Sierra Waves
Sierra Waves
Behind the Scenes of this Photo
Taken at Upper Cathedral Lake in Yosemite National Park on May 3rd, 2014
This was a tough photo to get. Mostly because I was under-prepared. I trudged the four miles in to this spot sans snowshoes, postholing nearly every step and soaking my boots in the process. I brought just enough clothing to deal with the 10 degree F temps, which didn’t mean I was comfortable, just not frozen.
In the morning, when I had finally drifted off to a shivery sleep, I almost didn’t get out of bed because I quick glance out my tent flap told me it was overcast. It wasn’t until my eyes (and brain) focused a little more that I realized I wasn’t looking at gray skies, but rather a huge Sierra wave cloud that had formed above Cathedral Peak and the rest of the Sierra crest.
I quickly donned my snow gear, grabbed my camera, and crunched down to the frozen shore of Upper Cathedral Lake, where this beautiful wave of blue ice mirrored the cloud above.
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Something Rumbly This Way Comes
Taken at Cathedral Peak, Yosemite, June 12th, 2015
Scrambling around near the top of Medlicott Dome a few weeks back, I was in awe of the massive thunderclouds forming high above the Sierra. There were shafts of sunlight traversing the landscape, brilliantly spotlighting the granite mountains. I waited until a spotlight shone solely on the mighty Cathedral Peak and then snapped this shot.
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Stronger of the Two
Behind the scenes of this photo
Taken from Medlicott Dome in Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park, on June 12th, 2015
Granite is pretty tough stuff. You can walk on it, climb on it, and drive steel spikes into it that will hold the weight of an elephant. It juts from the earth in stately monolith form, and bulldozes forests in rock slide form. In landscape form it shapes the course of rivers, and in mountain form it even creates its own weather. At first glance granite seems to be imperturbable, invincible stuff.
But all it takes is a little perspective to see that is not necessarily true. On a summertime adventure in Tuolumne Meadows, my friend and I scrambled to the top of massive Medlicott Dome. Along the way we passed endless chasms, cracks, slabs, and flakes of rock. We saw places where the rock was fissured by countless years of freeze and thaw, and where the unending march of weather and time had produced house-sized boulders. Reaching the top of the dome we looked out on a landscape dotted with huge granite forms scoured and scraped by an ancient procession of ice.
More striking than the physical rock we could see was the telltale evidence left behind by something we couldn’t: water. The granite spires and ridges were certainly vast and impressive, but it was clear that this was a landscape shaped by water. And while the rock we were standing on seemed impossibly tough, it was clear that over time, water is the stronger of the two.
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Helter Skeletons
Behind the scenes of this photo
Taken along the Merced River near Housekeeping Camp in Yosemite National Park on January 31st, 2015
In late January I was leading a 1-on-1 photography lesson for Holly, a client from the UK (by way of Australia). At sunset I took her to one of my favorite “secret spots” in the Valley: a bend in the Merced River that provides an amazing view and reflection of Half Dome. Since it’s a relatively unknown location there generally aren’t any other people around, but when Holly and I rolled up to the location we found about 15 other photographers perched on the banks of the river shooting the warm afternoon light splashing across Half Dome. Turns out we had stumbled across a workshop by acclaimed Yosemite photographer Michael Frye. In fact, there were so many other photographers there that the only spots on the bank with a clear view of the Dome were right in front of a downed tree in the water which was completely ruining the reflection.
Not one to let something like a tree stand in my way I took off my shoes and socks, rolled my pants up, and waded in to the chilly Merced. With a little help from a few of the folks on the bank I disengaged the tree from the river bed and guided it downstream as it floated away from the group. This opened up a whole section of riverbank to shoot from, which Holly and I were smack dab in the middle of.
The obvious shot from that location is one of Half Dome as the setting sun paints its face redder and redder. But whether it’s because I’ve been to that spot numerous times, or because my river foray had me thinking about trees, I couldn’t help but notice the pale trunks of the trees just on the opposite bank of the river. Their white bark contrasted beautifully with the darker tones of the deeper foliage, and the monochromatic intimate feel of the scene stood off strikingly from the larger, more colorful view at hand. I was also struck by the graphic quality to the scene and knew that these tree trunks would make a lovely black and white image.
