Feature Photo - Number 1


Taken:	August 1996 Evolution Valley, Sierra Nevada Mtns., CA
Technical:	Mid-afternoon ~ 3pm, clear skies Wirgen twin-lens reflex camera 16" x 16" sepia toner print

In August of 1996 a group of college friends and I took a trek into the heart of the Sierra Nevada into Evolution Valley. I decided to hike up the canyon wall to see a spring located about 1/3 of the way up. This stream had several small cascades intermingled with falls, wild flowers grew with abundance, and the view of the valley was superb. Following instinct as my trail, I looped to the left and soon down back toward the canyon floor, it was nearing 3pm and a refreshing swim in the river below seemed very tempting. Going down was harder than going up. Large granite boulders strewn the side of the canyon. As I scurried down, bouncing on and around the boulders and trees, one boulder caught my eye. There were trees painted on the side of it. I had never seen a sight like it before. I waked about looking from all different angles. The contours of the boulder played with the shadows bending them this way and that. These shadows were so sharp, and distinct I had to take their photographs. They were almost screaming for attention. I moved to several spots, used color and black and white film, and spent quite a while sitting on a small rock enjoying their presence.

My favorite image of the mid afternoon visit with the granite trees is the black and white 'Tree Shadows' , as seen above. I photographed the shadows using both my grandfathers camera (a Wirgen, twin lens reflex) and with my 35 mm. I have printed the image several times and have come to the opinion that I like it best at 16" x 16" with a slight warm tone. Shooting in the middle of the day is often frowned upon, as the light is very white, and the shadows are harsh. When the sun is low in the sky the light softens, and wraps around objects, bathing them in warm colored light. I am not one to often stick to photographic rules. All light has its own special qualities. In 'Tree Shadows‘, the large blocks of dark and light do tend to give it somewhat of a hard feeling. For this reason I used a sepia toner on the print, this softens the image and a lends a bark like feel to the darkness of the shadows.