Thanks to Bill,Sean,James and all those behind the scenes for another

photographic magic carpet ride. This was Marg's first trip and she will

always remember going to the "top of the World" by going

around "just another corner" . Thanks to each of the participants ,

you are a GREAT bunch .

Bill 

James, Sean, Bill;

It was the most amazing trip since Sedona! The best hosts in the world. Waiting for the next photo tour which I am assured is just around the corner. Thank you All the Group was fantastic as well. YOu were great company. Erika

I want to thank James Bill and all of the gang for another great trip.  This was Patty's first trip and she loved it.  I had a great time and look forward to pouring over the 3000 or so images I shot this week.

 Sean

Last night was a fun night on the SS Hornblower it was the wrap up dinner with all the folk that traveled with me on Week one of the tour.  We had so much fun, great food, good company and good entertainment.  Below are a few images from the dinner cruise.  

Bill Caulfeild-Brown and Sean thanks for all your help this week and making sure group one gets home safely.  

And thank you to all that were here for the tour this week, I had so much fun with you and especially enjoyed sharing photography and the beauty of Yosemite.  James.

Last night we were treated to a night visit to the "Rock" - Alcatraz.  Our ferry left the dock at 7:40 and we spent the next three hours exploring this historic landmark, in this image Brenda Fee-Perkins is practicing for her mug shot.

This is the first stop for inmates checking in at Alcatraz, were they would shower and be handed out their prison cloths and kit. 

As the group arrived, we walked that same path inmates would have traveled after stepping off the boat from San Francisco harbour. 

This is a shot down Michigan Ave, each cell block has a name, it is a very cold feeling place. 

Brenda takes a last view of freedom before reporting to her cell. 

Michael Currin taking a photo of the prison control centre, all personal, visitors and inmates would pass through this area upon arrival to the island. 

A photo of one of the towers that sharp shooters would spend eight hour shifts watching the inmates.  These towers are located all over Alcatraz. 

Bob Steer, checking out the facilities in his cell.  This is one of the cells in the isolation section of Alcatraz called D block.

Shot of the full moon when walking down past the old army garrison, when this was a defensive island, long before the prison. 

Sunset shot from the exercise yard at Alcatraz. 

Mac and Michael taking the last few shots from the island. 

A couple of panoramic shots created by Mac Quantz of the skyline. 

Albert Mok, getting a shot from the ground up. 

Another sunset shot by Mac Quantz, with the prison factory in the background. 

A view of Lombard Street in San Francisco, shot by Nancy Maki 

Another great street shot, by Nancy Maki.  Tonight we are off on the Hornblower Cruise Ship for a sunset dinner cruise.  I'm sure we will have some fun images from this event. 

We are spending today and tomorrow with free time through the day to explore San Francisco.  I have come back to the hotel early to prepare for this evenings visit to Alcatraz, remember we are three hours behind you at home.  I have sorted through a few images from some of the folk that are traveling with me and thought I would post them before we go out tonight.  I will get some images up from Alcatraz later tonight.

This is an image shot by Nancy Maki earlier today down at Fisherman's Wharf, here in San Francisco.  These Sea Lions were busy sunning themselves on the pier.

A view from the pier of Alcatraz Island where we are headed this evening, this image was taken by Nancy Maki.

Here is a self portrait shot by our guest host Phil Hawkins at Columbia Point, a look out above Yosemite falls.  Sean and Phil took a quick hike up the side of the mountain on a steep trail to get this shot.  Patty, Sean's wife said he slept like a baby that night.

Theses two images were also shot by Phil Hawkins, the park rangers were doing a controlled burn in one section of the valley.

This image was shot by Phil after some night tips in Cooks Meadow, seen in this shot are Michael Currin, Kelly O'Conner Deb Jones, Bob Steer, Tom Hawkins and Bill Pickering.

This was a shot Mac Quantz called Spooky House, we were doing a workshop on painting with flash at night.  This lodge is empty and completely in the dark which worked perfectly for this exercise.  We had our cameras on tripods, locked on bulb and then used a flash to paint or light up the building.

Here's a black and white shot of Merceds River shot by Mac Quantz. 

Mac Quantz shot this image of Sean and Patty at Tunnel View. 

Sean what are you looking so guilty about?  Shot by Mac Quantz

Tom Hopkins taking a few images of Tunnel View, image by Mac Quantz 

Frank Wong taking a shot at El Capitain, by Mac Quantz 

Scott Gregory sent a message asking to see a few images shot with Bill Caulfeild-Brown's Phase One back, which attaches to his Mamiya medium format camera, and is 39 million pixels, the above three images are from Bill's camera.  Take a close look at the tree with the mountain and creek in the background, then just the tree trunks, it is the same image but cropped close and easily done with so many million pixels.  Thanks Bill. 

We said good bye to Yosemite Valley and headed back to the world of bricks and mortar, our first stop was lunch and a tour of Castello d'Amarosa in Napa Valley.  The castle is a reproduction of a 14th to 16th century italian castle.  The estate is also a working winery, which meant at the end of the tour we were taken into the great hall for wine tasting.  In the first image above the group is listening to the introduction to the castle and the history of the Sittui family, the creators of the castle.

This is an image from the torture chamber, located 4 floors below ground, the group decided to test one of the dungeons and lock up James after the big hike the previous day to Vernal and Navada Falls.

Castello grows all the grapes that are used in their own wine production.  The castle is surrounded by these vineyards.

This is an image of the barrel room, which is also located 4 floors underground.  The wine is aged in this climate controlled chamber.

As the tour wrapped up, we ended up in the Grand Hall for wine tasting.