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Wishful Thinking
Behind the scenes of this photo
Taken at Cathedral Peak in Yosemite National Park on May 3rd, 2014
The winter of 2013-2014 was the driest on record for California, and the resulting Sierra snowpack was pitiful at best. Still, the blanket of snow that covered the landscape at Cathedral Peak in May retrospectively looks better and better as the 2014-2015, which started so promisingly, now limps along with nary a storm in sight. As much as I look forward to the coming of spring and summer every year I know that California needs winter to stick around for at least a few more months.
As to the matter of taking this photo, it was a tough one to get. Mostly because I was under-prepared. I trudged the four miles in to this spot sans snowshoes, postholing nearly every step and soaking my boots in the process. I brought just enough clothing to deal with the 10 degree F temps, which didn’t mean I was comfortable, just not frozen.
In the morning, when I had finally drifted off to a shivery sleep, I almost didn’t get out of bed because I quick glance out my tent flap told me it was overcast. It wasn’t until my eyes (and brain) focused a little more that I realized I wasn’t looking at gray skies, but rather a huge Sierra wave cloud that had formed above Cathedral Peak and the rest of the Sierra crest.
I quickly donned my snow gear, grabbed my camera, and crunched my way up the frozen snow to this overlook above Upper Cathedral Lake. Then it was simply a matter of waiting for the sun to light up the wave cloud with the magenta hues of sunrise.
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Still Waters Run Deep
Behind the scenes of this photo
Taken near the Parsons Memorial Lodge in Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park on September 21st, 2014
The Tuolumne Meadows run for 10 miles through the Yosemite high country. And along that entire stretch the Tuolumne River meanders and winds its way through forests, open fields, rocky terraces, and herds of deer. At nearly every bend in the river you can find excellent views of the surrounding peaks and, including Dana, Gibbs, Cathedral, Unicorn, Lembert, Fairview, and more. The river is calm and slow moving and there are many spots along its course where you can find decent reflections of the granite and sky above. However, calm as it may be the river is still moving at these spots and the reflection is often more impressionistic than mirror smooth.
Except in this particular location near the Parsons Memorial Lodge. This was my first time exploring this part of the Meadows, having wandered past the lodge on my way back from the 12-mile round trip hike to Glen Aulin. Standing above the river I immediately noticed a deep blue color shining out from this section of the river. Moving closer I discovered this deep, wide, and slow moving pool in the water. Not only were the reflections nearly perfect, but by moving up the banks of the river a bit I was able to find a composition where the trees on the opposite bank neatly framed two of the area’s classic mountains: Cathedral Peak and Unicorn Peak.
Thankfully I had brought all my camera equipment with me on the hike so all I had to do was set up my shot, then sit back and wait for the afternoon sun to light up the day’s storm clouds with a bevy of interesting textures and colors.
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Sparkle
Behind the scenes of this photo
Taken from frozen Upper Cathedral Leak near Cathedral Peak in Yosemite National Park on May 2nd, 2014.
After slogging through four miles of slushy snow I reached Upper Cathedral Lake just after sunset. Exhausted from the tiresome hike in I didn’t try to photograph the lingering colors of sunset, but rather set up my camp in the waning light. As evening cooled down it sucked all the moisture out of the air and soon the skies were so clear and crisp they almost seemed solid.
A handful of stars began to scintillate in the inky blue sky above Cathedral Peak and as the night deepened more and more pinpoints of light added their sparkle to the sky. By about 9:30 pm thousands of brilliant flecks of light encrusted the sky. A crescent moon just above Mt. Tressider was adding a faint glow to the ice and snow on Upper Cathedral Lake and I used a long exposure to bring out the sparkles, both in the sky and on the ground.
