Quote the Raven

Ok. Ok. So the caption for this blog entry is a little lame. But, to quote the raven, Yosemite is an awesome place to visit again, and again, and again. It is a very addicting place to keep coming back to. I mean, when you have conditions such as what you see, Yosemite certainly isn't just for the birds. It's a photographer's paradise.

In this photo, which is an iconic shot, you have to try new things to make your photo stand out against the others. There were these 2 ravens, that were certainly friendly and very use to humans. I think they have had a good dosage of human food from people, in the past. This made it possible to get up close to them.

At first, I just sat in the car while my friend was taking up-close shots of these ravens. But, as I watched the fog roll in across the Merced River, I decided to get out of the car and see how cooperative and close I could get to these birds. Then, my thought was, why not try to include them in a landscape shot.

This shot is mainly tricky for two reasons. Exposure is critical here. It was barely within the dynamic range of the camera's limitations. Also, controlling depth-of-field, was a big challenge. I think I would of liked to have gotten even closer. But, the raven isn't just going to sit where you want it forever. I was fortunate he flopped over to this snow mound, which was where I wanted the raven to go. I wanted the raven right in the opening between the mountains. The fog and clouds in the sky, plus the raven, really added an Edgar Allen Poe or Alfred Hitchcock mood to the shot.

This bird certainly earned it's wings. Ok. Is that enough lame puns? That's what I thought. Never more, quote the raven.