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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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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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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Taken along the Merced River in Yosemite National Park on October 28th, 2013

In late October 2013, a decently-sized storm hit the Sierra, bringing cold, wet weather to the area. Where I live this manifested as an series of rain showers. But in Yosemite Valley, which is higher and colder, the precipitation came in the form of snow. The Yosemite Conservancy webcams showed a winter wonderland, with the Sierra high country covered in white. Even Yosemite Valley was getting dusted. With the weather forecast predicting the storm breaking up around sunset, I put my butt into high gear and drove to the park. Once I got inside Yosemite’s borders the rain I had been driving through turned to snow and my windshield was getting plastered with thick, fat flakes. Amazingly, despite the unequivocally wintry conditions, the park’s dogwood trees were still resplendently displaying their vibrant fall foliage. Everywhere I looked I saw bright pinks, reds, and oranges. One of my first stops once I hit Yosemite Valley was a bend in the Merced River which boasted this amazing view of El Capitan and a the clearing storm. And while the snow on the Valley floor had already melted off, the storm itself was still swirling around El Cap, creating a beautiful contrast between fall and winter.

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Taken at Tioga Lake just outside Yosemite National Park on November 12th, 2013

I love all kinds of landscapes, from the coast to the desert, but the truth is that I am a mountain boy at heart. Because I live in the Sierra Nevada foothills I get to pass through some of the most beautiful mountain terrain in the world, including the wondrous scenery along Tioga Pass. Even though this spot, Tioga Lake, is a good 2 hours and 45 minutes from where I live, it still feels like it’s close to home. And it’s tough not to feel incredibly fortunate when you have a backyard this beautiful.

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