Landscape, Nature And Travel Photography

To see the world in a new way sometimes all you need is some different lighting. While out photographing moonbows last month, at Glacier Point lookout, I enjoyed watching Yosemite valley transform as the full moon rose above the horizon.  To my amazement the moon low on the horizon painted the valley a subtle orange hue as you might expect to see during a sunrise.  I shouldn’t have been too surprised as the moon merely reflects sunlight albeit at a lower intensity, but I was. Academically knowing that something like this happens hardly diminishes the wow factor of actually seeing it happen before your eyes.

Having seen numerous photos of Half Dome from Glacier Point I particularly liked how the shape of Half Dome was highlighted with a kiss of light by the moon under subtle star streaks.

Half Dome illuminated by moonlight as seen from Glacier Point - Yosemite National Park, California

The granite walls near Yosemite Falls took on a particularly intense orange hue from the earliest light of the moonrise.

Yosemite Falls lit by a rising full moon, as seen from Glacier Point - Yosemite National Park, California

Technorati Tags: Yosemite, photographs, pictures, stock photo, stock, Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, Glacier Point

Photographing Yosemite in the Spring is an amazing sight, particularly this year, with waterfalls flowing in full force. This year I’ve seen more waterfalls in Yosemite than ever before. Seasonal waterfalls were visible no matter where you looked. Even more amazing in these conditions is photographing what you cannot see namely a moonbow or lunar rainbow. Anatomically our eyes cannot see color at night, but our camera sensors can. It’s a bit magical to photograph something you cannot see.

Photographing lower Yosemite Falls for moonbows (aka lunar rainbows) is both easy and difficult. Accessing the lower falls lookout it the easy part, while the difficult part is braving the non-stop mist shower. Dressed in a rainproof jacket with hood, rain proof pants and wearing gloves I needed a bath towel to dry off after. My camera was protected with a ThinkTank Hydrophobia 70-200 keeping it far dryer than me. Of course the big challenge is keeping your front lens element free of water. It took a few tries and a lot of lens clothes before I got all the compositional variations of this scene that I wanted less any distracting water droplets clouding the image. My personal favorite being this vertical that highlights the stars in the sky, the falls, the rapids and the moonbow.

Yosemite Falls Moonbow

View More of My Photos of Yosemite National Park …

Technical information:
Canon 5D Mark II, 16-35mm f/2.8 Mark II at 16mm,  f/4,  9 seconds at ISO 1600
f/4 was chosen as opening up your lens allows more light in making for a shorter exposure time, but the added benefit is that the wider open your lens the less apparent water droplets appear on your front lens element. A handy trick to know. Here are a couple posts to prove the concept in real world scenarios one with a cracked lens and another with a pencil infront of the lens.

Technorati Tags: photography, Yosemite, National Park, moonbow, lunar rainbow, travel, stock photo, stock pictures

Yosemite provides an endless well of inspiration, even more so if you stop looking up. Tough to do, but always enlightening when it happens. On a casual walk amidst burnt trees on the valley floor the wind was kind enough to introduce me to some beautiful ferns. The next time you’re walking in your favorite location I recommend listening to the wind as you never know what it’ll introduce you to.

Fern Leaves, Yosemite National Park

Technorati Tags: photography, Yosemite National Park, fern, fine art, stock photo

Last week while in Yosemite I have to admit beyond obsessing on Moonbows I was amazed how high the Merced River water level had risen. I found myself returning to the same spots over and over to see how high the water was going. Almost every trip I make to Yosemite I can’t help but visit Swinging Bridge. Normally the bridge is well above the river and in past summers I’ve rafted under it and even seen some folks jumping from it into the river below on hot days. The day I arrived in Yosemite Valley I was blown away to see the water topping the cement columns that support it and rushing against the steel girders below the walkway (approximately 10.5 feet above flood stage). To my amazement the bridge was still open so I warily ventured out to get some perspective photos.

Note: I didn’t have my levitation boots with me so I had to extend my tripod with my camera on 10 second timer out as far as I could without dropping it into the water inches below.

The next morning the bridge was officially closed. Waterfalls were flowing at peak levels and the river continued to rise. It’s tough to make out at this size, but the water at this point in time was mid way up the steel girders supporting the wood on the walkway of the bridge. Even though there was tons of water at this one spot the flow of the water was smooth so it was easy to get a mirrored reflection. Note to the right is a flooded picnic area. Half the picnic benches were submerged.

