Illuminated Spring Foliage, Yosemite Falls

In Yosemite Valley, peak flooding occurs many hours after the afternoon sun melts snow, often after midnight, so it is not uncommon to select a sunrise location to photograph one day, only to find it completely submerged underwater and inaccessible the next morning! This is indeed what happened to me, so a last second adjustment was required. The meadow surrounding Swinging Bridge had a fresh pond that appeared overnight, offering beautiful springtime reflections. The rising sun was just cresting around Columbia Rock, skimming the surface and beginning to illuminate the fall spray.
The side-lit tree framing the view of Yosemite Falls, for me, really anchored this image.
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CaliforniaLandscapeNational ParkNatureNorthern CaliforniaReflectionReflectionsSierra NevadaTreesUSAWaterWaterfallYosemiteYosemite FallsYosemite NPYosemite National Parkmistspring