Just wanted to say Thank You again for being allowed to participate in your trips...  Both groups were incredible, and I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it.  Standing around in pitch dark in freezing weather was never more fun.  Best of luck to all of you and please feel free to come back soon!

Phil 

Thanks to all the week two, "Twice as Good trippers" for an awesome week.

Wow, so many memories and great pics! 

It was the return of the stand up comedy of the Alcatraz Psycho Twins.  Lucky the let us out!  I hope you won't have any lingering damage from our one-liners.

It was a blast.  THANKS for letting me be a part of the experience.

Dave

The weather in San Francisco was beautiful today, and the group enjoyed visiting many places around the city.  Some of the group hired a limo and went out to Muir Woods, the first two shots are from Sue Southon.

Here's a shot of the group that went to Muir Woods.

This image of the ferns, was shot in Muir Woods by Sue Southon.

Dave and I spent some time in China Town today, I call this one the Money Shot ... 

Visiting China Town was very interesting, this gentleman let us take his photos while he was measuring out different herbs. 

A dragon dancing on the main streets of China Town. 

Elderly gentleman in China Town, agreed to have his photo taken. 

This is the first glimpse of Alcatrac as you arrive by ferry. 

Val and Dan are looking for a way to escape James's jokes, er I mean Alcatraz. 

Eleanor taking photos in Cell Block D, with the setting sun warming the shot. 

Sue Smith, lines up a shot through the bars. 

Jerry in the operating room at Alcatraz. 

Sail boat over the bay, this is one of the ruins at Alcatraz. 

The writing on the wall was scratched on the wall in the hole, we found this on the below Alcatraz Tour.  This is a guided tour of the old army garrison that is located under the prison.  Parts of the garrison were used as a hole to put unruly prisoners in. 

Sue, Christine and Sue, taking sunset photos from the ferry boat on the way back from Alcatraz.  The lights of San Francisco are behind them. 

James gets a flash of inspiration ... 

This last image is the setting sun behind Alcatraz.  

We are up early tomorrow and will be getting ready to head for the airport for the journey home.  It's hard to believe that our week has gone by, thanks to all of you who have followed along with the tour.  Dave and James. 

Friday and Saturday are free days for the group to explore the San Francisco area.  On Friday quite a few of us took the cabel cars and visited various points around the city, when riding the cable cars you can purchase a day pass that allows you to hop on and off when ever you see an interesting site.

The cable cars are a very unique mode of transportation, the driver uses a series of gears and levers to grip a moving cable that is running under the streets.  The cars move at a constant 9 m.p.h.  Some of the hills are very steep. 

Lombard Street, attracts many photographers and visitors, it is fun just to watch the cars on the street and the people. 

A 180 degree view on Lombard Street. 

The San Francisco Bay Bridge. 

Fishing for crabs from the wharf. 

This is the main working station for the cable cars, all the lines for all the cable cars run through this central building. 

A view of Alcatraz from Fisherman's Wharf. 

The seals have their own floating docks at Fisherman's Wharf, and attract quite a crowd. 

At 6:00 p.m. the group met in the hotel lobby and we were off to dinner on the Horn Blower Dinner Cruise ship.  The weather was calm and we were treated to a beautiful sunset on the bay.

Sherri and Joyce taking photos from the dining room window of the ship. 

Claudia, Sue and Val on deck before dinner, that's Alcatraz in the background. 

Sue wearing some of the dinner decorations. 

Val and Christine, I think Christine is trying to sneak Val's dessert .... 

The group enjoying conversation and the music after dinner. 

Val and Jack up dancing to I Left my Heart in San Francisco ... which is better than leaving your memory cards behind. 

Dave, not a lesson during dinner!!!!!!! 

Setting sun, with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.  Tonight we will meet in the lobby around 3:30 p.m. and take a bus back down to the harbour then a ferry over to Alcatraz for our night tour of this historic island.  Don't forget to check for updates from this visit and Dave and I have a few surprises for the group.  That's it for now.  Dave and James 

Early yesterday we left Yosemite and headed for Napa Valley and San Francisco.  As we were boarding the bus which was parked right across from the lodge entrance we had a farewell committee of 8 deer.  Also a special thanks again to Phil Hawkins for sharing his photographic experiences and knowledge of Yosemite with the group.

