photography by wasim.

Tag: park

Thank Apple’s OS X Yosemite Announcement For This Collection Of Desktop & iPhone WallPapers

In honor of Apple’s latest operating system announcement, OS X Yosemite (which, if you know me, that word alone gets me excited) I figured I’d rehash some of my images from my Yosemite adventures last year. In case you don’t want to (or can’t) wait until the fall for the official release, after the ‘read more’ break below, you’ll find a few of my favorites optimized for your desktop backgrounds, and below those are the iPhone-optimized versions. To save them, just right click and choose ‘Save Link As…’ And as always, if you’re on Android or another platform, I don’t want you to feel left out. Just contact me and let me know what your device is and I’ll format it for you.

Also, for a brand new mobile phone background from a recent trip to Yosemite, click here. And for the rest of the images from my more recent Spring 2015 trip back to Yosemite Valley, click here.

And for more of my madness:
Instagram: @wasimofnazareth
Ello: @wasimofnazareth Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/WasimOfNazareth

Enjoy…

Please keep in mind, I still hold the copyright to these images. They are provided for you to download for personal use only. If you would like to license one of these images, please contact me.

June 4, 2014
I Spy With Eye-Fi Lots Of Things That Are NOW IN FOCUS!

Spoiler Alert: Super fan boy mode is about to be engaged. Reader discretion is advised.

Eye-Fi Mobi.

In a word: frickin’ brilliant!

Ok, that was two words. Well, one real word and one, eh…you get the point.

It was a common frustration for DSLR shooters such as myself that the only means of checking for focus and composition is on the LCD screen on the back of the camera, at least until you get home and look at them on your computer and then want to shoot your computer in the face because that critical point was actually in soft focus! (more…)

July 23, 2013
Far Meadow – Yup. A Photo Trip. (Part 2)

And tonight…I write by candlelight…

So yeah, the power on the trailer went out so I’m left with a few candles and just enough charge to offload today’s photos and jot down today’s haps, so, again, I’ll try to keep it as short and sweet as I can and hopefully let some of the images do the talking…

I must say, waking up to a symphony of birds singing, mist evaporating, and the soft golden sunlight beaming through decades old redwoods, bouncing poetically across wildflowers outside your window…does. not. suck.

I’m not an early riser…at ALL, but when I peeked out the trailer window at first light, I fought the urge to stay in bed and jumped outside to spend a few minutes snapping a bit of the magic. Yeah, I hadn’t had my coffee just yet, so they eyes pressed up against that viewfinder were still a bit foggy…but, hey, what better way to capture the essence of first light than through the eyes of a coffee addicted someone that…well…rolled out of bed directly into first light, walking across the meadows as the grasshoppers scattered and the bumblebees paid no mind, too busy feasting on the flora.

Anyhow, so it was time to walk over to the A-frame and see if I might snap a few shots. After all, that’s what I was here for right? The light was almost directly overhead, but the clouds more than made up for it. Crazy puffy spotted clouds on a perfect blue sky just above the cabin, so we moved all the tools out of the way and I kinda went trigger happy.

When I looked out in the meadow and saw something I had to run out for…I won’t even say anything, but nature has a funny way of displaying an eerie synchronicity in ways you could never imagine. I mean…those rocks…that cloud…really!!??

Yosemite National Forest, California. Wasim Muklashy Photography

Towards the end of the day, as last light began to fall, we had all just decided to head down to Jones’ Store for hamburgers to ring in Independence Day, so after sweating our way through several hours of shooting the home, we jumped in our respective showers to wash down and head down. My particular shower just happened to be an outdoor solar shower that, well, wasn’t connected to the solar panels yet, so…well…cold…but hot damn, just went with it…all part of the experience and all parts I’ll remember. It’s been a while since having a chance to let go like this, so figured I had to savor it. As I was pulling up my jeans, the horn honked outside, so I ran to the truck with belt and shoes in hand, jumped in, and not until about 90 seconds later did I realize that I forgot the camera…at last golden hour…in the Sierras. I forgot the camera. Golden hour. Sierras.

Forgot.

Camera.

Sierras.

Less than 4 seconds passed before I accepted it, embraced it, and said, oh well (after a few ‘I’m an idiot I’m an idiot’s escaped while the crew laughed at me)…

Anyhow, that was one thing that seemed to be indicative of something I couldn’t help but notice as the day progressed, the pressures and worries and thoughts and stresses of everyday life just kind of drifted away, and for the first time perhaps ever, I really haven’t fought it. I just kinda accepted it, embraced it, and let it go. Normally it would eat away at me for hours, perhaps days. The creature comforts that we’re so used to that can just be suddenly taken away from you…it can often feel like intense withdrawal from addiction, but perhaps that really is only attitude. Oh, powers out? That’s ok. I have candles. Oh, forgot my camera? Oh, ok, screw it, enjoy the moment, not everything has to be captured. After all, the fact remains, you’re eating a burger – on the 4th of July – as the sun sets – in the high Sierras. I mean…c’mon!