From Napa Valley we headed into San Francisco, our timing was perfect for sun set images of the Golden Gate Bridge.  Tomorrow is a free day for the group to do some site seeing around San Francisco.  We will meet at 3:30 and take the ferry over to Alcatraz for a night tour and images of the city from the island.

Day 3 and off we go again at 8:00 a.m., another nice day in the valley.  This morning we are headed for Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls, and will spend most of the day exploring the two water falls.  The hike to the top from the valley floor takes about an hour and the altitude changes by 1200 feet from the valley floor.  Once you reach the base of Vernal Falls there is 640 steps to take you to the top.  There will be some sore knees tomorrow.  Thursday we depart Yosemite for Napa Valley and we are headed for a visit to a castle, should be some great photos.

Great to see you all having a grand time. 

Seeing that this is Wednesday you are halfway through your tour.... How the time flies when you are having fun eh....

Looks like you are having great weather and trust the remaining days will be the same.  Look forward to seeing more pictures being posted as you progress through your tour.

Give my regards to all the LCC members taking the tour... keep those shutters clicking!!

Ross 

Thanks for keeping us all updated at home. Great photos so far, I'd like to see some photos from Bill C. Brown's MF camera. 

Keep up the great work and have fun!

Scott Gregory 

A cool start to this morning with a sunrise photo shoot in Cooks meadow.  A small group of early morning risers went out to catch the first rays of sunshine coming over the mountains.

After breakfast we took the Yosemite shuttle service to the trail head for Mirror Lake.  The free shuttle service connects all the trails in the valley, and because cars can only drive in certain areas this cuts down on the pollution in the valley.  Bob Steer is seen in the foreground of this image, with Sean and the rest of the group heading out to Mirror Lake.

At Mirror Lake, James gave a short workshop on the Zone System, and a talk on composing your image when shooting in large open areas.  He also duplicated an exercise that Ansel Adams used to do with his students on this walk to Mirror Lake with a card with the centre cut out, showing you how to frame and compose your image.

Here is a shot of the group hiking along the trail to Mirror Lake, Deb Jones and Kelly O'Connor are in the foreground.  Mirror Lake is surrounded by granit, those who know Kelly will know why she took a particular interest in the quality of the stone.

Mirror Lake is all about the beautiful reflections in the calm waters in the valley.  Nice shot Sean.

Tom Hopkins is busy at work in this shot at Mirror Lake.

Hugh Fitzmorris is busy on the other side of the lake, reflecting on his work.  

After lunch we took a short bus ride to Tunnel View and El Capitan, in this image Sean is practicing techniques from the fill flash workshop put on by Phil Hawkins yesterday.  Thanks Robert Wilson for posing.

Bill and James working with some of the group this afternoon at El Capitan.  At this 5:30 p.m. California time as I am posting these images, the group is having an early evening supper and then we are heading out for sunset photos of Half Dome, and night photos of the meadows and waterfalls.  It is a three quarter moon tonight, and if we are lucky we will capture a moon bow over Yosemite Falls.  The group is having a great time and hello to everyone at home.  James 

Just one more addition to the images for tonight.  After dinner tonight we went out for sunset photos and night time exposure photography.  Most braved the cooler weather this evening and stayed out through sun set.  We spent some time painting an old abandoned lodge with flash then went out into the meadow and did five and ten minute exposures of the Yosemite falls.  This image was shot at 9:30 this evening, and was a five minute exposure.

Hey James, Sean, Bill... and the tripod clan!

Wow, looks like there was a sale on tripods at Stan C. Reade's!  Awesome

The weather looks amazing and the scenery even better. 

Can't wait to get there.

Dave Chidley and ....Yosemite II "The Sequel" group.

Day 1 in Yosemite, we were all up early with the time change and out at sun rise.  After breakfast we took advantage of the early morning light and hiked up to Yosemite Falls.  The first image is the groups first view of the falls. 

This is what they were shooting.  

There is a bridge that crosses over the water at the Falls, quite a few of the group spent time shooting the falls and down stream from this look out.

Allan spent the day shooting film, yes that's right film with his medium format camera. Elaine assisted with the transport of his equipment.

On the hike back from Yosemite Falls a few of us ventured into the Yosemite cemetery, many famous people that had a hand in creating this amazing park are buried there.  In this image Brenda Fee-Perkins is seen tracing her roots.

After lunch we hiked to Leidig Meadow and were treated to a panoramic view of the valley.  Phil Hawkins our guest photographer from Fresno, conducted a mini workshop on fill flash and how to get the right combination of flash and available light to create the perfect image.  Phil has been taking images in Yosemite Valley for the past 28 years.

Bill Caulfield-Brown, my co-host and Phil compare notes on Bill's medium format camera, with his 39 million pixel phase one digital camera back.

Tomorrow we will be heading out early in the morning for Mirror Lake, then in the afternoon to El Capitan.  Tomorrow night we will be doing a workshop on sunset and night photography.  By the way the mountain air and crystal clear waters have done wonders for my hair.  Talk to you all tomorrow.  James. 

At 5:00 p.m. this evening in 26 degree centigrade weather we had our first view of Yosemite Valley with Bridalveil Falls and El Capitan in the background.  From this point which is called tunnel view, we continued our trip down another 1800 feet into the valley.  Our lodge is about eight kilometers behind us in this image, and from our rooms we have a beautiful view of Yosemite Falls.

At 8:00 a.m. tomorrow we leave for our first hike to Lower Yosemite Falls and in the afternoon Leidig Meadow, our guest photographer Phil Hawkins from Fresno California will be joining us for the day sharing some of his 27 years of taking photographs in Yosemite.

Another report tomorrow evening. Bill, James and Sean.