A few Sierra images from my Canon 20D this summer.

[Buck Forester]

I didn't get out as much as usual last summer because I got married and got my wife pregnant (at least I hope it was me), but I still managed quite a few backpacking/camping trips. I like my 20D in many regards and I like my Elan 7 film camera in many regards. Being a landscape photography I don't like the 1.6x crop factor at all with my digital. Ick. I also still prefer the look of Fuji Velvia 50 film, usually, but there are times I like how the digital version came out better. So I shoot with both. I didn't shoot much film this summer because my wife didn't want me spending katrillions of dollars on film, which is why she spent katrillions on my 20D, so I shot mostly digital to make up for it. Now I really want a full-frame Canon 5D, but first I have to find a buyer for my left kidney before I can afford it. I'll post a few images from my 20D.



Here's a photo of an undisclosed location somewhere in the western hemisphere. That's all I'm gonna reveal about where this beautiful place is located. I know, it's selfish of me to try and keep it for myself, but if I tell you where it is here on a public forum, it will become overrun with tourists. Word will get out. I just know it. Forgive me.






Here's an image of the same area, looking down on it from a place I shall call, "Near Inspiration Point", which means nothing to you since you have no idea where this place is in the first place. This was late afternoon, or is it early evening? I used a 3-stop hard Galen Rowell/Singh-Ray GND filter. I just like saying "Galen Rowell". Galen secretly referred to this place as "The Cirque Of The Unmentionables". He climbed many of these walls, but then again, maybe he didn't. You don't know.






Here's another top secret area. The only access here is through a looooong tunnel underneath Area 51, aka Dreamland, aka Groom Lake, which may or may not exist. According to National Geographic Adventure magazine, these are all 14,500' peaks. The trail you see my dogs on, Heidi and Sierra, is actually a Sasquatch migration trail. It's not heavily used, but Sasquatch is a heavy animal, so it just looks heavily used.






This'll be last one for now, my break at work is over. These are my hiking partners at Marsh Lake in the John Muir Wilderness, taken in the morning from my campsite perched up on a granite knoll above the lake. I found some old biscuit crumbs and poop which I suspect came from John Muir himself. I had to hike a good, oh, 1/2 mile or so to reach this beautiful spot. Don't try this unless you are in excellent condition and fully trained on extremely flat-trails for insanely short distances. Otherwise it's brutal. I don't wanna mention how many mosquitoes were killed during the making of this photograph because I don't even wanna think about it. This was a 15-minute exposure in manual bulb mode using a cable release. I just told me dogs to "stay". They remained completely still the entire time. They're amazing. Thank you, you may now all be seated.

[Buck Forester]

Okay, I found a few more.



This is a shot of an egg flower that I saw on my way to Yosemite this spring. There were lots of them. They're huge.




Here's a carton of them, Grade AAA.




I took my 20D parasailing on Lake Tahoe this summer. It was harsh, mid-day light but it was still fun! I clipped a beener onto the chute line and unclipped from the chute seat and slid back down the rope to the boat and scared the crud out of the driver. He looked up at the parasail and looked at me and looked back up and, it was priceless. He sued me, but it was worth every penny.




Since I think Yosemite Valley is THE most beautiful spot on earth, I went there a lot this year. This is late spring when Ribbon Fall was still flowing strong, with the Merced River in the foreground. For those who have never been to the Sierra, that big granite wall is the east face of Mt. Whitney.




This is Bridal Veil Fall, which only flows for 2 weeks of the year. My timing was wonderful. It dried up right after I took this shot.




This is the northeast shore of Lake Tahoe on a glassy calm day. I threw rocks into the lake to make waves.




I'll be Mr. Obvious here and say these are boats in the water at Lake Tahoe. There's a dock on the right. In the sky there are wavy clouds.




A sunset view of Lake Tahoe through the trees. I had my chainsaw with me to cut down the distracting trees that ruined my view, but by the time I cut them all down it was too late. The sun had already set. Still, I made the forest healthier by doing so.




This is a sunflower and a daisy.





I wanted to try a little scuba diving to see how my 20D did underwater, so I went to Monterey and snapped this shot of some jelly fish. It wasn't until I saw a lot of tourists staring back at me underwater that I realized I was actually in the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Oh well, the fine was worth it once the biologists yanked me out.





