"Your Best Shots"

A few pictures from the "Your Best Shots" assignment. Click on any one of the pictures to see them in full size.

Best shot #4 by Patricia Vanicky	Wet daisy by Karen McMahon	Novice monks by Bert Schmitz
Summertime by Nancy Zannini	Moose in Grand Teton National Park by Dawn Dingee	In her Easter bonnet by Nancy Zannini
Butterfly in the garden by Bruce Dechert	Chipmunk by Karen McMahon	Heron and the Fishermen by Lazlo Gyorsok
Best shot #2 by Patricia Vanicky	The race is on by Ian Peters	Grand Canyon of Yellowstone by Dawn Dingee
Flying goose by G.A.Mudge	Sunset at the pond by Bruce Dechert	Chapel of Transfiguration by Dawn Dingee
Squirrel brings flowers by Karen McMahon	Mudge pond by G.A.Mudge	Squirrel hangs on for more by Karen McMahon
Best shot #3 by Patricia Vanicky	Aginst all odds by Lazlo Gyorsok	Trevor at Artic Circle and Cod Liver oil by Ian Peters
Innocence by Nancy Zannini	Elk Lake Evensong by G.A.Mudge	Indian bus passenger by Birgitt Pajarola
Best shot #1 by Patricia Vanicky	One goes, the other one stays by Nancy Zannini	Hartford skyline by Lazlo Gyorsok
Diminuendo by G.A.Mudge	Yosemite, December 2021 by Dawn Dingee	Leg Rower by Bert Schmitz
Santa has a training day by Ian Peters	Last of the Glaciers by Dawn Dingee	Best shot #6 by Patricia Vanicky
Paduang woman and child by Bert Schmitz	Lutus Pond Dance by G.A.Mudge	Best shot #5 by Patricia Vanicky
The bride by Nancy Zannini

PSA Pictorial competition pictures, February 2022

Click on the pictures to see the full size images !

Shelter from the coming strorm	Still Life	Wired Jewel
Flower child	Salmon run	Greenlandic lace
Microbes of Mudge	New Mexico Store Front	Hartford skyline
Autumn flow	Housatonic Valley Regional High School	Covered bridge sunset
Old red barn	Barn owl	Japanese Maple
Marilyn	Indian bus passenger	Eyeing a sailor
Stroud Farmer's market	Cardinal unfazed	Hudson River light
Portugese botanicals	Sipping nectar	Brokie at speed

PSA Nature competition pictures, February 2022

Click on the pictures to see the full size images !

Stockholm old town	Old Faithful	Old House Gate
Hurtigruten's Nordlys steams south	Proud Native American woman	Tienda Don Mane
Hurtigruten's Nordlys at anchor	Timber treasure	Beaching the fishing boat
Boston blizzard	Trains	Registan in Samarkand
The Pendleton Roundup	La Boca mural	On Broadway
Sockholm evening	Sailing Alaska

Message from the President by Dawn Dingee

I t's been a crazy winter so far. The Omicron variant has thrown us a curve ball just as things were starting to get back to normal...or at least close to the 'new normal'. I'm starting to hate that term but unfortunately, it's become a reality. I know it’s winter, but take this time to get out and enjoy the sunshine...and snow if you can. Go someplace that is quiet, where the mind can relax and you can breathe the fresh air. And take some pictures. It will do the soul good to get away from the craziness, enjoy nature, and take a few pictures. I find winter to be the perfect time to visit new places due to less crowds. Even in winter, you can find things to photograph, you just may need to look a little harder. Until next time, everybody please be safe! Happy Shooting!

Here are a few upcoming winter photo opportunities for February :

1. Ice Palace at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival
will be held Friday, February 4 - Sunday February 13th
https://www.saranaclakewintercarnival.com/


2. Lake George Winter Carnival
will be held weekends in Feb - 5 & 6, 12 & 13, 19 & 20 and 26 & 27
https://www.visitlakegeorge.com/events/ice-castles

3. Teatown Hudson River EagleFest 2022
Friday, February 4 - Sunday February 6
https://www.teatown.org/events/eaglefest/

Visiting Yosemite by Dawn Dingee

W hen Abraham Lincoln signed legislation in 1864 establishing a public trust to preserve parts of Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove, it was the first time the U.S. government had ever set aside land for the benefit of the public, although it was not the country’s first national park. The land was originally managed by the state of CA and did not become a national park until 1890, 18 years after Yellowstone was established.

There’s so much to see in Yosemite - El Capitan and Half Dome rising from the valley floor, the Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls and the enormous trees of Mariposa Grove. I was lucky enough to visit Yosemite twice in 2021. My work took me to CA twice last year (August & December) and each time, I added an extra day to the trip so that my sister and I could visit Yosemite for the day. We only had one day to explore each time, but with a plan, you can see most of the significant sights in one day and can even fit in a few hikes. Visiting in the winter requires some planning because many site and services are closed. We stayed in a hotel in El Portal which is just 2 minutes outside the highway 41 entrance. We entered the park just as the sun was rising so that we could avoid the traffic. The first major sight we came to besides the entrance itself was ‘tunnel view’. In August, we experienced a lot of the smoke from the surrounding area forest fires but in December, we had a clear view.

The sun was just rising and we could see a slight sliver of orange at the top of El Capitan. Sadly, since we only had 7 hours in the park, we were not able to wait to see the spectacular orange glow that we saw in so many photos before we went. On our December trip, our next stop was Mariposa Grove. I had always wanted to see the sequoia trees that I had only seen in pictures. Two of its trees are among the 30 largest giant sequoias in the world. Sometimes we take for granted that the sights will always be there and we will get there some day, but in the case of the giant sequoia trees in Mariposa Grove, sadly, time may be running out. We hiked the 1.8 mile trail through the snow to get to the Mariposa Grove welcome center – which was closed as was the main road in due to the previous week’s snow. What we didn’t know was that the trails within the grove were also closed because of a previous storm that damaged many of the boardwalks. So after walking more than an hour in the deep snow, we were not able to walk through the grove to the famed Grizzly Giant or the Tunnel Tree. But we did sneak around the barriers to capture a few shots of the enormous trees.

Mariposa Grove was closed earlier in the season due to the risk of the Creek Fire. Currently, all fires in Yosemite are 100% contained. As of October 2nd, Yosemite has had 50 fires started by lightning and 12 human-caused fires for the 2021 calendar year. Some of the trees in Mariposa Grove are 2,000-3,000 years old. Fires have threatened the trees for centuries and many of the trees have basal fire scars that bear witness to the fires.

Next up was Yosemite Valley. Yosemite Valley is a 7.5 mile section of Yosemite formed by glaciers which offers towering views of El Capitan and Half Dome and when conditions are right, you can see them both reflected in the Merced River. I was surprised to discover that Yosemite Valley has a dentist’s office, jail, courtroom, auto garage, and church, as well as the more expected mix of lodgings, campgrounds, restaurants, and other guest services. The Yosemite Valley Church is the oldest structure in Yosemite at 130 years old. Across the road from the church is a fantastic view of Upper and Lower Falls. In August the falls were just a trickle, hardly worth photographing but in December, after several bouts of rain, the falls were spectacular. Upper Yosemite Falls is the seventh highest waterfall in the world, or part of the third highest if the lower fall is included!

On our drive out of Yosemite Valley, we captured a few more views of Half Dome, the Merced River and the beautiful forest of pines.

Although sites and services are limited in winter, I much preferred that visit over the summertime visit for a couple of reasons. First, the crowds were much less. We were able to find parking at all the major sites and it was easy to get beautiful photographs without people in the photo. I was very happy to not have to clone anyone out. Second, the water levels were much higher in winter than in the spring so we were able to get many more reflections in the Merced River. And lastly, with less people and more snow, the silence and beauty were magical. I will definitely return, hopefully in the spring next time.