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22nd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Recovery Helo Half Dome - Canon 7DMk2 and Tamron 70-200

The image shows a helicopter recovering a body in front of Half Dome at Yosemite. If you hear a helicopter in Yosemite Valley that is rarely positive. Helicopters don't fly through Yosemite. Typically, it means someone has been badly hurt or worse. On this day, I had seen numerous rescue vehicles by the entrance to a nearby trail. While hiking to get a view of Half Dome I heard the helo at a distance. It circled several times nearby then flew in front of Half Dome on the way to a landing spot. I changed m wide-angle 15-30 to a 70-200 and saw the closed basket below the help. I was conflicted about capturing the shot, not wanting to capture somone's death. Ultimately, I decided to take the shot, and it reminds me that our natural world is both beautiful and dangerous. If you look closely at the image you can see the wire from the helo to the basket below.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2024
Date Uploaded: 12.2024
Photo Location: Yosemite, California, United States of America
Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Copyright: © Kevin Gilligan