San Diego — This coming weekend is the Nature and Landscape Class’s field trip to Yosemite. So everyone, including me, is getting ready for it. Batteries for cameras and other battery powered accessories are on the chargers as I write. I’ve cleaned lenses and one of the DSLR bodies with one to go.
The weather is expected to be mild (in low 70s during the day and mid 40s at night) so I am laying out clothing accordingly. According to the Park website the water is flowing as normal for early Spring which is great and means the waterfalls will be running solidly. The only mild disappointment is that it is expected to be clear skies all that weekend. The shots can be so much more dramatic with some good puffy clouds or even a storm blowing through. However it does open the door for some possibly great night shooting.
It also means that the best shooting will be mornings as the sun rakes into the valley and afternoons as it leaves. We’ll need to concentrate on the features themselves since the skies are not forecast to give us good and interesting counterpoints. The good news is that it is NEVER a bad day to shoot in Yosemite. There are days when the weather is miserable and all you want to do is sit by the fire in the lodge with a cup of hot cocoa, but some of the most exciting photographs can be taken in that wretched weather. This clear blue sky weather is actually more of a challenge.
Once again we will stay out of the park in El Portal, a little enclave of motels and gas stations (at galactic level fuel prices) to the west of the park on the road from Merced. We stay at the Cedar Lodge which is a pleasant motel which gives us a good group rate each year. The drive into the park follows the river as it tumbles down through a series of rapids from the park so there is potential shooting all the way.
I am SOOOOOO looking forward to this trip. I’ve got some top students coming along so it should result in some good images.
Meantime, there are still classes to do before we leave so I am off to finish grading before some critiques scheduled for this week.
Travels with Rocinante 
Speaking of night photography, the Lyrid meteor shower will be at its peak late Saturday night. Combine that with a new moon and it should be a pretty bright display.
Hey thanks for letting me know.
D