{"id":64656,"date":"2022-03-25T14:00:57","date_gmt":"2022-03-25T05:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fujifilmnxtc.wpenginepowered.com\/?post_type=xstories&#038;p=4199905"},"modified":"2024-05-02T00:39:02","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T15:39:02","slug":"tilting-the-axis","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-gb\/stories\/tilting-the-axis\/","title":{"rendered":"Tilting the Axis"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"embed-responsive\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Wapp87nyzwk\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h5>Part paradox, part nirvana: Yosemite National Park encompasses a smorgasbord of contrasting terrain. Angling her GFX100S, Rebeca Gaal finds its distinct slant<\/h5>\n<p>As the earth spins and twists in orbit, the world\u2019s poles move here and there \u2013 rolling and sloping from the furthest reaches of the sun. Periods of warmth and cold define the transitions, casting the planet in varying climates, clear-cut and familiar. For the most part, these spells follow a semblance of routine, even in the face of fluctuating atmospheric challenges. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter are as expected as they are cyclic, but in certain parts of the world, this order has become suspended \u2013 even upended \u2013 in favor of something much more unusual.<\/p>\n<p>Navigating the mountains of the Sierra Nevada, conservationist Rebecca \u2018Becky\u2019 Gaal soon started to notice a wealth of biodiversity. As America\u2019s third-largest national park, Yosemite embodies a colorful array of conditions \u2013 incongruously mixed to create a strange mish-mash of geography, rife for photographic discovery. \u201cI\u2019ve been coming here since I was little,\u201d she remarks. \u201cIt\u2019s so magical, and even better, within driving distance. It\u2019s unlike anything in California\u2026 or the US, for that matter. There\u2019s a high country and a low country. The former closes in the autumn, because they get so much snow. The latter is entirely different \u2013 lots of grassy woodlands. I really like seeing the full spectrum.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Exploring the outer limits of the park, Rebecca discovered Yosemite in its seeming contradictions \u2013 its conflicts. In the low country, muted greens give way to sudden flourishes of autumnal beauty, traversed by skulking deer and wandering cows. Windswept and patchy, grassy knolls are subdued by a gently emerging frost, the vitality muffled by the early onset of winter cold. Venture further into these foothills, and snow becomes persistent, entrenching the land in thick carpets of pale white. Though the space embraces two distinctly separate zones, aspects of each bleed into each other, often creating weirdly crafted consolidations. Without question, the allure is evident, but upon further inspection, a more troubling implication also takes ahold. Negotiating this intrusion in Yosemite\u2019s affairs would become Rebecca\u2019s prime motivation.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp_flexbox col2\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RG_GART-0856.jpg?width=581&#038;height=363\" alt=\"A herd of cows traverse the low valleys of Yosemite national park\" width=\"581\" height=\"363\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RG_GART-2282.jpg?width=581&#038;height=363\" alt=\"An aerial view of Yosemite's snowy mountaintops\" width=\"581\" height=\"363\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><p>A solitary plant begins to sprout amidst vast blankets of rime, defiant and unyielding. Iced branches of a nearby tree cradle crumpled leaves of beige, clinging to reedy sticks and twigs, wavering in the breeze. Nearby, springtime forms appear to blossom and bloom \u2013 splashes of richness casting fairy-tale impressions of rosy pink and olive green. But then we step back. Then the encircling chill becomes overwhelmingly visible.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp_flexbox col2\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RG_GART-1192.jpg?width=581&#038;height=363\" alt=\"A solitary plant sprouts from the ice-covered grounds of Yosemite national park\" width=\"581\" height=\"363\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RG_GART-2058.jpg?width=581&#038;height=363\" alt=\"Autumn leaves cling onto the reedy branches of a snow-covered tree in Yosemite national park\" width=\"581\" height=\"363\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><p>\u201cLooking at the new growth\u2026 the subtleties of climate change become more specific,\u201d she outlines. \u201cIn spite of all this snow, there\u2019s still a lot of resilience in nature. That\u2019s certainly worth looking at, and documenting. It\u2019s lovely to see that greenery emerging again, against the odds. There\u2019s strength in this land when you leave it alone. It might be out of sync, but it still puts itself in balance. The photos are about hope, ultimately.