I'm standing in a meadow in Yosemite, watching Half Dome as the light changes in the 2 hours I've been here. People pass by in their cars, stop to take a quick picture and rush off. A group of young Japanese. An older couple in a vintage Rolls Royce.

I'm waiting for sunset as the afternoon light on the meadow moves from bright direct light to open shade to shadow. I watch the clouds pass and periodically take a frame as I stand and wait.

An Indian family took pictures near me a while before. They stop again on their way to somewhere else. The father approaches, I introduce myself and learn his name is Ravi. He sees my camera on the tripod and asks if I am taking a time lapse. I say no I'm just taking pictures as the light changes.

He takes a beat, puzzled, and then asks if this is my first visit to Yosemite. No, I reply, I live in L.A. and have photographed here a number of times. He says there are better places to shoot the sunset, mentioning "Valley View," and I take up the list with, "Tunnel View, Sentinel Bridge," and I rattle off other iconic locations in the Valley.

He doesn't understand why I chose to be here and not these other places. He rejoins his family.

I've shot at all these iconic locations, standing shoulder to shoulder with other photographers Getting The Shot. But in this meadow, at this moment, it's not the photograph that is important.

This won't be an icon photo to check off my list. Just being in Yosemite is reason enough to stand here - even without my camera. I watch and wait. I meditate in that quiet way landscape photographers do waiting for light.

Will there be a great sunset? Clouds to the west say probably not. But I am the only photographer here and these 2 hours have been a privilege and a blessing.