I didn’t venture to the far side of the bridge as the entire meadow beyond was under water. Of course submerged meadows also made for surreal photos. More on those later.

Technorati Tags: Yosemite, National Park, California, photography, pictures, stock photo, flood, Merced River, Swinging Bridge, landscape, nature

One of the most magical phenomenon in Yosemite National Park are moonbows, otherwise known as lunar rainbows.  This past week clear skies, a full moon and waterfalls at peak flow provided optimal conditions to photograph moonbows. Interestingly enough due to the physiology of our eyes it is not possible to see moonbows at night. The rods in our retinas take over in low light conditions making everything appear bluish black & white in what is referred to as scotopic vision. Fortunately camera sensors are more than capable of capturing moonbows in full color.

Below is a view of the moonbow above Upper Yosemite Falls as seen from Sentinel Meadow. The heavy flow of the waterfalls last week created a water wonderland in Yosemite Valley pushing the Merced River above flood stage and submerging numerous meadows. I’ll post more photos soon to highlight just how high the water level was in addition to some surreal landscapes. Stay tuned.

Lunar Rainbow (Moonbow) over Upper Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park

Technorati Tags: photography, Yosemite, National Park, moonbow, lunar rainbow, travel, stock photo, stock pictures

A while back I noted that It’s All About the Light when it comes to photography, but there is another key factor that can make a photograph all the more dramatic… weather.  I’m not talking clear blue skies and I’m not talking a rainy downpour, although there are always opportunities there. My favorite weather is that which takes form in the razor thin envelope between good and bad weather. Exemplifying this thin envelop of weather that I love so much is a photo I took earlier this spring in Yosemite Valley of Sentinel Rock.

Sentinel Rock emerging from the fog - Yosemite National Park, California

Fog, mist and dappled light are but a few examples of weather related phenomenon that transform the ordinary to extraordinary. Granted not much is ordinary in Yosemite Valley, but the static rock formation that is Sentinel Rock (pictured above) takes on a dynamic atmosphere thanks to clearing fog and uneven highlights of morning sunlight.  The next time you’re waiting for the weather to clear you might just want to head out earlier than planned if you’re hoping to capture dramatic nature photos.

Related Reading:
Make the Best of Bad Weather – 6 Challenges for Photographers

Technorati Tags: photography, nature, landscape, stock photo, Yosemite, California, National Park

This Weeks Friday Freebie iPad Wallpaper: California Wildflower
Friday Freebie features an image to liven up your iPad display with images from my travels… all for free.

Amazing to think that Spring is almost over so here is a wildflower photo before it is too late. Taken a few weeks ago at Rancho San Antonio County Park, these and other flowers created a colorful tapestry under green California Oaks.  A shame to think that Spring is nearly over… get out and enjoy it while you can.  If you’re curious to see more of my wildflower photos look no further than this link. Thanks for checking in and enjoy this Friday’s Freebie.

Click here to download your free iPad wallpaper. Have a great weekend!

Note: This image is distributed for personal use only and all rights are reserved. If interested in using this photograph commercially please contact me.

Technorati Tags: Photography, nature, landscape, Free, Friday Freebie, iPad, Wallpaper

Transcendence - White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

If there ever was a photographers playground to learn something about yourself creatively White Sands National Monument is the spot. Every time I visit I find new landscape opportunities and more importantly I expand my ability to see creatively. 100,000 acres of wild dune fields might seem monotonous or overwhelming, but once you venture out into the void the isolation allows you to focus in a new ways.  An added bonus is the amazing southwest light that transforms the terrain in rather dramatic fashion.

For this particular photo after walking deep into the dune fields, late afternoon light allowed more and more texture to be visible as the sun set. The side lighting in this scene allowed me to capture not just the dominant leading line of the steeply sloped dune to the lone cloud, but the contrasty texture of the sand making up the dune.  In addition the changing slope of the dune shows differing amounts of texture based on the angle of the light hitting it allowing me to capture a gradient of texture in the foreground to none at the dune/sky transition. Given the amount of sand, the number of dunes, and constant changes in lighting conditions I think White Sands must have an infinite number of unique compositions waiting to be discovered.

If White Sands National Monument is on your list of  places to visit join me on my  White Sands by Moonlight photo tour in October 2011.

Technorati Tags: Photography, White Sands National Monument, fine art, stock photo, landscape, nature