Here's a rare long-beaked pygmy penguin that I saw off the Monterey Coast. Penguins in California? This global warming has got to be stopped.




This is Fordyce Creek, which I backpacked up a couple times this year just so I could go backpacking up Fordyce Creek.





Another shot of Eagle Falls flowing into Lake Tahoe. I go there a lot because it's very pretty and Galen Rowell has been here.





I guess this is how Rainbow Falls in Devil's Postpile got its name. Either that or it's pure coincidence I saw a rainbow that day.





I was setting up my tripod at the base of the Devil's Postpile when all these column blocks crumbled off the wall and crashed at my feet. I was nearly crushed. I took this shot and ran and soon afterwards the rest of them fell. I think there's one column left if you guys wanna still go check it out.




I was driving back from the east Sierra, over Monitor Pass, when I saw this sunset. So I took it with my 20D and I ain't giving it back.




Heidi and Sierra at the base of Rainbow Fall early in the morning. They're closely watching an elephant seal that made it's way up this far from the Pacific Ocean and was stopped by the fall and forced to return to the ocean. It was heartbreaking to witness, but hey, that's nature at work.



A long exposure on Rainbow Fall as the first rays of light came over the top.

[Shawn]

Holy smokes Buck - those are AWESOME!

PS. The humor is great and your dogs are beautiful.

[Buck Forester]

I did some kayaking and canoeing at Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park this year too. This is the put-in, called the Rat Farm, on a misty morning, due to the mist.



More mist from the same place.


This was taken just before the above photo at Ahjumawi... Mt. Shasta was barely visible through the mist. I know, because I was there.




Ahjumawi Lava Springs, early morning, a few steps from our campsite. giantbrookie, if you by chance are reading this, the rainbows in this lake and springs are HUGE!!!




I guess I was busier than I thought last summer. Here's our camp at Helen Lake on our July Mt. Shasta climb, in July. Taking pictures with the 20D is almost like cheating because it's so easy.




Here I am on the Avalanche Gulch Route, waiting, waiting, waiting for the exact right moment to kick that rock down on the climber below me.




It was an exciting trip and I was able to assist an injured climber who took a 1000' fall down the mountain where a helicopter rescue was needed. Those people in the background aren't really that small.




The climber was hurt pretty bad, but by the time the landing chopper flung rocks into his body and teeth from the rotary wind, he was really bad off. My 20D was there to easily capture the excitement. If my film camera was loaded with Fuji Velvia 50 I would have missed these types of shots. Don't we all want injured climber shots? Sure we do.




My campsite in Little Lakes Valley with quite a view on a wonderful morning. It was the softest granite I ever laid on.




The 20D is so easy to use, even my wife can use it. She took this of me for a headshot a few weeks ago that National Geographic Adventure magazine needed. It was perfect except she didn't see the shadow from the tripod and her body across my face. There goes a perfect shot. Dang. I can't blame her, she knows nothing of lighting.




Spring runoff again at Eagle Falls.





More splash detail. The 20D is cheating, I tell ya. Need to silk out the water? Put it on ISO 100. Need fast action? Crank it to 800 or even 1600 ISO or even 3200 ISO. On the fly. It's pure, 100% unadulterated cheating.



With the 20D, even my brother-in-law can take a shot of my bride and me while sitting in the pew.




With this friggin' camera you can even shoot from the hip into a cruise ship mirror and it still comes out.





And by golly, if your wife wants to get a photograph of you kissing, it even has a 10 second timer.

I think that'll do for now. Carry on.

[Windwalker]

So that's what Mount Whitney looks like!

Love the egg flowers and penguins and such too!

You Rock Buck© !!!

[Buck Forester]

Thanks Shawn and Windwalker!

Oh, and Mr. Walker, the name's Shooter. Storm Shooter.

[Shawn]

Here's a photo of an undisclosed location somewhere in the western hemisphere.

[copeg]

Amazing photos and naration Buck!

[Snow Nymph]

Great photos, and captions! You got me laughing this morning!

[yosemitechris]

Your pictures make me want to GO there! I backpacked to Pioneer Basin after I saw one of your shots! Thanks and carry on!