Sunrise over Half Dome

This past weekend, Sweetie and I went to Yosemite to join family and friends to say one last good-bye to Dad. We rose before dawn to drive up to Glacier Point. Just before we got there a bear crossed the road and ambled up into the pines. The sky was already beginning to lighten when we arrived.

At the lookout, a doe met us as we walked up to the lookout point. She was not shy.

We called her our escort.

It was beautiful morning.

We said our good-byes in the place dad loved so much. Every summer meant a week in Yosemite.

As the sun began to rise behind Half Dome, the clouds became very apparent and I did what I could to capture them.

My brother and nephew gazing out on the valley, lost in thought.

Sunbeams through the mist hanging over Yosemite.

Before we left, we gathered for a group photo.

As we made our way back to the parking lot, our escort awaited us.

She was quite gentle and unafraid and I was able to get quite close to her.

She walked with us as we headed for the parking lot, and then, she walked off into the woods.

It was a perfect morning in Yosemite.

Weekly Photo Challenge: The Golden Hour

This week’s photo challenge is: The Golden Hour. The golden hour refers to the hour just after sunrise and just before sunset. It makes the most beautiful light and lovely shadows.

Here are a few I’ve managed to capture.

Day 257 – Early Morning at the Reno Air Races

I’ll be at the 2012 Reno Air Races through Sunday, and while I’m taking a lot of photos, you probably won’t hear much from me. It’s pretty much a sunrise to sundown activity for the next few days.

Before the crowds come, the volunteers arrive and get things ready. This fellow is bringing a cooler to one of the box seats. I like how the lens flare frames his body.

As I wandered through the box seats, I snapped this box seat decoration. The guy who “owns” this box comes every year. For those of us who return, year after year, it is like a big family.

Day 8 – Sunrise

I took this shot about three times adjusting the f-stop and shutter speed each time. I liked this one the best as it caught the foreground nicely and still kept most of the detail of the sunrise.

After the sun was fully above the horizon I shot a bit more trying to catch some interesting color and shadow that quickly washes away as the sun rises in the sky.

I’m off. Much to do today!

Day 2

Two again today, because it’s a non-work day. Besides, I couldn’t let the sunrise go to waste. (Don’t expect this every day.)

And later in the day I wanted to experiment with turning off the automatic stabilizer so I set about shooting the coat rack and kept moving in closer and closer until I got here.