People vs Tools



What the Duck by Aaron Johnson

 I think it's amazing how ignorance plays such a big role with a certain percentage of folks when it comes to photography or art for that matter. What's my gripe today? It's actually an every so often gripe. It's the one when people tell me, "You must have a really nice camera (or phone)," when they are drawn to a photo I've taken. In other words, the camera shot the photo; not me. If you see nice penmanship, do you tell that person that they must have a really nice pen? Or if you read an excellent book, do you tell the author that they must've had a really nice computer or typewriter?? No. All of these objects are the tools or devices used by the navigator. My camera, whether it's my cell phone camera, my Nikon or someone else's camera, is a tool, people! Just like my paintbrush; it's a tool. The brush doesn't paint the canvas on it's own.

I've handed my "really nice" camera over to people to take photos of their own. Rarely is the final result a well framed shot. A photo requires the ability to scan an area that's void of structures blocking the overall view or coming out of people's heads within a matter of mili seconds. When photographing people, you need to make sure the shot isn't backlit (light hitting from behind) or their faces will be dark. This only works when it's an intentional silhouette scene. When photographing babies, children, pets or plants, the navigator (photographer) needs to get low to the ground. I'm definitely not afraid to lay on my stomach in order to get the right angle.

I'm just saying that there is quite a bit of insight that comes with snapping photos; at least for me. And that although it may have taken me less than a second to snap, a part of me that clicked with nature or the person in the photo has been preserved forever. I will say, however, that I don't use my cameras to their full potential. I point and shoot. I prefer natural light so I rarely shoot with flash.
Next time you see someone with a "really nice" camera, don't assume they have "really nice" photos. But hey.... they may just surprise you!

Ideals

We all have our ideals... Our limits. Sometimes we're overachievers and sometimes we drink too much and settle. LoL Ok ok.... The latter only happened in my younger, "I don't care" days.

Growing up, I knew that I wanted a lot more out of life. I wanted to be "normal". But was was normal? To me, it was being a part of the middle class someday. I grew up as an only child to a single mother in the projects without a phone, car, cable or video games. Once I was aware of my economically challenged status, I vowed to do tons better financially, materialistically and educationally before my future off-spring were even a sparkle in my eye. I was so embarrassed to be near my mom when she'd pull out her assortment of food stamps that I'd wait for her outside. I'd hang my head when she'd smile and add that she'd rented a grocery cart to haul the groceries home. I grew up submerged in gang violence, drugs, rape and molestation. I grew up being mocked by surrounding neighborhood rats for being in band and eventually for having a job. Friday night football games became nights of terror due to the weekly drive-by; which led to having to spend the night elsewhere (I was in marching band = Friday night games).

I think that belonging to an organization like band is what kept my head above water. It kept me away from home for long periods of time. It forced me to keep my grades above average if I wanted to travel or participate. Side note: my biggest mistake was the choice I made in my instrument. I say it was a mistake because I had to haul it home with me on a daily basis which meant 3+ miles if I walked one-way. It weighed a lot and drew a lot of attention. Luckily, I had some of my friends' parents that gave me rides to school during marching season since we had to out on the field by 6:30 am. The not-so-lucky parts were hearing the same parents demeaning comments about me living in the projects. That if I needed a ride, I'd have to walk the mile to their home. Not all parents were this way, though. A couple rarely judged nor belittled me. It wasn't until they got to know me, that their judgement in me ceased. On one occassion I'd asked a fellow band geek if he'd give me a ride home. He did a couple of times but eventually would run and hide when he saw me coming so that I wouldn't have a chance to ask him for a ride home. lol True story. Eventually I cornered him and said that he didn't have to run and hide. That I wouldn't be asking him for rides anymore. I really should've quit band after elementary school with all the hassles I put other people through to give me a hand out in rides. Maybe in my next life time. ;)
Anyhow, the point in all of this is that I never wanted my child to be ridiculed for wearing Pro-Wings or to be frowned on due to being a kid from the projects. I wanted to raise a child who was sympathetic to those in need. It's not the child's fault for the life that was set before them. Kids can be cruel. Adults can be cruel. I chose to teach and educate my child about life at an early age. I've been told that I speak to my Mini Me as if he were an adult. I don't mind because he's aware of his surroundings. He's aware of what's to come. He carries knowledge with him. He walked into kindergarten knowing he should come to me immediately if he was touched inappropriately. That a threat by anyone meant nothing to what I or his dad would do to that person (adult or child). He hasn't yet reached puberty but he knows what changes are coming for both boys and girls. He knows that he has the power to stop the teasing. I used to physically beat up boys for being bullies to myself or others. My Mini Me is more sensitive than I was. However, he's picked up a smart mouth a whole lot quicker than I had by his age. I learned that trait way passed my high school years. *sigh*
The things I could've come back with when a certain middle school female sports all-star ridiculed my shoes, my attire... My being. I didn't have a daddy buying me brand new Nikes every week. Heck! I didn't even know what Nikes were before she glorified them. I've never owned a pair because they remind me of who they represent. Bitter? Not exactly. I learned who's example not to follow. And I just have a great memory.

