Obscure Photos From Better Known Locations
By John P. DeGrazio
Those who have shared time with me in the mountains know that our days are filled with equal parts photography, natural history, and laughter. At some point in the day, I often share a movie line stating it is my affliction to insert that quote into a situation where I feel it’s appropriate. The obscure lines seem to be the most effective drivers of my comedic attempts. Anyone who has played the game knows that the amount of laughter can increase with the level of obscurity. But one must be careful because if you go too obscure, you run the risk of losing your audience.
Anyone who writes a blog can relate to that last statement. All artists can, for that matter. There is an aversion to being too mainstream in most areas of our culture. In fact, “show me something that hasn’t been done before” tends to be a prevailing criticism of Yosemite photographers. It’s why I crave the summer hiking season when I can share daily Instagram photos from Yosemite trails that are only open a few short months every year. Although I receive great feedback from our followers, I often feel that this blog and these photos sit in relative obscurity.
As I mentioned earlier, all photographers feel that sense of being underexposed at times, to use a photography term. Even some of the most popular photographers I know have discussed this with me on some of our adventures. That is why it feels really good to be recognized by someone for your work. Up until a few months ago, my joke was I have the best blog that no one reads. We have seen measured traffic increases since our web design overhaul and understand it’s a process so I’ll save that rant for another day. I really do enjoy the feedback from everyone. Just the other day, one of our biggest fans shared with me how they believe some of our posts are written directly about them. They specifically shared how we inspire them to act with a high standard of ethics. It was very touching.
The bottom line is I share photos I believe are interesting, and satisfaction is derived from getting people excited about Yosemite. I am grateful for the feedback, and it’s also meaningful to receive recognition from photographer peers and members of the media. Just this past weekend, our Tumblr Yosemite Photo Blog which is a combination of this blog and our Instagram page was featured in a Modern Parenthood article in the Christian Science Monitor titled “National Trails Day: Explore America’s great landscapes online first” by Lane Brown. Thank you again, Lane. This recognition inspires me to go out and find new images to contribute.
I wanted to post these images from some well known locations in the spirit of the movie line game and our endless quest to rise above obscurity. All three photos reveal lesser known vistas from two of Yosemite’s most popular trails. Have you been there?
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