California Exploits – Climbing, hiking, etc…

I just returned from a recent trip to California.  I went with some of my college climbing partners and spent about two weeks photographing places like Lake Tahoe, Death Valley, the Eastern Sierra Nevada, and Yosemite National Park.  Toss in some hiking and rock climbing and we had a great time.  Below are some of my images from the trip.

Death Valley National Park.  I used a wide angle lens to accent the shapes in the salt flat, and a tripod in order to maximize depth of field.

 

 I made this image of my buddy Rob climbing in the Buttermilks just outside of Bishop, California.

 

Rob spotting Kevin while climbing in the Buttermilks.

 

 

Rob climbing at sunrise.

 

Rob just finishing a climb before sunrise.

 

Rob carrying my crashpad across a stream.

 

Kevin finishing a bouldering problem.  I needed to climb the boulder first, and then have someone throw me my camera.

 

Dusk at Mono Lake near Lee Vining, California.  The mist was created by using a slow shutter (several seconds) and a tripod.  The strange formations are called tufas.  They are created when the water level drops to reveal the hardened material around springs.

 

Sunrise on the Sierra Nevada with Mono Lake in the foreground.  A graduated neutral density filter was used in order to balance the exposure on the mountains and the exposure on the tufa.

 

More sun on the tufas.

 

We climbed Half Dome in Yosemite National Park in the dark in order to be on top for sunrise.  This is a self portrait I made using a tripod.

 

Kevin reaching the top of the cables on Half Dome a few minutes before sunrise.

 

The glove pile below the cables on Half Dome.  Leather gloves are provided to protect your hands while climbing the steap cables.

 

Rob climbing the cables up Half Dome as the sun is rising behind him.

 

A hiker on the Mist Trail in Yosemite National Park.  Waterfalls like these are formed any time you have the sun to your back and water droplets in the air.  I used a polarizer to add contrast.

 

The moon over Tenaya Peak and Lake in Yosemite National Park.

 

Rob climbing on Lover’s Leap in Lake Tahoe while Karen belays him from below.  In order to photograph climbers, I have to climb the route ahead of them with my parter and then anchor myself to the wall.

 

Rob climbing Lover’s Leap.

 

Karen climbing with Lake Tahoe in the background.  For this, I actually rapelled down a fixed line next to this route and hung in my harness.