So yeah, those creature comforts really seem to be nothing but luxuries and addictions. Perhaps even vices. And it’s quite remarkable how easy it is to truly let go of something that just days before you figured you’d die if were taken away.

Anyhow, I’ll leave you with a few photos from interestingly charming Jones Store compound by iPhone…

And then a gallery of some of that first set of images.

For Part 3, the final installment of the Far Meadow series, click here.
And in case you missed Part 1 of this Far Meadow Photo Adventure, click here!

Jones Store. Yosemite National Forest, California. Wasim Muklashy Photography

Jones Store. Beasore Meadows. Yosemite National Forest, California. Wasim Muklashy Photography

Jones Store. Yosemite National Forest. Wasim Muklashy Photography

July 16, 2013
Far Meadow Yosemite – A photo trip? (Part 1)

The stillness is a tad unnerving at first…but then the fact that there is absolutely no noise coming from anything other than the keyboard and an occasional distant howl, the source of which I’ve yet to determine, begins to quickly become soothing. Once your brain gets past the fact that you’ve decided, on your own will, to drive through the central valley during one of the most scorching heat waves we’ve seen in these parts (I watched my car thermometer climb from 103 and end up at 109 before finally beginning to gain elevation after passing through Oakhurst and winding my way up to the Far Meadow on tires that should have been changed 5000 miles ago), and you catch sight of the foothills of the High Sierras, and you start heading in their direction…everything begins to fall into place.

Sort of…

The truth is, I had no idea what to expect. All I was told was my bosses had built a new rental cabin on their property just outside Yosemite, and they needed photos taken of it for the site, marketing materials, whatever. They’d have it ready by Thursday, and I can stay in it if I snapped some images they can use. How the hell can I say no? How the hell can anyone say no? So I grabbed my camera, packed the car, picked up an Eye-Fi Mobi (that I’m ridiculously excited to play with), and, well, let’s do this thing!

After finagling with trying to find the directions (long story…basically, bad reception, spotty internet, had to track down a pdf from Mexico…the sort that tells you to turn at the stake at about 1.5 miles, watch for the store, turn at the wooden sign on the dirt road…etc etc etc…), I pulled into a grocery store in Oakhurst to grab some supplies/foods/stuffs just in case, and the store was busier than anything I’d ever seen. If you were in the middle of an aisle grabbing a bag of pretzels, forget about it…you’re trapped by at least 5 or 6 other carts until they’ve finished their business. It was beyond ‘excuse me’ at that point. Ohhh…riiighhht…4th of July is tomorrow…thank GOD I wasn’t heading into Yosemite Valley on this trip…

Instead…pass through pure unadulterated Americana as you meander along the 41 to the 222 to the 274 to the Country Store to the sign at the dirt road…and…wow. I mean…wow. Tall pine trees and redwoods surrounded my every move, and once I got off the main road, I had 14 miles of the most spectacularly gorgeous winding Yosemite mountain roads all to myself. Literally, there was one other car I saw the entire way. Saw plenty of meadows, cows, meadows, trees, more cows, more meadows…it’s incredible. Car commercial incredible! Yeah, I said it.

I pull onto the property and track down the bosses/owners of this madness. After being carted into an insanely charming solar powered vintage Silver Stream trailer that I get to call home for the night, they walk me to the newest addition to their property, an A-frame cabin that they’re currently putting the final touches on. I fell in love with it immediately. Nothing spectacular, nothing fancy, nothing gaudy at all. It’s simplicity at its absolute finest. And just off to the right of it, a gorgeous unspoiled open meadow caught my eye…I happened upon it just as the sun was beginning to set behind the hills there for the night. I ran out there, the dog followed. Below is a gallery of those first few glorious hours.

Yup, this oughtta be a pretty neato few days.

I made my way back to the cabin where the boss couple were cooking up T-bones and potatoes over an open fire, we sat down and feasted, had a few glasses of wine, rubbed olive oil all over the table (don’t ask…but believe you me, I will steal that trick one day…), and now here I sit. Retired to my trailer for the evening. Trying not to get too caught up and just be with it as it happens. Anywho…can’t wait to see what the days ahead bring…

For Part 2 of this Far Meadow photo adventure, click here! And for Part 3, the final installment of the Far Meadow series, click here.

