Images in the Backcountry

Yosemite After Nearly 9 Years

Mike Matenkosky — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 21:02:55 +0000

Can’t believe it’s been almost 9 years since I last visited Yosemite. When my good friend Tim asked me if I wanted to go to Yosemite Saturday, I couldn’t say YES fast enough. Here’s my favorites…

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First Photos of the Year

Mike Matenkosky — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 17:38:19 +0000

It’s another one of those “First Photo of the Year” post. The last few years I had hoped to get out often, but never materialized. No promises this year as I’m waiting for to be scheduled for another surgery.

I almost decided on staying home because the weather said overcast overnight, but clearing in the morning. Wasn’t too bad and had a few sprinkles, but nothing to cover the camera equipment. As I write this, this morning’s sunrise was epic…but I didn’t have a camera on my morning walk.

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First Time, First Light

Mike Matenkosky — Mon, 17 Feb 2020 18:38:46 +0000

It only took me two months this year to get myself out to the local refuge. Saw that the waning crescent moon, Mars, Jupiter and possibly Saturn will be visible in the early morning sky, figured why not. They were spaced further apart than I’d like to see, so while I took a picture, they were too small and didn’t post it.

Had some color this morning, not epic, but nice. Saw a lone white Pelican this morning and to my surprise I had a Sandhill Crane get close enough for me to take a decent shot from the car.

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The Setting Full Moon at the Wetlands

Mike Matenkosky — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 17:59:16 +0000

For about a year now , I’ve been getting up early, way before sunrise, to walk around our neighborhood. I usually walk 4 mile, Monday through Friday. Every day after a Full Moon I think, “Wish I brought my camera”. Problem with that is, camera and lens is heavy and mostly, there isn’t a good location to take photos of the Moon and some other landscape. This morning instead of walking, I took a trip to the local wildlife refuge to see if I could get a few pictures. It was a nice outing and happy to get some keepers.

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Long Time

Mike Matenkosky — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 01:22:08 +0000

As the Boston songs says, “It’s Been Such A Long Time”. This morning I decided to take a drive to the local refuge instead of my morning walk. The day before we had a nice sunrise, so I figured maybe I’d see another. Not so this time. Had fog, which is a good thing for photography, but it started to sprinkle too. Not a big deal, I really wanted to get out there as it’s been over a year since I done any landscape/nature photography. All-in-all, it was a nice morning and managed to capture a rare “Goldenrod-yellow Tireshredder” too. Will try and get out there again soon.

A “Goldenrod-yellow Tireshredder”.

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Strawberry Moon Two Days Later

Mike Matenkosky — Sat, 30 Jun 2018 05:53:27 +0000

Went outside to say goodbye to my kids for the evening (going to grandparents for the night) and saw an orange moon. Thought it was another Lunar Eclipse, although I knew it wasn’t. I know there are some fires in the hills, so that’s most likely the cause. Since I haven’t taken any landscape/nature photos since last year, why not.

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My Favorite Photos from 2017

Mike Matenkosky — Wed, 20 Dec 2017 05:19:37 +0000

It’s that time again to pick my favorite ten photos from 2017. So in no particular order, here is my favorite photos of 2017…

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Fall Colors at June Lake, Lundy Canyon and Conway Summit

Mike Matenkosky — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 19:00:08 +0000

After leaving Convict Lake I drove the June Lake Loop, Lundy Canyon and Conway Summit in search for more fall colors.

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Fall Colors at Convict Lake 2017

Mike Matenkosky — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 02:50:07 +0000

One of my favorite fall colors location has to be Convict Lake. Drove the 4 hour trip to capture the first light. Got there around 5am and tried to find a different location other than the bridge. Since I’m not to stable trying to walk on rocks, and in the dark, I decided on the handicapped fishing pier. The half-moon was still overhead so I had to do so long exposures while I waited for sunrise.

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First Fall Colors of 2017

Mike Matenkosky — Sat, 14 Oct 2017 00:14:33 +0000

Okay, this technically is NOT the first picture of my recent fall color trip on Thursday. It was the first photo that I processed and posted here.

I got up at midnight Thursday morning and left the house around 1am for Convict Lake. After shooting sunrise I headed over to the June Lake Loop where I shot this. After that I went up to Conway Summit and then down to Lundy Canyon. I heard that the beaver dam was damaged and there was little water but I went anyway. Should have skipped it as driving our new-to-us van got close to some branches and scratched the paint. It will rub out though. After leaving Lundy It was around 3pm. Still frustrated about the dam and the van I almost left for home. I would have kicked myself later so I went back through the June Lake loop and down to Convict Lake again. Decided to try and get some shots along Tioga Pass so I headed for home making one more drive through the June Lake Loop. Got home around 9:30pm and drove a little over 500 miles. I was in bed by 10pm.

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