Dreams of Yosemite

ETH NFT Collection by Lauren McDonagh-Pereira

Dreams of Yosemite is a photography NFT collection by Lauren McDonagh-Pereira. The collection highlights the natural beauty of Yosemite National Park.

Each piece is a 1/1 ETH NFT minted on Foundation. Each is listed for auction with a reserve price of 0.30 ETH.

Morning Glow in Tuolumne Meadows

Morning Glow in Tuolumne Meadows was taken on June 29, 2015 in Yosemite National Park.

My husband and I were on a road trip to explore the National Parks of Southern California. We planned to visit Death Valley, Yosemite National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, and Sequoia National Park.

Unfortunately, I suffered from heat stroke in Death Valley on the first day of our trip. It was a terrifying experience. I did not remember my name. I could not articulate how old I was, or where I lived. And I didn’t fully understand where I was or how I had gotten there.

The Park rangers did an excellent job of administering first aid to me. They had a med flight and an ambulance on standby in case I lost consciousness, or could not hold down fluids. They didn’t want to put me in either unless absolutely necessary because the closest hospitals were 2 hours by med flight or 5 hours by ambulance away. Putting me in one without being sure that it was absolutely necessary, would have meant leaving the whole park without emergency medical care for hours.

Fortunately, I was able to bring my temperature down to safe levels and leave the park in our rental car. We spent that night in a motel, instead of camping, and then continued on towards Yosemite.

NIKON D5100 ƒ/13 1/15 22mm ISO200

Disclosure: The link will take you to foundation.app where you can collect my NFT with cryptocurrency. If you make a purchase, I will earn a profit. View my Privacy Policy for more information.

Sunrise in Tuolumne Meadows

Sunrise in Tuolumne Meadows was taken on June 29, 2015 in Yosemite National Park.

The morning I spent watching the sunrise over this peak was the most peaceful of my life. As the sun rose, the landscape began to glow with color and life. Birds chirped to greet the new day, and the barren rocks of the dome were alive with contrasting light.

We had camped the night before in the Tuolumne Meadows of Yosemite National Park. I was still feeling off from my heat stroke incident a day and half earlier, and I was unable to sleep.

Finally, at 4 am, I stopped trying to sleep, climbed out of my tent, grabbed my camera gear and started wandering around the campground looking for a spot to enjoy the sunrise.

I noticed that the shape of the dome in the distance was mirrored by the shape of the small pond in front of me. I set up my tripod and waited for the magic to happen.

This sunrise would have been glorious under any circumstances, but it was especially salient the day after I almost died. It felt like the new day was bursting with life just for me. I was awake. I was alive. I was able to be a part of the world.

NIKON D5100 ƒ/13 1/8 22mm ISO200

Disclosure: The link will take you to foundation.app where you can collect my NFT with cryptocurrency. If you make a purchase, I will earn a profit. View my Privacy Policy for more information.

Morning Peace in Tuolumne Meadows

Morning Peace in Tuolumne Meadows was taken on June 29, 2015 in Yosemite National Park.

After I watched the golden sunrise over the dome of Tuolumne Meadows, I wandered around the edge of the campground looking for new angles and views.

Yosemite National Park is absolutely stunning. Every time you turn your head, you can’t help but to gasp in awe.

I took particular delight in the way the bright purple wildflowers contrasted with the stark gray of the Tuolumne Meadows dome.

My Yosemite landscape shots are among my all time favorites. I take great pride in them, and yet I feel that I am cheating. The landscapes in Yosemite are so breathtaking that it would be difficult to take a bad photograph.

NIKON D5100 ƒ/16 1/13 18mm ISO200

Disclosure: The link will take you to foundation.app where you can collect my NFT with cryptocurrency. If you make a purchase, I will earn a profit. View my Privacy Policy for more information.

Clouds Over Tunnel View

Clouds over Tunnel View was taken on June 29, 2015 in Yosemite National Park.

My husband and I had valiantly tried to salvage our trip after heat stroke almost killed me in Death Valley. By midday in Yosemite, it was clear that my body just wasn’t up to the ambitious task of hiking and camping our way through National Parks for 10 days. I was exhausted and easily winded. I needed to hydrate, rest, and recover.

We headed back to camp, to break down our tent and head out. We agreed that we might as well take the scenic route out of the park to stop at some of the major viewpoints as we headed back towards civilization and air conditioned hotels.

I was lucky to catch this overcast scene at Tunnel View which softened the midday light and allowed me to create an interesting photograph.

NIKON D5100 ƒ/16 1/20 24mm ISO200

Disclosure: The link will take you to foundation.app where you can collect my NFT with cryptocurrency. If you make a purchase, I will earn a profit. View my Privacy Policy for more information.

The Gear

Read Dreams of Yosemite – Camera Equipment to learn about the camera gear that I used to create these shots.

Read my retrospective review of the Nikon D5100, a legacy crop-sensor DSLR from Nikon that was used to create this collection.

MEET Lauren McDonagh-Pereira

Lauren McDonagh-Pereira is a photographer from Massachusetts, USA. She captures the beauty of the world around her, favoring Nikon cameras and lenses. She is drawn to shooting landscapes, wildlife, nature, and people authentically enjoying life.

Tweet me @LAMPphotography