I am who I am because of where I came from. I parent how I parent because of what I experienced. I have what I have because I didn't have much. I evolve and evolve because I want more out of life. I expose my Mini Me to life from all angles because I was under-exposed (ignorant). It's funny, but By watching "Seventh Heaven", I learned that it was ok to hand a child knowledge.

Although I've reached the ideals I'd craved as a child, I still want more. I'm too restless to be stagnant. My 1st marriage was idealistic, at first. He was a supervisor for a great defense company. He was a weekend warrior; which meant primo suprimo benefits. He knew how to cook and was very clean and well taken care of. So what happened? Well, I wasn't the same little girl he married. I evolved and he remained the same. My goals changed and his remained the same. Prior to meeting me, he'd traveled the world. I feel that I still haven't and have remained restless. The awesome and most amazing thing about this marriage is that we had my Mini Me and I learned a heck of a lot about myself and what I need and want. Obviously, the spark has to be there. If it's not, then no matter how pretty the relationship looks, it's just not going to work. Even if the spark is there, if there are too many "buts" in the relationship, it's just bound to fail. Although, I'm "happily" divorced, my ex is my family. He's still the one I can count on or call on if I truly need something and vice versa. The good thing is that we have remained friends, for lack of a better term. He can still call me to ask me how to defragment his computer and I can call to borrow the camping table. ;)

Yosemite and beyond!

Fresh Fruit from the local Fruit Stand (taken w/ cell phone)

I thank God, the Universe, El Guero Chuy y todos los angelitos for allowing my Mini Me and I to relish in the beauty of Mother Nature along w/ thousands of other Yosemite treckers.

Day 1 (May 20):

As much as I'd planned on being up and out of the hotel by 6 a.m., it was a big fat happy FAIL. We arrived sometime after 11 pm the night before and had a tough time getting up the next morning. When I woke up, I was in so much pain. The entire flight was one of the most excruciating experiences I'd had with pain. It felt as if my left calf had split in half. The funny thing is that when I drove up to our hotel, I noticed that there was an Urgent Care right next door. It was closed, but figured if I really had to go then I'd go the following morning. It was so bad that I was wishing I had Vicodin (stuff prescribed to me after my C-section with my son). It took me a long time to get ready during the morning before finally realizing that I'd packed some Motrin. Duh! I popped in 2 pills and hoped for the best. By the time we'd gone down for breakfast, I felt zero pain. Nada. Zilch. I kept praying that I'd be pain free for the hike.

The happy part of the FAIL about us leaving late is that by the time we left the hotel (2.5 hours later than planned), the local farm fruit stands were open along highway 41. The pic on the right shows what we purchased for $6 and ate on our drive up to Yosemite. They were soooo gooooooood. Nom nom nom. If you miss this fruit stand on your way out of Fresno, you'll have another fruit stand available in Oakhurst, CA.

There are two little towns that we drove through that reminded me of Cloudcroft or Ruidoso, NM; Coarsegold and Oakhurst, CA. Oakhurst is about 1/2 an hour away from the southern Yosemite gate or ~1 hour from the Yosemite Valley.



Oakhurst on Highway 41 (taken w/ cell phone)

Oakhurst on Highway 41 (taken w/ cell phone)

I'd probably stay in Oakhurst the next time I visit Yosemite.... unless I stay in the valley. :)

For starters, the following photo depicts what I hauled around during our hike. My camera, camera backpack, 2 trail mix pks, beef steak nuggets (aka beef jerky), 2 water bottles, ponchos and hiking stick (not shown). My Mini Me had a Camelback which holds water in a form of a backpack. Also, not shown, is my bottle of Motrin. For me, personally, I should've also packed a belt! Will tell more about that later...

Hiking supplies (taken w/ cell phone)

Initially I was hesitant to carry a hiking stick the entire way due to holding a camera in one hand most of the time, but it was one of the best ideas my son had! They came in handy during the Mist Trail hike.

The Yosemite park fee is $20 per personal auto and is good for 7 days. I made sure to keep my receipt to re-enter for day 2. If you live by the area, I'd guess that paying $40 a year for an annual pass is well worth it. Once you cross the gate, it's another 20 minutes or so before you start to really see photogs in the area. You pass through a tunnel.



Yosemite Tunnel

 

Once you pass the tunnel, you'll see parking immediately on your right or left hand sides. Park! This is where you'll get to see an exceptional view of the valley.



Photogs taking pix of Yosemite's Valley view





Ansel Adam's famous shot of the Yosemite Valley with my Mini Me in the forefront :)



In another 5-10 minute drive towards the valley, you'll come across another pit stop: The Brideveil Falls. This is when you'll need a poncho (which I wasn't aware of and didn't walk over prepared with one). My Mini Me wasn't too happy about us turning away from the falling mist due to my camera. However, I was able to get a few shots of the mist the Brideveil Falls produced. 



