Half Dome peaks out in Yosemite Valley, Calif. (chrisstreeter / flickr) http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisstreeter/ / CC BY-ND 2.0
We have a California-theme going here today at Compass Points, don’t we?
Well, why not?
I found via Twitter this afternoon a stunning video of Yosemite National Park, Calif., which focuses its timelapse awesomeness on human interaction in the iconic park. And by interaction, we mean the 3.4 million annual visitors, making Yosemite the third-most visited national park in America behind the Great Smoky Mountains and the Grand Canyon.
The videographer is Steve Bumgardner, who works for the National Park Service, according to his Web site. Here’s his explanation for the vid below:
I chose busy places during busy days to show the effects of this mass of humanity. I could have just as easily pointed my camera in another direction and shown nothing but plants, animals and wilderness. Yosemite is popular, but it’s also still a relatively wild place.
I’ve lived and worked in National Parks for almost 20 years, and as much as I love landscape photography, I also like looking at the human footprint and the human experience in our national parks.
Fair point because we can’t talk about these epic landscapes without considering the human element. But I’m one who wouldn’t mind those shots of “plants, animals and wilderness.”
BTW, check out the rock climbers scrambling around like hermit crabs at about the 2:30 mark. Best part of the video, in my opinion.
People in Yosemite: A TimeLapse Study from Steven M. Bumgardner on Vimeo.
And, hey, I just happen to know a little publication that highlighted a place next to Yosemite, a hike that gives you pristine views and Sierra solitude. Just in case the Yosemite Valley crowds are nudging you out of the way.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Dave, this video was awesome. I loved the music. I liked the little hermit crab climbers, but my favorite part of the video was around 2:50 with the people and the waterfall. I also liked the scenese after that with the RV driving. I really loved the music and the message he sent without using any words. Thanks for sharing this video. Going to spend the next hour or two catching up on all the things I missed on your site.