Catsello Di'amarosa is located in Napa Valley, we were served lunch in a beautiful great hall, then for the next two hours toured the castle.  From the high towers, to four floors underground to the wine cellars. 

Jack Cartland and Shari Parker checking out some of the images from the castle. 

Carol Smith, trying some macro photography. 

Christine Yao, tasting some of the castle's fine wines. 

Val Woodward is tasting a red. 

This image is in one of the wine cellars four floors underground. 

Graham Jones, trying a time exposure of some of the wine bottled and stacked in the cellars. 

Some of the group checking out the paintings in the Grand Hall.  This was the part of the castle where the noble received their guests.  In the foreground Jack Cartland, behind Jerry Cornell and Val Gratto, and Christine Yao, to the left is Monica Nam, Sue Smith, Sue Southand, Carol Smith and Claudia Viania.

A view into the castle courtyard. 

As we left the castle and headed for San Francisco, we took some time to do sunset photos of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco in the background. 

Sue in the foreground taking a few shots before the sun went down. 

The last bit of sun. 

Well today is a free day for the group in San Francisco and many left the hotel early this morning on various side tours.  It's a warm day here today, and we will be meeting tonight for a dinner cruise on the S.S. Hornblower.  Last week we did this on Saturday night, but it's prom weekend here in San Francisco and the cruise line suggested it might be a slightly quieter evening tonight than Saturday.  So tomorrow night we will visit Alcatraz.  

That's it for this update, we will post some images from around San Francisco and the cruise.  Dave and James 

Super cool shots!!

Can't imagine the number of shots taken by you all.  Probably will need the rest of the year to work through your images.....

Congrats on those who made the climb.  I hear it was quite the challenge!

Enjoy the rest of your journey!  Keep those shutters clicking....

Ross 

Fantastic shots, especially that photo of Dave repelling over the falls on a dare from Jamie. Exactly how many brewskies had you 2 had??? Seriously though, that is the money shot guys. Yowzer!

Don't let Jamie talk you into that cell in the dungeon of that castle after the wine tasting today. He's got handcuffs hidden in there I'm told. ;0)

Today started out on the cloudy and wet side, but we still headed out for the big hike to Vernal and Nevada Falls.  Everyone from the group decided to go up the trail to the falls and everyone made it to the Vernal Falls Bridge, those who traveled with us last week will know even to reach the bridge is a pretty good effort in hiking.  The trail raises 1200 feet from the trail head to the bridge in just over a mile.  This first image was shot at the trail head at about 8:40 a.m this morning. 

Here's another shot of the great cloud formations we had this morning. 

The group resisted Dave's morning assignment and decided to push back. 

Sue Smith is actually holding Monica Nam, not pushing here.  (for the record) 

Sue Smith composing her shot. 

Jerry Cornell enjoying the view. 

At Vernal Falls Bridge, the group decided they wanted more of a challenge that just the big hike, so we tried repelling over the gorge.  Here Graham Jones is demonstrating his rope and hook technique. 

Just kidding folks, that was not Graham up on the ropes, but the park search and rescue team practicing over the Vernal falls gorge. 

Vernal Falls, this is the view at the end of the hike and climbing 640 stairs, cut out of the granite. 

Almost to the top Graham, it took almost two hours from the base to the brink of the water falls.  Monica Nam is behind Graham Jones in this shot. 

After the first climb, a half hour hike and a little more climbing and you reach the beautiful Nevada Falls. 

Another view of Nevada Falls. 

Reflecting on the stairway from heaven, heavenly views that is ... 

Christine protecting her baby from the light mist of the falls. 

Another use for a half tone neutral grey filter. 

Dave ... Dave ... DAVE  ... LOOK OUT FOR THE WATER.  We are off at 8:00 a.m. in the morning for Napa Valley and Castello d'amarosa, then sun set photos of the Golden Gate Bridge and into San Francisco.  Talk to you all tomorrow from the city of hills and street cars. 

Picking up were we left off last night ... Dave, Phil Hawkins and James took the group out for another evening of night photography.  Here's a couple of time exposure images shot by Dave, you can see the moon bow effect as the moon hits the mist of the falls. 

We started the day at Mirror Lake, James did a workshop on the zone system and how to frame your image.  He handed out Zone system cards similar to what Ansel Adams used in his workshops right here at Mirror Lake. The Zone system helps you determine the correct exposure for your image.

