I’ve been doing some photo library housekeeping, and have found lots of images that somehow never were published.  This image was taken October 16th, 2007. 

It’s been hectic getting back into the swing of a full work-week; Glacier Pt Gifts is open for the season, and so is Tioga Pass Road. I finally made it over the pass yesterday, two days after it opened. Prior to that, I had a request from my co-administrator over on Twitter (@WeRPhotography, a Rotation Curation account) to take over for a guest who was unable to tweet due to a lack of internet on location. So I’ll be tweeting as @WeRPhotography until next weekend.  

In other news, a major photography magazine is interested in using one of my shots in an upcoming issue, and I’m rather tickled about that. Yes, I will be paid. That’s if they use the image. 

Sadly my Mac Mini is making some distressing sounds, and so I’ve joined the ranks of hundreds of thousands of Americans in debt and ordered a refurbished Mac Pro Quad Core machine. It should be here next week.  

Today’s image was captured with my iPhone 4S, and processed using Camera app filters.  

Smithsonian Contact: Lisa Eidson

Institution Wilderness50 Media / Publicity Chair

Nature?s Best Email: lisa@wilderness.net

Photography Phone: 406-396-3607

“Wilderness Forever”

Nationwide Photography Competition Accepting Entries

for Smithsonian Exhibition

Raising Public Awareness of Wilderness Lands to Celebrate the

50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act

Washington, DC. – May 6, 2013 – Beginning on May 6, the “Wilderness Forever” public photography competition will accept entries of images illustrating the sheer majesty, diversity, and value of our nation?s wilderness areas. This professionally-juried contest is conducted by the 50th Anniversary National Wilderness Planning Team (Wilderness50), Nature?s Best Photography, and the Smithsonian Institution, and will run through September 3, 2013. Approximately 50 winning contest entries will be chosen for display as large format prints in the Smithsonian?s National Museum of Natural History as part of a 2014 exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. “Photography delivers immediate and long-lasting impact. What better way to celebrate the beauty and diversity of nature than through the eyes of the public and their shared experiences in our wilderness areas,” says Steve Freligh, Nature?s Best Photography Editor-in-Chief, and “Wilderness Forever” contest judge. “We’re excited to share the public?s own visions of America’s beautiful wilderness lands and to educate visitors about the importance of preserving our natural heritage through this remarkable photography exhibition,” says Charles Chen of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

The celebration and dissemination of knowledge about America’s cultural and natural heritage is at the heart of the Smithsonian Institution?s mission. Millions of visitors to the Natural History Museum will experience this exhibition representing a centerpiece of nationwide and bringing together the voices of Americans depicting the beauty and importance of these special places. Professional, amateur and student photographers are encouraged to submit their photographs accompanied by personal stories and memories about the scenes depicted. Contest guidelines and entry instructions are found online at http://www.naturesbestphotography.com/wilderness.

Entry Categories are as follows:

• SCENIC LANDSCAPE: Dramatic scenes and unusual perspectives of protected wilderness land, providing expansive views, including plant life: flowers, trees, and other flora in natural habitat. Close-ups, wideopen spaces, storms, sunsets, and other natural views.

• WILDLIFE: Wild animals (mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects, etc.) photographed within the boundaries of wilderness areas. Animal portraits, behavior, predation, adults with young. (NOTE: No captive animals allowed in this category.)

• PEOPLE IN WILDERNESS: People enjoying wilderness lands: Adventurers, backpackers, hikers, canoers and other activities; groups, families, and individuals in natural settings. Action, artistic perspectives

and artistic compositions (silhouettes, motion shots, creative lighting, portrayals of solitude and primitive recreation etc.)

• MOST INSPIRATIONAL MOMENT: Images of wilderness locations that have a very special story and personal meaning to entrants.

Please join Wilderness50, Nature?s Best Photography, and the Smithsonian Institution in celebrating “50 Years of American Wilderness” by participating in the “Wilderness Forever” photography contest to enter your chance to win a spot in the 2014 exhibition.

Wilderness50 is a coalition of more than 25 non-profit organizations, academic institutions, and government agencies that is planning and implementing local, regional, and national events and projects. This coalition is charged with raising public awareness of wilderness and engaging youth during 2014, the 50th anniversary year. Our nation?s wilderness system, now encompassing over 109 million acres, was established in 1964 for the use and enjoyment of the American people and provides many direct and in-direct benefits, such as those relating to ecological, geological, scientific, educational, scenic, spiritual, economic, recreational, historical, and cultural uses and activities. The 757 wilderness areas that exist today are managed by all four federal land managing agencies, the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, and National Park Service. You can learn more about the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act and Wilderness50 by visiting our website at http://www.wilderness50th.org or you can follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/50thAnniversaryOfTheWildernessAct and Twitter at http://twitter.com/wild50th.

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A reminder that bears are active and roaming the valley floor looking for food.  This handsome bruin was scouting near the Manure Pile, pausing to rip open decaying logs and to make sure I was keeping up at a safe distance.  FYI, the color and number of the ear tags on Yosemite bears is random; as I understand it, the Bear Team has a box full of them, and they just grab one when needed.  I could be way wrong, of course, and would welcome any input from NPS staff.  

Sarcodes sanguinea, AKA Snowplant

I inadvertently met up with Steve Bumgardner today when I stopped by the side of the road to photograph this amazing group of snowplants.  I’m looking forward to his next Yosemite Nature Notes video, which will be about–you guessed!–this amazing organism. What?! You don’t know about Yosemite Nature Notes?!  You need to go see all of them, right now! 

Yep. I donated. Maybe you should, too!

Yes. I’m in denial. Or was, until this post.  For those of you who read this blog using Google Reader, yes, it’s going away on July 1, 2013.  Er, that’s Google Reader is going away.  Not LRTblog.  According to my Feedburners stats as of right now, there are about 175 of you who will be in the dark instead of in The Little Red Tent.  Yikes!  To be honest, I never did get into using my Reader account.  I’ve always self-aggregated by using NetNewsWire on my Mac.  Heck if I can remember what I used on my PC, way back in the day… 

So, what will you be doing?  A trip to Google to find out when Reader will shut down shows that Digg will be launching a replacement for Google Reader some time in June.  But you may have to pay for it.  

Anyway, if you want to keep reading LRTblog, you can use this feed URL in the feed reader of your choice:  http://littleredtent.net/LRTblog/feed/ Just paste it in to the subscribe field.  

And I’d love to hear your comments on what will replace your Google Reader.  Thanks. 

Thanks to my sister Christine White Loberg for allowing me to post this wonderful image of Yellow 81, sited on May 4th, 2013.  

Trying out the Lightroom 5 Beta: love the radial filter and the healing brush!