Yosemite Valley - Inspiration Point

There are places that truly inspire the soul in this world. Yosemite Valley is one such place for me. The sheer granite walls and towering geological features never fail to elicit within me an awe toward the powerful forces of Nature with a capital "N". Certainly Inspiration Point is a visual high point in this place of photographic wonders. No one standing there today with a camera at the ready can forget the iconic images of Ansel Adams. Yet Adams isn't the first nor the last person to attempt to capture the essence of Yosemite on film. So how could I resist?

Inspiration Point is spectacular in color, especially when weather crowds the valley with clouds and shadows. I caught this view on one visit and was quite pleased with it.

The drama of light is amazing. It is just as amazing, if not more so, in black and white. This was a different visit.


Both images took a bit of luck and several hours of waiting. Fortunately the clouds were properly majestic and the light magnificent. I like them both; but the black and white is special to me. It is my "Adams" moment. And while no one will forsake him for me, I can at least feel that I have felt the same rush he must have experienced when capturing for posterity that one grand, fleeting instance in this timeless place.