Mariposa (Spanish for “Butterfly”) is a small town in the Sierra Nevada foothills a few miles to
the southwest of Yosemite National Park. It was the southernmost of the foothill mining towns
during the 1849 Gold Rush, and in 1851 the Mariposa Battalion was formed there to stop the
native raids. The Mariposa Battalion was the first group of white men to enter Yosemite Valley.
Mariposa soon became a ranching and agricultural community, and it offers a nice place to stay
outside of Yosemite National Park, with easy access, reasonable costs and a bucolic environment.

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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Yosemite Collection page where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 15 Galleries in the Photoshelter Yosemite Collection

For convenience, Galleries containing the images of Wildlife, Plants,
Sequoia National Park, Bodie Ghost Town, Mono Lake and Mariposa
have been copied to the Yosemite Collection from their normal locations.

Indian Peak Cigar Store Indian 4071
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A 19th century Cigar Store Indian is mascot at Indian Peak Ranch.

Indian Peak Ranch is a mountaintop vacation home on 120 acres of
agricultural land a few miles southeast of Mariposa, offering a luxurious
two bedroom cabin with a large redwood deck, pool and hot tub. Its easy
access to Yosemite National Park and relaxing environment offers a
pleasant alternative to the typical hotels at a very reasonable rate.

Indian Peak Cigar Store Indian 4171
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Holding three cigars, the statue sports a traditional feathered warbonnet of the Plains Indians. At some point in its history, the wooden Indian was used for target practice (note the bullet hole in the forehead). These Indians were often mistreated.

Indian Peak Cigar Store Indian 4074
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A wooden Indian was a trade symbol of the tobacconist shop, beginning in 17th century England. Originally carved by artists who made ship’s figureheads, they were at their popularity peak in the middle to late 19th century in the United States.

Indian Peak Cigar Store Indian 4083
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The Cigar Store Indian began to go out of favor in the early 20th century,
beginning with laws which restricted advertising symbols on sidewalks.
Increased racial sensitivity caused many to consider Cigar Store Indians
as a stereotypical presentation of the Native American, and while they are
no longer in widespread use, they are still a symbol of the tobacconist’s shop.

Indian Peak Thunderbird Totem 4151
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The red-footed Thunderbird Totem, on a hillside
below the guest house at Indian Peak Ranch.

Indian Peak Thunderbird Totem 4080
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This is the yellow-footed Thunderbird Totem, just beyond
the spacious redwood deck surrounding the guest house.

Indian Peak Thunderbird Totem 4155
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Detail of the hand-carved yellow-footed Thunderbird atop the Totem.

Indian Peak Thunderbird Totem 4073
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Anna’s Hummingbird Female 4099
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An Anna’s Hummingbird Female sporting a flowery beak decoration,
taken from the redwood deck outside the guest house at Indian Peak Ranch.

Anna’s Hummingbird Female 4126
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Wing warp during hovering flight. A hummingbird’s wings beat up to 80 times per second, allowing them to hover in mid-air.

Anna’s Hummingbird Female 4127
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Hummingbirds can fly as fast as 35 miles per hour, and are also the only known bird capable of flying backwards.

Anna’s Hummingbird Female Flight Study
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Flight Study showing an Anna’s Hummingbird Female as she transitions to hovering flight.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Yosemite Collection page where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 15 Galleries in the Photoshelter Yosemite Collection

For convenience, Galleries containing the images of Wildlife, Plants,
Sequoia National Park, Bodie Ghost Town, Mono Lake and Mariposa
have been copied to the Yosemite Collection from their normal locations.

Antique Farm Equipment Mariposa 4184
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Antique Farm Equipment and a 1935 Chevrolet displayed in a field in Mariposa.

Pictured are a seed spreader, tractor, cultivator, manure spreader and the Chevrolet.

Antique Farm Equipment Mariposa 4197
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An antique cultivator, tractor and hay rake in a farmer’s field in Mariposa.

These were exceedingly difficult exposures due to the wide dynamic range
between the dark rusty equipment in the shadows and the bright field beyond.

Antique Farm Equipment Mariposa 4199
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An antique manure spreader in a farmer’s field in Mariposa.

Antique Farm Equipment Mariposa 4230
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Antique Farm Equipment Mariposa 4263
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Two detail shots of the antique manure spreader in a farmer’s field in Mariposa.

Antique Farm Equipment Mariposa 4203
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An antique cultivator, tractor and hay rake in a farmer’s field in Mariposa.

These images were taken during a training session to teach the intricacies
of rapidly evaluating and achieving accurate exposures in difficult situations.
After something like this, evaluating exposure for a typical scenic shot is easy.

Antique Farm Equipment Mariposa 4207
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Antique Farm Equipment displayed in a field in Mariposa.

The trick is to allow the sky at the horizon to achieve full saturation,
while maintaining a reasonable level of saturation in the grass and
in the rest of the sky. This allows you to retain the color relationships
while extracting as much detail as possible in the shadows. After that,
careful processing of the shot yields optimum color and shadow detail.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Yosemite Collection page where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 15 Galleries in the Photoshelter Yosemite Collection

For convenience, Galleries containing the images of Wildlife, Plants,
Sequoia National Park, Bodie Ghost Town, Mono Lake and Mariposa
have been copied to the Yosemite Collection from their normal locations.

1935 Chevrolet Pickup Mariposa 4333
(631 KB)

A 1935 Chevrolet Pickup stands guard over Antique Farm Equipment in a Mariposa field.

The 1935 Chevrolet half-ton pickup was made during the Great Depression, when few people
were able to buy a new vehicle. Later, during World War II, most factories were turned over to
war production, and older vehicles like this truck were often used until they began to fall apart.

1935 Chevrolet Pickup Mariposa 4349
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Detail of the grille of the 1935 Chevrolet half-ton pickup.

Antique Farm Equipment Mariposa 4238
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An antique tractor and plow in a field in Mariposa.

Antique Tractor Mariposa 4212
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An antique tractor standing watch in a farmer’s field in Mariposa.

Antique Farm Equipment Mariposa 4253
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An antique cultivator, hay rake and another tractor in a farmer’s field in Mariposa.

Antique Farm Equipment Mariposa 4318
(412 KB)

Suspension detail on a piece of antique farm equipment in Mariposa.

Antique Farm Equipment Mariposa 4323
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Detail of a hay rake on display in a farmer’s field in Mariposa.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Yosemite Collection page where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 15 Galleries in the Photoshelter Yosemite Collection

For convenience, Galleries containing the images of Wildlife, Plants,
Sequoia National Park, Bodie Ghost Town, Mono Lake and Mariposa
have been copied to the Yosemite Collection from their normal locations.

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