BlackRockArt
Staff
A Full Circle: Twenty Years Ago and Today
On April 1st, 2006, I embarked on a trip to Yosemite National Park with six of my photography buddies.
We loaded into two SUVs and set off for the valley. As we drove through Groveland, the sky was darkening, and sporadic rain showers began to fall. Little did I know that this journey would turn out to be anything but ordinary.
I had visited Yosemite Valley a couple of times before during the summer, when it was hot, dry, and, frankly, rather unremarkable. I didn’t expect much from this trip, since it was during spring, which I assumed would still feel desolate.
We were staying at Curry Village, upon arriving at our cabin, we settled in for an early night.
In the early morning, way before dawn, my peaceful sleep was interrupted by a loud knocking on the door. “Get up! It’s snowing!” my friends shouted through the window. Startled, I quickly grabbed my clothes and gear and rushed outside.
The sight that greeted me was nothing short of magical. The valley was blanketed in fresh snow, with soft, fluffy flakes drifting gently through the air. The snow clung to every branch and pine needle, transforming the landscape into a gorgeous winter wonderland. The ground, which had been messy and overgrown, now appeared pristine and clean.
We drove around both the north and south sides of the valley, stopping frequently to take photos. It was a day I would never forget—a day that left me in awe of nature’s beauty, I was a giddy kid on Boxing day morning.
Fast forward 20 years, and here we are again.
Two weeks ago, I noticed an unusual weather forecast: a late spring snowstorm. I knew I couldn’t let this opportunity pass by. After three days of intermittent snowfall, the temperature dropped below 30°F, creating ideal conditions for snowflakes to fall and stick.
I took my students on a similar journey around the valley, capturing photos at familiar spots from years ago. While many scenes have changed over the decades, I feel incredibly lucky to live close to the park, allowing me to witness these transformations firsthand.
Your comments & critiques are welcome.
Oliver
Pictures taken 20 years ago:
These are recovered files which appear a bit rough because I got a corrupted hard drive disk & lost two years of files,
01 Lone Elm Tree
02 Sunrise Over The Mountain
03 The View From Swing Bridge
04 Sunburts
05 Upper Yosemite Fall
06 Mirror Lake
07 Mirror Lake El Capitan
08 Merced River Spring
09 Sentinel Bridge
10 River Rush
Now here are the photos taken two weeks ago:
11 Good morning
12 Merced River Trail
13 Upper Yosemite Fall
14 The Morning View From Swing Bridge
15 Upper Yosemite Fall From Cook Meadow
16 Elm Tree, I have been waiting for this shot for long time, the sun light has to strike at the tree at the right angle, the amount of snow on the branch needs to be the right amount, the snow has to be dry & fluffy.
17 Roadside
18 Sunburst, Morning
19 The Great Upper Yosemite Fall
20 Highway 120
21 Bridalveil Fall
22 Tunnel View
On April 1st, 2006, I embarked on a trip to Yosemite National Park with six of my photography buddies.
We loaded into two SUVs and set off for the valley. As we drove through Groveland, the sky was darkening, and sporadic rain showers began to fall. Little did I know that this journey would turn out to be anything but ordinary.
I had visited Yosemite Valley a couple of times before during the summer, when it was hot, dry, and, frankly, rather unremarkable. I didn’t expect much from this trip, since it was during spring, which I assumed would still feel desolate.
We were staying at Curry Village, upon arriving at our cabin, we settled in for an early night.
In the early morning, way before dawn, my peaceful sleep was interrupted by a loud knocking on the door. “Get up! It’s snowing!” my friends shouted through the window. Startled, I quickly grabbed my clothes and gear and rushed outside.
The sight that greeted me was nothing short of magical. The valley was blanketed in fresh snow, with soft, fluffy flakes drifting gently through the air. The snow clung to every branch and pine needle, transforming the landscape into a gorgeous winter wonderland. The ground, which had been messy and overgrown, now appeared pristine and clean.
We drove around both the north and south sides of the valley, stopping frequently to take photos. It was a day I would never forget—a day that left me in awe of nature’s beauty, I was a giddy kid on Boxing day morning.
Fast forward 20 years, and here we are again.
Two weeks ago, I noticed an unusual weather forecast: a late spring snowstorm. I knew I couldn’t let this opportunity pass by. After three days of intermittent snowfall, the temperature dropped below 30°F, creating ideal conditions for snowflakes to fall and stick.
I took my students on a similar journey around the valley, capturing photos at familiar spots from years ago. While many scenes have changed over the decades, I feel incredibly lucky to live close to the park, allowing me to witness these transformations firsthand.
Your comments & critiques are welcome.
Oliver
Pictures taken 20 years ago:
These are recovered files which appear a bit rough because I got a corrupted hard drive disk & lost two years of files,
01 Lone Elm Tree
02 Sunrise Over The Mountain
03 The View From Swing Bridge
04 Sunburts
05 Upper Yosemite Fall
06 Mirror Lake
07 Mirror Lake El Capitan
08 Merced River Spring
09 Sentinel Bridge
10 River Rush
Now here are the photos taken two weeks ago:
11 Good morning
12 Merced River Trail
13 Upper Yosemite Fall
14 The Morning View From Swing Bridge
15 Upper Yosemite Fall From Cook Meadow
16 Elm Tree, I have been waiting for this shot for long time, the sun light has to strike at the tree at the right angle, the amount of snow on the branch needs to be the right amount, the snow has to be dry & fluffy.
17 Roadside
18 Sunburst, Morning
19 The Great Upper Yosemite Fall
20 Highway 120
21 Bridalveil Fall
22 Tunnel View
Last edited:
