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My Favorite Iconic Shot

Merced River Reflections

 I recently listened to a F-Stop Collaborate and Listen podcast about photography education and creativity. The episode made me think about my own work and if I am being creative in the field. Guy Tal offered this definition of creativity; novelty, usefulness, and surprise. I found these to be great ideas to really mull over about photography. One example in how photography can not be creative is the shooting of "icons", the iconic scene from locations that everyone has seen. I have one of these shots hanging in my office.

Tunnel View- Yosemite National Park

Tunnel View

The classic scene of Yosemite National Park is tunnel view. Emerging from a tunnel on Hwy 41 headed towards Yosemite Valley, visitors are greeted with a beautiful view of El Capitan, Bridelveil Falls, and Half Dome, all in one breathtaking scene. It is a glorious sight, which explains the large parking lot and hoards of people there every day. Yet I highly recommend visitors to the park check it out.

The grand vista of tunnel view means that pretty much every person who has visited has an image from there. Ansel Adams made several images there in different weather conditions and each visitor in modern times takes at least a cell phone picture. So in terms of creativity, there is none in 2020 for tunnel view. Yet I love my image of tunnel view, so much that it is the lead picture in my portfolio.

Yosemite Welcome Sign Featuring... Tunnel View

Why do I love it?

My first trip to Yosemite was in the Winter of 2017 and upon entering the valley, I made my way to tunnel view. I had seen so many pictures from there that I wanted to see it for my self. While enjoying the view of the afternoon sun hitting El Cap, I bracketed my exposures and took my first image from Yosemite.

I love the image enough to have a 20X30 print of it on my wall. I still will look at it often. The image takes me back to my first trip to a place I have come to love. I captured cool blue skies, warm sunlight on the granite and interesting fog over the valley. I love to study the granite walls, marvel at the sheer scale of the rock, and remember the feeling of seeing half dome with my own eyes for the first time. The photograph brings great memories flooding to my mind and inspires me. That makes it special to me. If by sharing it, I can evoke the sense of awe and wonderment in another person, then that is icing on the cake. Creative or not, I think It's a great image.

Lower Yosemite Fall- Yosemite National Park


Creativity as a Process

My progression as a photographer has led me to desire to create images that convey emotion and a story. This has been the most challenging growth process of my "camera in hand" journey.  Each person with a camera has their own goals, and motivations. For me, thinking of creativity and applying it to photography is the right path. For others, simply capturing a beautiful and iconic view for themselves is enough.

 I believe that photographers should shoot the iconic shot when given the opportunity. It is nice to have your own version of it. It is not creative, nor usually very much work, but can be a lot of fun. If you're serious about landscape photography, then it is natural to move past these icons to truly explore the landscape and create creative, unique photos. Bag the icon, enjoy the view, and get to work making art.

Listen to the F-Stop, Collaborate, and Listen episode here.
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