My relationship with Yosemite doesn’t have a beginning or end. Rather, it’s a collection of asynchronous memories that I’m still forming. Early memories, like following bobbing flashlights to Camp Curry to watch the Firefall, or warm evenings in lawn chairs at the garbage dump, waiting for the bears to come to dinner, are part of the glue that still bonds my family.

As I grew older, I started creating my own memories. Exploring Yosemite’s backcountry, I reclined beside gem-like lakes in granite basins, drank from streams that started the day as snow, and slept beneath an infinite canopy of stars. And all this to a continuous soundtrack of wind and water.

Not coincidentally, I became a nature photographer. Now every Yosemite trip includes a camera to help me capture and convey the essence of this special place. In the last 25 years my camera and I have returned more times than I can count, sometimes leaving home in the morning and returning that night, seven hours of driving for a six hour fix. But it’s never work.

Of course I’ve seen lots of change as my memories accumulate. The bears have been banished to the most remote corners of the park (with moderate success), the Firefall has been extinguished, and backpacking requires water purifiers and bear canisters. But the soaring granite and plummeting waterfalls are magnificent constants, an unchanging backdrop for Yosemite’s infinite combination of season, weather, and light.

Despite this magnificence, it’s hard to visit Yosemite without lamenting the crowds—or the “improvements” designed to accommodate the crowds. One recent Fourth of July weekend I foolishly tried to add a circumnavigation of Yosemite Valley to a trip from Glacier Point to Tuolumne Meadows. Motionless in traffic for 45 minutes, I calmed myself with a reminder that Yosemite’s crowds are really just a collection of individuals like me, establishing or reconnecting with their own relationship.

In that vein, my objective for this site is twofold: First, I want to share Yosemite’s splendor with the unfortunate many who don’t live within easy driving distance. And second, I want to help those who do visit, leave with photographs that match their memories.

On my portfolio pages I’ve tried to assemble a diverse collection of recent favorite Yosemite images. Mouse-over the thumbnail for a preview, and click the thumbnail for a larger version, a paragraph or two of random thoughts about the photo, and a link with directions to its location. This is a dynamic site that I’ll frequently update with new pictures and words. If you have feedback, please share it with me. And if you like what you see, by all means, share it with others.

Thanks for visiting.

Gary

© Gary Hart