Travel Feature | Yosemite National Park

This national park holds a special place in my heart. Not only was Yosemite National Park where I proposed to my now wife, it’s also where we got married!

Easily one of the top 3 national parks in the world, Yosemite features beautiful landscapes and a plethora of stunning wildlife. It’s the perfect destination for nature enthusiasts, avid hikers and mountain climbers. This massive park covers an area of 748,436 acres and sits in 4 counties. With so much more to adventure, the video below barely scratches the surface of what you will see when traveling through the park.

While visiting the park we stayed at Rush Creek Lodge which is located outside the park. HIGHLY recommend this location though as it has an amazing spa and great food. They also have a nice little shop to get snacks at before you go out and traverse the wilderness. If you really want great park access to maximize your time there are several AirBnB options as well. Of course, if you’re a REAL adventurer then camping out is certainly an option.

This video features landscapes visuals from the locations below:

  • Yosemite Valley

  • Tenaya Lake

  • Taft Point

  • Glacier Point

  • Bridal Veil Falls

  • Half Dome

  • El Capitan

  • An array of beautiful sequoias


Some wildlife we spotted while venturing through the wilderness:

  • American Black Bear

  • Stellar's Jay

  • Common Raven

  • Mule Deer

  • Golden-mantled ground squirrel

  • Douglas squirrel

  • A variety of picidae

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Wildlife Feature | Allen's Hummingbird

Undeniably enjoyable to observe, hummingbirds are easy to identify as they announce their presence with a trill while flying. Over the past few years, I've taken numerous photos of Allen's Hummingbirds in particular. My wonderful in-laws have a beautiful garden with feeders hung throughout, where these birds zip around, constantly feeding. I decided to switch my camera to video mode to finally capture these captivating creatures both inside and outside the garden. Take a moment to appreciate these swift, nectar-seeking birds as they dart from flower to flower in the video below.

This time around instead of going the standard 60fps video and slow down in post route, for the majority of this video I decided to switch Fujifilm’s X-T3 to the FullHD 120fps 5x slow motion mode. This setting provided the opportunity to get a more intimate look at how these beautiful birds flutter about.

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Female in Flight

This female Allen’s Hummingbird uses precise aiming to access nectar from a feeder.

Blooming Anigozanthos Rufus Backdraft

Blooming Anigozanthos Rufus Backdraft

For the shoot location, I luckily stumbled on a place that had these beautiful pink and yellow flowers identified as Lantana “Pink Huff” and vibrant deep red Anigozanthos rufus Backdraft that the hummingbirds were absolutely obsessing over. These flower provided a perfect background to watch how the birds interacted. It was so beautiful that I actually came back the second day at the exact same time to capture more footage.

Check out some of the my favorite Allen’s Hummingbird photos taken of these particular birds over the past few years with the X-T3.

Wildlife Feature | Black-crowned Night-Heron

The striking gaze of the Black-crowned Night-Heron cuts straight through the lens. With blood red eyes and a beak that resembles that of a plague doctor mask, this common bird may look menacing, but its quirky mannerisms tell a different story. Watch below as these beautiful birds learn to hunt, preen, and find that perfect itch.

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Black-crowned

Night -Heron facts:

  • The Black-crowned Night-Heron inhabits warmer climates worldwide, ranging from North and South America, Europe, and Africa to Asia and the East Indies.

  • These birds are primarily active during the evening (hence their name), and they inhabit freshwater, saltwater, and brackish wetlands, marshes, streams, lakes, and reservoirs.

  • Adults possess entirely black bills, while juveniles exhibit yellow and black bills.

  • Their diet includes fish, krill, crustaceans, frogs, insects, small mammals, and occasionally small birds.

  • Although they typically hunt solo, Black-crowned Night-Herons nest together in colonies.

  • Some of these colonies have been known to remain together for over 50 years.

  • During the breeding season, a long, thin, white head plume appears on these birds.

  • A breeding Black-crowned Night-Heron will care for any chick placed in its nest, even those that aren't its own offspring.

  • Juveniles leave the nest at only one month old and aren't capable of flying until they are six weeks old.

  • In the wild, Black-crowned Night-Herons can live for approximately 20 years.

On any adventure, I bring along my trusty Fujifilm X-T3 with the XF100-400mm + 1.4x TC, which is securely fastened to my backpack using a Peak Design Capture 3.0 Camera Clip. This setup not only makes me more mobile but also enables me to act quickly when I spot wildlife. Depending on the situation, I switch between photo and video modes to capture a variety of media to share. While I would prefer to use a tripod for crisper content, it can limit mobility and result in missed opportunities.

The first photo below is likely one of my favorite photos I've ever taken. As a photographer, there's no better feeling than when a creature connects with your camera and offers you their best. Scroll through to see more Black-crowned Night-Heron photos taken throughout Southern California.