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A Cold Day in Church
Behind the scenes of this photo
Taken from a granite outcropping overlooking Cathedral Peak, Yosemite National Park, on May 3rd, 2014
On the first day Tioga Pass opened this year I found myself loading up a bear canister with salami sandwiches and chocolate for a hike into Upper Cathedral Lake. No one was really sure what the trail conditions would be like, but the guy at the wilderness office in Yosemite Valley estimated the snow on the trail to be “patchy but manageable.” And it totally was, for about 1.5 miles. After that the snow cover became 100% and since I neglected to bring snow shoes I enjoyed postholing for the next few miles through deep snow drifts.
But even at the staggeringly slow pace of one mile per hour I eventually reached the lake, just after sunset. I missed the opportunity to shoot that night, but fast forward 24 hours and I found myself on this granite outcrop between Upper and Lower Cathedral Lakes. I had a grand view of the majestic Cathedral Peak and the dramatic clouds beyond. And although this photo doesn’t show it, a biting wind was blowing, dropping the perceived temperature into the low teens. Still, it was an uplifting experience!
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Moonstruck
Behind the scenes of this photo
Taken from halfway up the 4 Mile trail in Yosemite Valley on April 13th, 2014
The Yosemite Falls Moonbow is one of those rare visual phenomena that attracts visitors and photographers from around the world. Each spring the waterfalls in the park gush with snow melt and release vast plumes of spray into the air. Which means that when the moon is full (or nearly so) during the months of April, May, and June, it sits at the perfect geometry and shines with a bright enough light to cause a rainbow to appear in the mist of the falls. Now, moonbows can actually be seen on any waterfall where there’s enough spray and you can get the alignment right. But because the Yosemite Falls Moonbow is so grandiose and only happens a handful of days a year it has become one of the most famous moonbows worldwide.
In April of 2014 I wanted to capture the Yosemite Falls Moonbow from a unique vantage point, rather than from the typical viewing area up near the base of the lower falls. Any rainbow appears directly opposite from its light source, in an arc 42 degrees out from the direction of the light. Because the full moon was so high in the sky on the night I shot this the moonbow was going to appear fairly low. Meaning that if I wanted any chance of seeing the moonbow on the upper section of Yosemite Falls, it meant that I had to get high up along the south rim of Yosemite Valley.
So at 9 pm I packed up my camera gear and hiked up the 4 Mile trail, a steep path that leads from the Valley floor to Glacier Point, some 3,000 feet higher. About halfway up the trail I found a clearing in the brush with an outstanding view of the entirety of Yosemite Falls. The moonbow is often faint, or even invisible to the human eye, only appearing in the camera after a long exposure. So I took a quick test shot from my vantage point and lo and behold: there was the Yosemite Falls Moonbow, shining out brilliantly. I spent the next few minutes tweaking my composition and dialing in my camera’s settings, then watched and shot for the next hour as the falls danced and swayed in the wind and the moonbow shimmered in the mist below.
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Where the Bullfrogs Jump from Bank to Bank
Behind the scenes of this photo
Taken at twilight along the Merced River in Yosemite Valley on April 24th, 2013
Not much to say about this image. Just enjoying a tranquil evening at one of my favorite spots in Yosemite Valley. Happened to catch a nice sunset and took this shot during the blue hour twilight afterward.
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Forest Yoga (Downward Dogwood / Sun Salutation)
Behind the scenes of this photo
Taken in a grove of dogwood trees along Highway 120 in Yosemite National Park on October 20th, 2013
On the way home from an Eastern Sierra photography workshop in late October I drove through Yosemite National Park. Having just spent the past six days on the go, I was eager to get home and hadn’t planned on stopping along the way. But as I neared the Big Oak Flat entrance station I came upon a grove of dogwoods at the peak of their fall color. The late afternoon sun was peeking through the grove as well, lighting up the beautiful trees with bursts of light. Even though I hadn’t intended to stop, the flaming dogwoods were too pretty to pass up. I found a composition I liked then waited for the sun to slip into a crack between the trees to give me this dynamic burst of light.
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