
iPhone 3GS___1/6400 sec at f / 2.8__ISO 64
Last Monday, my kids went back to school. My 13 year old daughter started 8th grade, and I have the morning run, taking her to her new school which is 20 minutes away from my house. I will be making the drive nearly every weekday until next June. Seeing the I will be driving through beautiful Sierra Nevada foothills, and I am always looking for great light and new photographs, I might as well work on a new theme. I plan on calling the portfolio Morning Light.
For nearly five years, I drove into Yosemite Valley from El Portal to go to work at The Ansel Adams Gallery. And back down the canyon again at the end of the day. What a blessing. I remember that I had no problem getting up early to make that drive, so that I would have time to photograph if so inspired. Well, I won’t have that option on this “morning run,” since we have to leave the house by 7:30, but on my return home, I will have time to photograph.
The photograph here was made with my iPhone – three frames stitched together in Photoshop – on my drive home. This view looks east towards the Ansel Adams Wilderness and the Sierra crest. On this first day of school, I had left my 1DS Mark III behind, unfortunately. I won’t make that mistake again. However, with the extra quality from three iPhone files stitched in PS, and the wonderful Noise Reduction in Lightroom 3, the file would make a very good small print. From now on, my camera bag will be packed when I go to bed, and ready for my morning shuttle service, and my search for morning light.
Let’s see what I can come up with over the next ten months. I’ll keep you posted!
William Neill’s New E-Book: YOSEMITE: VOLUME ONE
Please check out my web site for information on online and private workshops, posters, books and ebooks, and list of galleries that represent my fine art prints.

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March 30, 2011 at 10:12 AM
Sounds like a good project!
March 29, 2011 at 5:49 PM
I just completed a one-year project of daily photography of Buzzards Bay, a quarter mile from my house. I worked around the entire Bay, a different place each day. It was exhausting and amazing at the same time.
Daily discipline combined with trying to see outside the box.
January 5, 2011 at 9:51 PM
Lovely pic..look forward to more pix on morning light portfolio.
January 5, 2011 at 9:47 PM
This is going to be EPIC!!! Great shot!
September 30, 2010 at 3:41 PM
William,
An set of excellent images. On comment though. It puzzles me why you make so much of the ‘Adams’ connection. It suggests that your images need this association to succeed. Many say that a photographer needs to develop their own style and I think that hanging on to historical connections inhibits this (granted you are much further along this path than I am).
I had sort of hoped that your latest eBook wouldn’t mention Adams and could therefore be appreciated on its own.
I sort of understand that the Adams connection is probably a valuable marketing tool, particularly for the US. However I feel that you have a body of work that represents you and perhaps its time to gradually come out of that shadow.
Please don’t feel offended by my comments and I would appreciate your thoughts.
September 6, 2010 at 9:33 AM
Thanks, Merilee, for joining in here!
September 2, 2010 at 9:55 AM
Amazing photo. I personally like the camera on the iPhone. Some people don’t, but I have found you can do interesting things with it, particularly in how you choose to angle it.
I’m looking forward to your Morning Light series!
August 29, 2010 at 11:35 AM
Looking forward to your upcoming photos. Morning light portfolio sounds like a good name too.
August 23, 2010 at 6:12 PM
Ellen: Of course I’ll enjoy that time with my daughter!
Thanks for your comments, Stacey!
August 23, 2010 at 5:45 PM
I look forward to seeing some wonderful morning light photos, but more importantly, enjoy that special time with your daughter.
August 22, 2010 at 12:45 PM
I did something similar for years driving to my previous job. While I wasn’t driving through the Sierra Nevada, there were still many great images to be had in the “morning light”.