Tuolumne Meadows is a special place for me and my family. Looking back over fifty years now, my first trips to the meadows were the end the college years I had planned for the future. I was starting my junior year in high school, I was bright and headed for UC Berkeley, but my life took a different path. I wound up attending the "University of Yosemite". I was a star climber in those years in the Valley, but my home was always in Tuolumne. Later I wondered why I didn't use my camera much in those days, but I knew that to be a successful climber, you had to be all-in, even in those years. I was not ready to be true photographer either, and I was definitely not ready to photograph the Meadows. It is a difficult place to work. After nearly fifty years, I feel ready. Most days now my thoughts are clear and I know when and why to point the camera. All camera adjustments are automatic these days, so I rarely have to spend effort on those left-side-of-the-brain distractions. It's a wonderful time in life to be an artist. Margaret and I have spent most of September in the Meadows. Our son, Dylan, is on the Tuolumne SAR team this summer, and this presented a perfect chance for us to spend time in our "home". I have had the opportunity to scout new locations, and to return again and again while I am finding the perfect light. I think that this year I will be visiting the Meadows all Autumn! Being the last car across Tioga Pass in November has always been very special to me, I am planning on being there on that last day!
