Sequoia NP/Kings Canyon NP

July 2008

Right before Fiesta in 2008, I was blessed to have an opportunity to have my parents spend some time out in California and have an opportunity to show them one of the most beautiful places I know: the big trees and the high sierra. Over the span of just two days I was able not only to share the beautiful things I've seen before but also spend time finding new things, from the Crystal Cave to the sequoia stands by Moro Rock to the gorgeous trail up through Kings Canyon itself.

This place has a special beauty and magic in it. I am glad I was able to share it firsthand with those who are closest to me. Between the grandeur and majestic silence of the large trees to seeing the next road thousands of feet below to sharing that first sight of the immensity of the mammoth granite chasms of Junction Point, each moment has that spark in whicha age no longer matters. All of us become children and marvel at the wonders placed before us. It truly is a joy to be able to share such moments of amazement with those closest to you; one cannot ask for a greater gift.

The Photographs

Going down into a cave, I decided to try and play with an electronic flash and a roll of Fujichrome 400X seemed like a good candidate. I was surprised at how nice everything turned out, though I still think the colors are a bit saturated. The second roll in Kings Canyon was a Kodachrome PKL 200 which I used to experiment with a Rokkor-X 500 RF lens.

The camera and lenses used were my old Minolta manual system was in use with the new Rokkor-X 500 RF lens. Click on "Next" in the upper right to begin.