J Mark Photography: California - Wine, Coast, Yosemite.

Mark and I had a short break from weddings and wanted to visit our grandbaby (and his wonderful parents), stock up on some wine in Napa and Sonoma, and photograph Yosemite.

Napa and Sonoma

I love old trucks. I don’t know why, but I just do. The wine country is packed full of antique vehicles. There are so many wineries to visit, but if you want to taste some incredible wines, visit Siduri in Santa Rosa http://www.siduri.com/ It is not a traditional winery but you won’t be disappointed in one drop you taste. If you head over to Napa, take time to visit Caymus! http://www.caymus.com/ They have a wonderful sit down tasting which you should take advantage of. Make sure you say hi to Jeff!

Bodega Bay

We hoped to whale watch, but it was a bit misty. The area is really beautiful. We did stop for the most incredible clam chowder and crab rolls, ever. If you are in the area, make sure you stop at the Spud Point Crab Company! http://www.spudpointcrab.com/

Yosemite National Park

If I had to describe Yosemite in one word it would be breathtaking. Mark was like a kid in a candy store. Everywhere you turned there was another opportunity for great photography. The waterfalls are spectacular. Yosemite Falls ranks as the tallest in North America.

The Meadows and the Merced River

The open meadows are a unique feature of this park. The Merced river was crystal clear and simply beautiful.

Reflections

We had some tips on where to find reflections in the river but we still wondered around, on both sides of the river to find what we thought were just the right spots. This time of year the river is really flowing and reflections are a little hard to come by but we found a few. That morning was also good for catching the moon setting over a few of the big rocks.

Yosemite Falls

This was one of the shots Mark was looking forward to the most. There were just a few places to stand and set up a tripod and still get the entire waterfall without any trees in the way. You had to wait for the sun to illuminate the falls but before the sun was to bright on the rocks for the best light. As you can imagine there were several photographers there and all willing to share. Fun stuff.

Half Dome, Cathedral Rock, El Capitan

The granite rocks frame the entire valley. The massiveness can only be appreciated when you can see the tiny trees (which are huge) beneath them.

Glacier Point

A stunning view of the entire park. The Lyell Glacier is the largest glacier in Yosemite National Park and is one of the few remaining in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.