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Although extremely similar to the image posted in a previous article, this is a new image. I chose it  for a couple of reasons.

Nearly 3 years to the day after my first visit to Yosemite, I made this image. Both images were captured while standing next to my mentor, peer and friend, Gary Hart. Somehow, having lived my whole life just 3 hours to the North, I had never visited the park. From my perspective that makes Gary somewhat analogous to a crack dealer as Yosemite has become an addiction for me. Fortunately the analogy ends pretty quickly as I haven’t started stealing car stereos to pay for reservations at Curry Village. That said, it’s probably still a good idea for you to lock your car.

Today also marks the 1 year anniversary of this blog. My original goal was to just find a way to share my images with more people. An unintended benefit, I believe that it’s also made me a better photographer.  I started out with a simple desire to explain the process that I used to make the images that I was sharing. Over time, the process of describing how and why moved from my office to the field. Understanding that there needs to be a reason behind each image has caused me to slow down and ask myself “why” before I click the shutter. A result of that process is that I’m not taking as many pictures but I’m throwing fewer away.

I’d also like thank you, the readers, of this blog for taking some time out of your lives to wade through my ramblings and to view my images. Photography is something that I do primarily for myself but it’s a lot more fun when I can share my work. To help say thanks I’d like to send a print to a couple of lucky readers. Just be the first two people to contact me on Facebook and correctly answer the following question: “I bought one new camera and one new lens within the last year. What did I buy?”  Winners will receive a print of their choosing from last years blog images. Click early, click often.

Contest over – thanks!

Cheers