July 9, 2013
Late Night Fun With Photo Filters…and Scotch.

So had a house I had to shoot this week for Airbnb. It was actually the second of two units on a property I shot before, but I hadn’t seen the second unit as it was occupied that first time. Anyway, not important…so after I was done shooting the interior, I figured, no one was here, I was going to take advantage of the moment and just kind of chill for a minute. When you’re standing on a deck with nothing in front of you but a gorgeous canyon that opens up to the Pacific Ocean (see image at bottom of this post), it’s hard not to force yourself to take a break and soak it in. So as I sat down and took a few gulps of my warm ice tea that had been sitting the car since I showed up, I saw this ridiculously quaint and charming little candle holder with a pile of little rocks alongside it, being draped PERFECTLY by a grapevine. And when I mean, perfectly, it’s as if it was staged. For some reason, my imagination took me to the Mediterranean coast, perhaps Spain, maybe Italy, I don’t know, but my wanderlust got the best of me and I started snapping a few shots of it as if I was actually on that coast. (more…)

June 14, 2013
From Frustration to Elation – Photography Therapy

Just another small reminder that patience, adaptation, and going-with-the-flow can pay off. Finished a gig yesterday and turned to get on the freeway to get home. It was packed. Nothing but an endless sea of red brake lights. My only other option was to add an extra 15 miles to my trip by driving through the hills on a side road that runs parallel to the freeway. So I said screw it…that’s what I’m doing. Would rather look at the hills than a million other cars on the 101. Not only that, but the sun was getting ready to drop behind the mountains…and that’s enough to turn on any photographer. (more…)

June 7, 2013
God Likes Jerky.

So this is a short and sweet one, but every now and then it’s nice to see things like this…I suppose it’s a bit of a validation that perhaps, finally, I’m on the right track. To have two of my images used on a billboard and a label is pretty satisfying encouragement to keep going with this thing. It’s a damn good feeling to know that others are appreciating what you do.

Anyway, so I know a few weeks back I brought up that the two beef jerky companies reached out to use some of my images for various purposes…the local gluten-free jerky company, Topanga’s Finest Jerky, and then there was Oh Oberto. Well, worked out a deal with Topanga’s Finest and here’s a version of the label below. Crazy stuff! (more…)

May 30, 2013
Scott Kelby, The Metro, and The Ranch.

So was a pretty good last few days. Did the whole Scott Kelby’s “Shoot Like A Pro” workshop/seminar here in Los Angeles on Friday, and I’ve got two thoughts:

One, he’s the MAN! I learn more from a one day session with him than I can on my own in months. He simplifies things so much to the point where you start asking yourself, why the hell did I ever think that was complicated to begin with? I had a great experience at his Photoshop seminar last Winter, was hoping for the same with this one, and I got it.

Two, WHY DIDN’T THE METRO RAIL EXIST WHEN I LIVED IN LOS ANGELES!???? Damn…parked my car in Culver City, made it down to the Convention Center in 20 minutes on the train, and just as easy on the way out. No traffic, no rush hour, no gas, no driving, no cell phone ticket, no 20 dollar parking, no hassle. Frickin’ insane. Right in my stomping grounds…L.A. almost felt like a (gasp!) real city! (more…)

May 28, 2013
DP Experience

So I’m kind of hyped. The new episode of one of my favorite photography podcasts was released today, and every week they choose a few photo posts from their Google Plus community and talk about and critique the photos. This week, they chose one of mine, the second time that’s happened, and I couldn’t be happier about which one…it’s the oak tree from the earlier post about Malibu Creek State Park and the borer that’s threatening California’s oaks. Any attention I can bring to that I’m happy about…it would be an incredible tragedy if we lose those iconic oaks.
Anyhow, check out the podcast, it’s called Digital Photo Experience (http://dpexperience.com) and it’s hosted by two extremely well-respected names in the photography industry, Rick Sammon and Juan Pons. If you download it, I highly recommend listening to it all, it’s the April 1 episode, but if you just want to skip to the photo critiques, they start with mine at the 1:02:45 mark.

April 2, 2013
Pines to Palms

So spent Easter with the family. Was really nice. We don’t get together all that often, and decided this time we’d take a day trip and just kinda cruise around. Headed to Idyllwild up in the Anza Borega Mountains (I think…), had some coffee and beef jerky (don’t ask…my love for the stuff got revived in Yosemite earlier in the month), then headed through the mountain range along the Pines to Palms Highway just south of Mount San Jacinto. After a crazy Jurassic landscape drive through mad boulders and twisty madness along the Pines to Palms Highway , it threw us out into Palm Desert, where we continued into Palm Springs and ended up at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. (more…)

April 1, 2013