In the first image Eleanor is checking which zone Val's hair matches, and in the second image Joyce and Dan compare notes as it seems that the zone system scale matches the tones of his sketching pencils.

The second part of the workshop was how to frame your image.  Here Dave is checking the best composition for a portrait of Sue on the trail. 

The blue group taking reflections at Mirror Lake. 

Sue and James reflecting on their work. (Which way is up Sue?)

Dave Photographing the upside down trees of Mirror Lake.

The morning shoot was all about capturing the reflections of Mirror Lake, the wind co-operated and water was as smooth as glass. 

Rapids at Mirror Lake as the water flows from the lake into the Valley. 

A different kind of reflection, thanks Monica Nam for posing. 

The Group on the afternoon shoot at Tunnel View. 

Jack Cartland learning a new camera 

At Bridalveil Falls, Dave did a workshop called "Down and Dirty" ... Each photographer had to take a selected number of paces into the forest, drop to the ground and find 10 images of what they saw.  A great exercise in observation, on creativity on the spot, or what James calls photographic boot camp. 

These two did not want to get dirty, they told Dave he was barking up the wrong tree........... 

Bambi in Yosemite, this little guy passed close to the bus window. 

What better sight in Yosemite than a View Camera. 

That's it for tonight, we are off to Vernal Falls in the Morning, and we will leave you with this last image " Ode to Ansel"  or what happens to James after one to many bad puns!

Talk to you all tomorrow, Dave and James. 

It was bright, it was beautiful but it sure was cold ... as we walked up the trail to Yosemite Falls at 8:00 a.m. this morning it was very chilly.  This in no way dampened anyones spirits, as the morning sun hit the lower Yosemite falls it was beautiful.  It was a contrast to my visit last week to see all the ice and snow around the base and portions of the creek were under a good pile of ice and snow.  It got very cold at the end of last week and thus made for a whole new scene this week.  Don't forget, if you want to see a larger version of the photo in the blog, all you have to do is click on the image.

Last week this was all flowing water.

The group out on the morning photo shoot. 

Christine Yao and Sue Southon were having a great time taking reflections along a small creek, as we walked through the woods.

This is Upper Yosemite Falls shot from Leidig meadow during our afternoon hike.  The afternoon warmed up nicely.

Group photo, in Chapel meadow, with Yosemite Falls in the background.

No sooner did Dave take the photo and we heard a loud crack ... and down went Sue, Phil, and Jerry.

Park cam  ... caught us leaving the scene of the crime.

Sue is knee deep in her photography, despite the unexpected snow.

As our Bee leader conducts the next leg of the hike, the photographers are a hive of activity.

Afternoon reflections, of Half Dome. 

Tonight after 10:00 p.m. 9 of us went out in search of the Moon Bow again, which only occurs during a full moon.  This time we headed to Cooks meadow and tried a few images from that vantage point.  Most of the exposures were four to five minute exposures between f/5.6 and f/8.  Phil Hawkins stayed in the park later tonight to go out with us. 

Guess who's shadow this is ... I will give you a hint, its only around the corner. 

Well that's it for tonight, we are off for a hike to Mirror lake tomorrow, talk to you then. Dave and James 

After both groups meeting briefly at the airport, they exchanged their bus for an airplane and visa versa, group one headed back to London and Group two headed out to Yosemite Valley. We arrived just as the sun was setting and the group had the first view of the valley, the bus stopped and the cameras were clicking.  Tonight Phil Hawkins met the group at the Lodge and after supper and settling into our rooms we went out to capture a moonbow (rainbow by moonlight) at the falls.

This was an image sent to me by Brenda Fee-Perkins, photographing some of the members of the new group as they arrived off the flight from Detroit.  Thanks Brenda for emailing me the images. James 

Dave and James at it again.... Dueling Canon's at Ten Paces

Yosemite Sam 

Dave's version of Half Dome 

Around 10:30 the moon started to rise over the mountains and the light show started at the water falls.  It was very cold with the mist blowing at you on the bridge, but with a little experimentation we started to get some interesting exposures.  After some great photos we headed back to the lodge with icicles hanging from our tripods.  PS Group 1 if it makes you feel any better about being home ... it's cold here tonight.  

We will be out up and early in the morning to head back to Yosemite Falls for some daytime photos.  Phil Hawkins is going to be with the group tomorrow, passing on his advice of great areas to shoot in the park.  More updates tomorrow evening.  Dave and James