Landscape, Nature And Travel Photography

I quickly browsed the images earlier which were great, and now I just finished listening to the podcast. Great job at explaining the various areas and some of the naturalist things about light and landscape. One thing I’ve always wanted to do was capture the “Firefall” effect on Horsetail Falls.

Richard thanks! From what I understand the Firefall sunset shot is best taken around February. I’d have to check to be sure though.

Hello, Yosemite N.P. is for me the most beautyfull Parc, my dream!

my english is not sowell, but the greatings from gea.

Thanks Gea and welcome to the blog. I hope you get to visit Yosemite soon to experience that beauty in person.

[...] Go to Podcast… [...]

Jim,
I love your Yosemite images. I think you should organize a photography trip to Yosemite….now that you are a “local”. You could vbe our guide.
I’d be up for flying out to CA for a few days/week.

Thoughts..?

Awesome shots Jim!
Came across your post on FM that lead me here.
I 2nd what Jody suggested.

Kurt

Hey,
I just spoke with Noeltykay…how about a trip sometime in May…??

Jim,

Enjoyed your podcast. Some very good information. Thanks for putting it together.

I was always under the impression that Valley View was the turnout on the valley floor along the river, down river from El Cap at the end of the valley. You get a nice view of El Cap at sunset and Bridal Veil off to the right. What you were calling Valley View up on the road is actually Tunnel View (just below the tunnel).

Harley thanks for the feedback. If I misspoke I apologize. I indeed meant tunnel view for the higher elevation valley lookout off Hwy 41. I’ll give the podcast another listen to see if I misspoke or if I was using the term “valley view” in a more general sense. Thanks for helping me keep the information as accurate as possible.

[...]  A morning view of Yosemite valley from the Tunnel Lookout after an early morning snow. Snow in the valley truly transforms the landscape. Amazing how something so simple can add so much impact. Note: This is one of the many Yosemite National Park photos featured in EXIF and Beyond: Yosemite Winter Photos. [...]

[...] One of the most attractive qualities of Yosemite is that it has so many beautiful facets that have inspired countless artists. If you look hard enough the valley reveals something new and amazing no matter what the season or weather. When photographing the park in the winter the snow often provides a great accent to a scene such as in my photo “Yosemite Valley Snow“. In other instances, like this one, the snow creates a high contrast image where texture can come into focus. Either way opportunities abound for all to find their artistic interpretation of the landscape. As far as intimate nature photographs of Yosemite this is among my favorites. Note: This is one of the many Yosemite National Park photos featured in EXIF and Beyond: Yosemite Winter Photos. [...]

Hi Jim,
FYI, “Horsetail Firefall” is ONLY visible during the last 2 weeks of Feb. if there has been adequate
snow and rain just before that period (or during) with a needed break in the storm to create a window from the West for the sun to come thru just at sunset time. So watch the storms during that period and BE there the day After a storm, then I’ll see ya at
The Mountain Room for dinner afterwards OK?

Hi, Jim!

Your readers might be interested in my photoset on Flickr of sunset from Tunnel View (AKA Discovery View). It shows how dramatically the light can change from moment to moment; Also includes true alpen glow on El Capitan, the soft warm light that sometimes appears AFTER the sun has set.

See it here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ambitious_wench/sets/72157603416920496/show/

Flash slideshow in chronological order.

To see the images as a set, go here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ambitious_wench/sets/72157603416920496/

And for my best shot of the alpen glow:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ambitious_wench/2099270097/in/set-72157603416920496/

Cheers,
Edie

Beautiful photos Edie!

Regarding the Natural Firefalls:

Month of February is correct, as well as the need for water coming over the cliff; I’ve shot it for two years running now, and can say that from the end of January through the first week of March you can get some incredible light on that wall and fall. Granted the red happens in about the third week of February, but don’t discount the beauty at other times. Here are two images from less than optimal conditions:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ambitious_wench/396496314/ Taken when there was a high cloud ceiling and precious little water; I was one of the few who stuck around to get this shot after everybody else gave up and went home. The sun finally cleared the clouds buy sliding down to the horizon and lit the natural feature I call “Wizard of Horsetail Falls”.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ambitious_wench/421714650/
This one was taken on March 13, long after the brilliant gold and red light was available from the sun’s position in the west. We finally had enough thaw to send water down, and the late sun turned the spray into gold.

I shot over 600 images this year of the falls. You can see most of them all here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ambitious_wench/sets/72157594511560908/

Cheers,
Edie

One last bit of advice for folks coming to Yosemite for winter photography: It’s cold here. Plan ahead.

Gloves will make your experience less painful. A warm wool or down coat, and longjohns. Layer your clothing.

Bring extra sources of heat: Hand and footwarmers are roughly $2 a pop, and are worth every penny. Failing that, a non-insulated beverage container such as a Klean Kanteen filled with hot tea, and then dropped into a clean sock. Note: Nalgene bottles may release some pretty scary chemicals if filled with hot liquid. It will keep you warm, but I wouldn’t drink the liquid.

Blankets for seating or wrapping around your shoulders.

A wooly hat that covers your ears. Or a scarf you can wrap to that effect.

HTH, HAND.
Cheers,
Edie

[...] Mentioned in EXIF and Beyond: Yosemite Winter Photos and Yosemite Sunset Breaking Light [...]

I found your blog via Google blogsearch while searching for Winter photography and your post regarding “Yosemite Winter Photos” looks very interesting to me. I have a few Photography websites of my own and I must say that your blog is really good. Keep up the great work on a really high class resource. I Love Winter photography and for most of us, even the thought of capturing on camera, a great shot of an idyllic winter scene is heartwarming and at the same time mind-numbingly depressing. We all know through bitter experience that a winter photography shot we thought of as perfect, might as well in fact be tossed in the garbage can. One really helpful trick that I learned for winter photography is to meter for something other than the snow