As some of you have seen, there is so much to photograph in Yosemite National Park aside from the iconic Half Dome and El Capitan, Yosemite and Bridalveil Falls, and other well-known and oft-depicted scenes. Over the last couple of weeks or so, we’ve shown you skies, water, and fog, all of which deal with the Magic of Light that we talk about so much in our workshops.

There are also patterns and textures … so many varieties to capture the eye. I’ve always been fascinated by them, so it was no surprise that I found quite a few in the park.

I was intrigued by a feathery conifer whose moisture-laden tips so effectively set it off against the deciduous trees and cliff in the background.

There was the “painted” surface of the Merced River wrapping around the reflection of a tree, giving it an unexpected 3-D effect.

The soft, ethereal “butterfly wings” of sunlight wrapping around a tree trunk provided a different type of pattern and texture.

Light catching the edges of soft, moss-covered rocks created an interesting rhythm in the receding layers.

Even the hard-but-lacy, chaotic snaggle of a young tree’s branches caught my eye, set off as it was against the fog-muted background.

On our last morning, dead leaves, rimmed in frost, settled into the grainy snow in one of the meadows and made a quiet still-life.

It is a reminder to all of us to go beyond the classic scenes and find interesting compositions by looking for patterns and textures.

In our next blog, we’ll share some Same Place — Different Views from our participants at Lighthouses of the Outer Banks. We don’t want them to think we’ve forgotten them in our busy schedule!

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