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These oddities are striking, and they\u2019re also the images that intrigue Rebecca most. The irregularity speaks to grave concerns; the clashes a mere symptom of a much larger problem. Even still, her pictures don\u2019t denote brittleness and frailty. They underscore the park\u2019s endurance: robust in its opposition to the elements, dogged in its resistance. Yosemite was earning the authority of its name \u2013 the word itself originating with native tribes that hunted the formidable grizzlies with agility and ire. Indeed, it was as if that soul was present in the land itself \u2013 manifesting in the way these seasons collided \u2013 each plant and shrub stubborn in its refusal to make way for this man-made matter. Here, the axial tilt had been adjourned, and in its place was a new order, a periodic shift. But what was the best way to encapsulate it?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI combined <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-gb\/products\/cameras\/gfx100s\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GFX100S<\/a> with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-gb\/products\/lenses\/gf100-200mmf56-r-lm-ois-wr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GF100-200mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-gb\/products\/lenses\/gf32-64mmf4-r-lm-wr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR<\/a>. This camera is such a game changer in terms of the files and resolution. It reminded me of film,\u201d she notes. \u201cIt\u2019s so invigorating to be surprised by a file. Photographers of my generation will remember the excitement of the darkroom, and this feels akin to that. The RAW files seem pretty much identical to the JPEGs. When you\u2019re looking at ice, dirt, and seemingly dull elements, it brings out hidden details. Dying flowers aren\u2019t normally appealing, but this equipment gives them life. It imbues it with beauty, and this isn\u2019t even with macro, it\u2019s with zooms! It takes the ordinary and gives you a new-found appreciation of just how wondrous it can be.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RG_GART-0946.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RG_GART-0946.jpg\" alt=\"A selection of pink and green foliage in Yosemite national park\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 Rebecca Gaal | FUJIFILM GFX100S and GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR, 1\/800 sec at F9, ISO 3200<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>Perhaps the most renowned photographer to create at Yosemite, Ansel Adams\u2019 iconic black &amp; white prints are indelibly linked to these landscapes. In 1919, he became keeper of the Sierra Club\u2019s LeConte Memorial Lodge, immersing himself in the scenery for a total of four summers, while concurrently developing ties with many of the group\u2019s budding conservationists. Today, a park gallery sits in his honor, exhibiting a wide selection of pointed, monochrome scenes, seven days a week. \u201cAs a photographer, you can\u2019t help but feel his presence when you\u2019re here,\u201d Rebecca explains. \u201cThe photos he\u2019s taken\u2026 it\u2019s not like you\u2019re trying to one-up them, but I do think everyone\u2019s trying to find their own way of looking at things. That\u2019s challenging when you\u2019re in a place that has very distinct valleys.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs for his aesthetical style, it all depends on the image,\u201d she continues, referring to Adams\u2019 infamous Group f\/64 and their propensity for crisp, incisive depictions. Operating in opposition to the soft-focus of preceding pictorialist styles, the collective would disrupt and pioneer, positioning themselves around the centralized premise of large-format, small aperture. Resultant images were well-defined with an abundant depth-of-field. \u201cI\u2019m not always thinking about the consistency of the form. Having things that aren\u2019t sharp or technically correct \u2013 sometimes I prefer that. I think that changes the mood. We focus on sharpness, but at times that can end up ruining imagery. Being blurry is fine, as is the opposite. It all depends on what your subject is.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp_flexbox col2\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RG_GART-2619.jpg?width=581&#038;height=363\" alt=\"A reflection of a Yosemite mountain is caught in the reflection of nearby waters\" width=\"581\" height=\"363\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RG_GART-22.jpg?width=581&#038;height=363\" alt=\"A sprawling Yosemite vista, encompassed by vast waters, colossal mountains and baby blue skies\" width=\"581\" height=\"363\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><p>Over the years, Gaal\u2019s work has come to typify a relationship between conservation and healthcare, documenting the evolution of an everchanging situation. To date, her output is a deft evaluation of the acute links between environment, wildlife, and medicine, and how these issues ultimately intersect. Dubbing her approach \u2018planetary health,\u2019 the message is one of equilibrium \u2013 the interconnectivity of such elements proving vital in ensuring the wellbeing of the planet, and consequently, the welfare of the species that inhabit it. At the heart of her collection, two sets of photographs illustrate this focus, and they\u2019re stark reminders of the challenges we all face when dealing with environmental change.