Amongst Giants
I had been to Sequoia National Park once before but the Eric and Noel hadn’t ever been so I planned a summer trip for the guys to see it for the first time.
Unfortunately, Eric had to back out last minute due to some schedule changes on his end. Noel and I decided to keep the trip. In Eric’s place, our good buddy Sean was available. We were excited that he was able to make it on such short notice. We have known Sean for some time but this was our first photography trip together. Sean had been to the park many times so he gave us some great tips on the park and shared some of his favorite hikes.
As per usual, we had a really early departure time on this Friday morning. The guys met up at my place and we were on the road by 5am. The 6-hour drive was filled with catching up on what the three of us had been up to, coffee and tons of laughs. In no time we were at the base of the park checking out some roadside attractions. The heat was a bit much sought shelter in an ice cream shop.
After checking into the room, we headed into the park and to one of Sean’s favorite trails. This trail was beautiful. We winded through the sequoias then popped out along a ridgeline that led us to a plateau overlooking a giant canyon. It was absolutely beautiful and for most of the evening we shared the view with only a handful of folks. We hung out and watched the sky go red. I made a few photos but I was a bit unsure about the majority of them. Either way, the view and company were plenty and I wasn’t too worried about how any of the images even turned out. Eventually it was just the three of us there and the light was quickly fading. We fired up the headlamps and made our way back to the car. Our car was the last in the lot. Tired and starving, we headed down the mountain to our room to get dinner and unwind after a long day.
Saturday, we made our way up to Moro Rock for sunrise. The view was absolutely stunning. We spent quite some time up there just watching the day begin. Normally, I’m so eager to make images at sunrise but on this day I didn’t really care to break out the camera. Just seeing the view and enjoying the moment with the handful of other folks up there was plenty. As we started to make our way back to see some other areas of the park, I did make a few images to help relive the moment. For the rest of the day, we spent time roaming the sequoias, hanging out by the river and visiting some iconic locations. By the tail end of the afternoon, all the hiking and heat really took its toll on us. We decided to pass on sunset and enjoy some food and drinks instead. The rest of the night we just ate and talked stories; much more fun than making photos to be honest. Towards the end of the evening, someone asked “Sooooo, what are we doing for sunrise?” We all looked at each other and we were unanimously fine passing on sunrise and just enjoy sleeping in before we had to make the drive back down to San Diego.
The next morning, I woke up before the guys and decided to enjoy the river overlook by our motel. I spent some time writing before finally heading back inside. I reviewed the images I had made on the trip and had some quick observations: 1. I didn’t make many compositions compared to most trips, 2. Not many jumped out to me as interesting and 3. I was ok that I didn’t make any images that would find their way into my portfolio.
The guys eventually woke up and we slowly packed our things. We grabbed breakfast at a local spot nearby and started on the long drive back home. After a few breaks for coffee, a flat tire fix and another meal we finally arrived back home. We exchanged hugs and went on our separate ways.
It really was a fun and memorable trip. As I look back my favorite moments had nothing to do with the photography. My memories of that trip with Sean and Noel are full of random stories and tons of laughs about life. So thankful to have solid humans like Noel, Eric and Sean. As these trips continue, the less and less important the photography portion is. It’s about spending time outside with solid people in your life. The photography is just icing on the cake. Hoping to see the fellas again sooner than later.
Below are a few sketches that I made while in Sequoia National Park. Thanks for reading! - Marco
