patricia emerson mitchell photography
the way I see the world
It is very rare for me to post anything but flowers these days, and even those are frequently from past years, due to my feeling as if I’m running on empty much of the time. But I just posted this over on the Facebook group page Dan has managed for years, to say goodbye, as he’s closing that down at the end of the month, so I may as well share it here as well … right?
I’ve not looked at my August backpack photos for quite some time, but today I was in the mood to check more of them out. Very frequently I need to let images rest a while and see them differently when I return to them. This is happening both with the Ansel Adams Wilderness area images and with some from our New England adventure. I’m grateful I’ve learned not to trash images too quickly!
This particular photo is from a special trek I took with one of the other photographers on our trip, Jerry Bosworth. It was a very special hike for me, and a privilege to go on this adventure with him. Because of the clouds I was seeing — and after the horrible storm we had earlier in the week — I was just sure we’d end up getting rained on. Turns out it only threatened but never did more than that. Whew!
And since I’ve mentioned Jerry, here he is, at work! (Later, on our hike back down, he helped me cross a creek. Otherwise I’m really not sure what I would have done!)
I’ve had very little time to look back at the photos from our photography pack trip (following that week we did two other trips: August was quite the full month for travel!), but perhaps this month will allow for more. I finally did work on this one image: when I saw this rock I found it rather humorous. I don’t know if anyone else on our trip saw it the same way, and I neglected to ask while we were on the trip, but I revisited it several times.
It’s impossible to tell the size of this rock from the image, but I can tell you it was quite huge, rather than those smaller images we get of rocks we find interesting (I have some of those too, though, and I’ll share them eventually). I was looking across an expanse and spotted all the faces. Perhaps you’ll see them as well. You can pretty easily see a couple of faces, but if you continue to peer at the rock you just might find more.
Or maybe I just have a crazy imagination.
As I mentioned in another post, I was able to go on a trip with some landscape photographers, and had a fabulous time.
Now I’m not the landscape photographer my friends are (I continue to try and learn), but I will share this because … well .. because I can! I’m so grateful to be able to tag along with these folks. What a wonderful, wonderful trip!
Dan and I recently went on a pack trip (using mules to cart all our heavy equipment in, which is a treat) in the Sierra Nevada with some wonderful photographer friends. The hike wasn’t easy for me, but I made it, and the beauty of the location was just incredible. We hit all sorts of weather — rain, thunder, lightening, hail, sun — yep, we seemed to hit it all! I’m so grateful that I am able to do these trips, but I realize a couple of things: 1) I really need to work on fitness! 2) I need to learn how to “see” better (flowers I can do, but the “all of it” is such a challenge for me … besides, I’m rather intimidated by the other photographers who are simply amazing).
But speaking of flowers … have this elephant’s head image:
Oh you know … just another meadow and mountains photo. (But seriously, I sure wish I could get back out on an adventure of some sort. I’m grateful for my teaching work, but I need a vacation, I think!)
John Muir Wilderness
Just a bunch ‘o rocks in the high country — John Muir Wilderness.
Yes, another card collection, good for the holidays!