Mist falling off of Brideveil Falls



My Mini Me observing the mist off of the Brideveil Falls


Another 3-5 minute drive brings you into another pit stop where you'll see Yosemite Falls on the right and another waterfall on the left.



Yosemite Falls

 And across the street is:



Falls across the street from Yosemite Falls



Another 3-5 minute drive onward on Highway 41, you'll finally come across Yosemite Valley. We headed towards the right seeking parking in Curry Village. The goal for the day was to hike up and down the Mist Trail leading up to the Vernal Falls. It was a high goal given the pain I'd been in. I popped 2 more Motrin before hitting the trail. Below are the photos I took along the way via Nikon D90 and Samsung Galaxy S cell phone (un-tagged w/ my watermark logo).



Trail leading from the Curry Village parking lot over into the Mist Trail



Water run-off from the Vernal Falls



My Mini Me and Myself. :D



Beginning of the Mist Trail





My favorite shot of my Mini Me on the Mist Trail



Aside from walking up the inclined trail, there are these 600 steps leading up to the top of the Vernal Falls. Aside from the entire inclination, I had to hold up my pants manually or they would've fallen around my ankles! Grrrrr! **insert roaring laughter**  :/

My Mini Me making his way up the slippery steps on the Mist Trail (taken w/ cell phone)

The only place you'll have to go under a rock along the Mist Trail (taken w/ cell phone)



Pretty rainbows reflecting off the mist from the Vernal Falls



Vernal Falls :)



This is the last portion of the Mist Trail.... and yeah... I was freaked out! (taken w/ cell phone)



View from the top of the Vernal Falls





Emerald Pool-- located on the same trail passed the Vernal Falls



Nevada Falls-- found on the trail after the Vernal Falls



The mist looked and felt amazing! (taken w/ cell phone)

This is why the hiking sticks came in handy. My legs were shaking most of the way down. (taken w/ cell phone)

Mountain Room Restaurant in the Yosemite Lodge -- where we had a delicious dinner ♥ (taken w/ cell phone)

You can see the Yosemite Falls from the back windows. Very nice ending to an amazing day. :)

Day 2 (May 21):

This day also began later than expected.... about 3 hours later. Woops! We stopped by the same Fruit Stand on the way to Yosemite and this time added Oakhurst's Subway to grab some sandwiches to eat in the park. As we were driving, we suddenly came to an abrupt stop. It turns out that even MORE folks visit Yosemite on the weekend. See below:



Let's all go to Yosemite!! (taken w/ cell phone)

Traffic behind me... (taken w/ cell phone)

We spent around 30 minutes or so waiting to get into the southern entrance. (taken w/ cell phone)

Despite all of the traffic, we got to rent bikes!! Woo hoo! (taken w/ cell phone)

Renting bikes was my Mini Me's idea. I wasn't sure that we'd be able to rent bikes because they're available on a first come first served basis. With the traffic we ran into, it being a weekend and us leaving Fresno super late, I was a little worried. But as quickly as the worry arrived, the worry left when my Mini Me said, "Don't worry, mom. We'll be able to rent bikes. You'll see." :) We rode around all of the valley and got to see more than I had expected to see. One of our first bike stops was Mirror Lake.



On the way to Mirror Lake




Mirror Lake


Surprisingly, I was a little disappointed with this lake. I'd assumed it was much larger than it truly is.



Rock sculpture area found straight across from Mirror Lake





Our bike rentals posed in front of the meadows.





My Mini Me running through the Meadow :)





My bike rental :)





Ansel Adams Gallery





The trail leading into the Lower Yosemite Falls





The bridge full of photogs taking shots of the Lower Falls





The Lower Yosemite Falls view from the bridge (You should wear your poncho or you'll get soaked)





Oh dear... there were several deer roaming around





By eavesdropping, I heard another photog say there was a hidden pond w/ a great reflection. Sure was!





This..... is my favorite shot. :)


On our way out of Yosemite, we headed over to the Mariposa Grove to see the tall, tall sequoia trees. This place is 2 miles from the southern gate. :)


Mariposa Grove..... pretty Sequoia trees





My Mini Me was freezing at this point of the trip....... **chattering teeth**





They were ginormous!





I spy something tall and green!


On my drive home (while my Mini Me was sleeping), I stopped at this bar-b-que place in Oakhurst for some dinner on the go. It wasn't too bad. ;)

Todd's Cookhouse Bar-b-que (taken w/ cell phone)

Overall, the entire weekend I spent it pain free. I really thank whatever entity is out there watching over us. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had this amazing experience. I chose not to cancel the trip in hopes that all would go well and it did. Everything happens for a reason, right? My guess is that our late starts each morning were so that we could savor the local fresh fruit and possibly avoid a strange mishap along the way.

I'd love to go back to visit Yosemite someday. Mainly because another area of it (Glacier Point) was closed due to the snowfall they had the previous weekend. The Half Dome was also closed, but I'm not so sure I'd attempt that climb quite yet.

I truly recommend vising Yosemite. It's so much more majestic in person. Not to mention it smells wonderful! ♥