part of an evening photographing Upper Yosemite Falls to capture a moonbow, star trails and a time-lapse. As you might imagine I was the only person nutty enough to try this and the only living creature I saw for much of the evening was a couple of raccoons. Hiking up to this spot with 2 sets of cameras and tripods seemed like it made good sense at the time, but it was no fun hiking down in the darkness with all this gear when I realized I left my headlamp back at camp.
If you happen to enjoy my star trail photography and you’re in the San Francisco bay area be sure to attend the San Francisco Lightroom User Group meeting this Thursday at 6:30 PM. I’ll be the guest speaker discussing my post-processing techniques in Photoshop & Lightroom.
Copyright Jim M. Goldstein, All Rights Reserved
Yosemite Falls Moonbow and Star Trails
The post Yosemite Falls Moonbow and Star Trails appeared first on JMG-Galleries – Landscape, Nature & Travel Photography.
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Dogwoods, Yosemite National Park

Dogwoods, Yosemite National Park
“To love beauty is to see light.” – Victor Hugo
This Victor Hugo quote in its original context had nothing to do with photography, but it is quite appropriate to photographers and those who love photography. Not only does nature photography revolve around the art of light and seeing, much to Hugo’s original intent, beauty inspires and gives us hope. One of the many reason I enjoy photography and share it with others.
Photo Details:
Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 50mm f/1.0 at f/1.0, ISO 320, at 1/3200/secCopyright Jim M. Goldstein, All Rights Reserved
Dogwoods, Yosemite National Park
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All That Glitters – Milky Way Above Yosemite Forest

The Milky Way rises above the trees in Yosemite National Park, California
One of the most amazing sights often overlooked on dark nights is the Milky Way. Tired, road weary and focusing on the road ahead its easy for travelers to miss out on the the scene above them at night. On a recent trip to Yosemite National Park I made a conscious effort to stop the car every so often when driving to survey the night sky above me. It wasn’t an easy thing to do due to a good amount of sleep deprivation, but the results sure paid off. Seeing the rising Milky Way is a sure fire way to put life’s challenges in perspective.
In this single exposure, trees in the foreground are lit by the ambient light of my cars headlights. The magical halo around some of the stars is an in-camera trick. Combined I’m fond of how the connection between heavens and Earth came out.
Photo Details
Canon 5D Mark III, Zeiss Distagon T* 2.8/15 ZE, ISO 6400, 30 sec – single exposure
Equipement courtesy of BorrowLenses.comCopyright Jim M. Goldstein, All Rights Reserved
All That Glitters – Milky Way Above Yosemite Forest
The post All That Glitters – Milky Way Above Yosemite Forest appeared first on JMG-Galleries – Landscape, Nature & Travel Photography.
Comments
- Very impressive shot! You have done light painting with your … by Claudio Pia
- What date and time was this? Was planning a trip up there to … by Michelle
- What was the aperature? by josh Hagins
- This looks like a HDR photo. I have not seen better. by Rich
- That’s fantastic Jim! by Dal68
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Gates of the Valley By Moonlight, Yosemite

Yosemite Valley seen under moonlight during a long exposure
“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.”
? Marcus AureliusCopyright Jim M. Goldstein, All Rights Reserved
Gates of the Valley By Moonlight, Yosemite
The post Gates of the Valley By Moonlight, Yosemite appeared first on JMG-Galleries – Landscape, Nature & Travel Photography.
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