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe burnt trees with the snow \u2013 that was a staggering distinction,\u201d she remarks, solemnly. \u201cYou aren\u2019t used to images like those. It\u2019s very different to sights I saw years ago in the valley. I wanted to note the changes. Going to the high country\u2026 there\u2019d been a lot of fire in the area. The skies were really orange and dusky, but once again, you had this difference with the snow. It\u2019s a recurrent thing. Even where I am in Ventura \u2013 you\u2019ll hear about these wildfires, and then weeks later, animals will start piling down on the community, looking for food, water, shelter. Being in a place where you have added seasons makes it even more difficult. What if one of these creatures had its food stored for the winter, and now it\u2019s not there anymore? These are the affects you might not necessarily see or feel directly. It changes the landscape. If you get too much rain after the fire, and it\u2019s too much to keep the land in place, you end up with mudslides. Not enough water and the land is starved, barren. It\u2019s this cause-and-effect thing. You don\u2019t know what the ramifications are going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp_flexbox col2\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RG_GART-2231.jpg?width=581&#038;height=363\" alt=\"Framed against acres of snow, an aerial view of burnt out trees showcases the higher country of Yosemite national park\" width=\"581\" height=\"363\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RG_GART-2370.jpg?width=581&#038;height=363\" alt=\"Framed against acres of snow, an aerial view of burnt out trees showcases the higher country of Yosemite national park\" width=\"581\" height=\"363\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><p>Recently, Yosemite\u2019s nature conservancy has started planting milkweed to attract birds, butterflies, and bees. In turn, this acts as a magnet for predators and other interrelated animals, reviving the ecosystem so that it doesn\u2019t wane. Even in spaces as diverse as Yosemite, man has had to interfere to entice and restore order. The realization becomes sadly ironic when considering its causal factors \u2013 human intervention causing more human intervention, albeit from a different angle.<\/p>\n<p>Much like her images of hoary, blazed branches, a second set of photos would also come to epitomize the disturbance of Yosemite\u2019s environs. Disrupting the campgrounds, a fuzzy bobcat prowled and scavenged through the snowfall, searching for scraps. \u201cThat was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime moment. This majestic animal up-close, you could really see the lineage. I\u2019m used to operating in controlled facilities, so photographing them in the wild is a very different thing. So much comes down to luck and timing. I usually prefer a much longer lens. In those spaces, you really don\u2019t want to be that close. But this time around, it was completely different. I was about five feet away. That was absolutely stunning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca stops, a sudden melancholy noticeable in her tone. \u201cIt was also incredibly sad. A part of me doesn\u2019t want to see this gorgeous creature in the campgrounds. It\u2019s like the whole world\u2019s gone topsy-turvy. It just doesn\u2019t belong here.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RG_GART-17.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RG_GART-17.jpg\" alt=\"An inquisitive bobcat stares into the lens of a GFX100S camera in Yosemite national park\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 Rebecca Gaal | FUJIFILM GFX100S and GF100-200mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR, 1\/320 sec at F8, ISO 2500<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Part paradox, part nirvana: Yosemite National Park encompasses a smorgasbord of contrasting terrain. Angling her GFX100S, Rebeca Gaal finds its distinct slant As the earth spins and twists in orbit, the world\u2019s poles move here and there \u2013 rolling and sloping from the furthest reaches of the sun. Periods of warmth and cold define the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":64657,"template":"","category":[2084,1006,1202,3113,10855,10806,1937,10169,1055,13039,3701,320,565,13041,3554],"post_tag":[],"b2b-solutions":[],"class_list":["post-64656","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-be-inspired","category-cameras","category-category","category-g-mount","category-gf100-200mmf5-6-r-lm-ois-wr-g-mount-zoom","category-gf32-64mmf4-r-lm-wr","category-gfx-series","category-gfx100s","category-lenses","category-mirrorless-digital-cameras","category-gfx-series-mirrorless","category-products","category-stories","category-zoom-lenses","category-g-mount-zoom"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-01 10:04:57","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/64656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64657"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=64656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_tag?post=64656"},{"taxonomy":"b2b-solutions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b2b-solutions?post=64656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}