Yosemite

Ahwahnee Meadow Winter Fog & Snowfall

On a wet winter afternoon in Yosemite, thick swirling fog and mist could be found throughout the park along water tributaries and tree lines, and provided an ethereal quality to the trees found within Ahwahnee Meadow. https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com

El Capitan Meadow Winter Fog

On a wet winter afternoon in Yosemite, thick swirling fog and mist could be found throughout the park along water tributaries and tree lines, and provided an ethereal quality to the trees at the base of Cathedral Rocks. https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com

Winter Tree Textures, El Capitan Drive

The bridge spanning the Merced River on El Capitan Drive provides a beautiful view of Mother Nature’s reflections at the base of Cathedral Rocks. A light dusting of snow and a touch of fog caused by a holiday season atmospheric river event accentuated the delicate textures of the tree branches. https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com

Thickening Fog, Cascade Creek

On a wet winter day in Yosemite, thick swirling fog throughout the park along water tributaries and tree lines would intermittently build up along this scene of Cascade Creek in the golden sunlight of the afternoon. https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com

Firefall Golden Glow

A zoomed in detail shot of Yosemite’s famed firefall, taken with the telephoto from across the Valley floor about 50 minutes before it turned a bright, fiery orange. I have my share of the typical firefall compositions, but I’m finding that I prefer the more zoomed in, intimate scenes and in my view, the golden glow is just as spectacular and if I do it again next year, will definitely have to throw my extender in my camera bag. https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com

Firefall Detail 2023

A zoomed in detail shot of Yosemite’s famed firefall, taken with the telephoto from across the Valley floor. This was my first time photographing firefall so early in the season, and I found it to be a very skinny sliver as opposed to later in the season when the glow appears to be wider and more prominent. With a wet winter season caused by a series of atmospheric river events, and one clear day forecast for the entire week, all in all it wasn’t a bad day to take the gamble and drive to the park, although it makes for a very long day for 20 minutes of shooting!! https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com

Bridalveil Fall Monochrome

Days before Yosemite National Park closed due to intense blizzards, I was able to spend a morning in the park after a fresh dusting of snow that provided beautiful textures on the winter landscape. After years of drought, it is so refreshing to see water in Bridalveil Falls with a dramatic fog layer at the top of the granite peaks. https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com

Frosty Winter Trees in Morning Light

Yosemite Valley is magical the morning after a dusting of new snow and brought out the textures of these trees illuminated by the morning sun as dark, dense fog built up in the parks shaded granite walls. https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com

Frosty Trees in Winter Fog on Cathedral Rocks

Fog and mist swirled around Yosemite's majestic granite peaks the morning after a dusting of fresh snow providing a mood of ethereal drama that is my favorite to photograph. The pine trees on the vertical slope of Cathedral Rocks resembled a black and white pencil sketch that I was inspired to capture in a series of long focal length images. https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com

Upper Yosemite Fall Clearing Winter Fog

Days before Yosemite National Park closed due to intense blizzards, I was able to spend a morning in the park after a fresh dusting of snow that provided beautiful textures on the winter landscape. After years of drought, it is so refreshing to see water in Yosemite Falls with dramatic fog swirling around the granite peaks. https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com

Family Is What You Make It

During a wet and heavy snowfall in Yosemite Valley, this quirky family of expressive trees of different species isolated by the dense fog drew my attention, and made me think of the popular phrase, “family is what you make it”. These trees clearly are having a good time just playing in the snow together and thoroughly enjoying each other’s company! https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com

Birds in Flight, Yosemite Fall

Yosemite opened back up to the public on a bluebird sunny Saturday after a series of intense winter storms that left evidence of rockslides and damage, as well as raging waterfalls throughout the park. The spray from the Upper Yosemite Fall illuminated a golden glow as the sun came up, and signaled the swallows to start hunting for breakfast. Using a rapid shutter speed on the tripod, I was able to capture their tiny forms in front of the raging water. https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com

Hetch Hetchy Double Rainbow

I’ve long been conflicted about visiting the northwestern section of Yosemite National Park to see Hetch Hetchy, a glacier carved valley partially buried under water since the construction of O’Shaughnessy Dam 100 years ago. I can only imagine how spectacular it was in it’s pristine state when the Tuolumne River snaked across it’s verdant meadow. But when visiting the park at the height of this particularly busy summer season, I was curious to explore this quieter, less traveled section of the park. After a dark afternoon thunderstorm with dense clouds, the light rapidly changed, revealing a double rainbow as the sun dipped below a break in the clouds, casting a warm glow on Kolana Rock, Hetch Hetchy Dome and a peekaboo view of Wapama Falls. https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com

Foggy Trees, El Capitan Meadow

I know trees by themselves aren’t the most exciting subject to photograph, but when their textures stand out against a backdrop of fog, it’s hard for me to resist. Early morning low lying fog lending an ethereal quality to the many species of coniferous trees that inhabit El Capitan Meadow in Yosemite National Park; higher than normal humid conditions in Northern and Central California are certainly creating some interesting weather this summer. https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com

Foggy Trees, El Capitan Meadow 4

I know trees by themselves aren’t the most exciting subject to photograph, but when their textures stand out against a backdrop of fog, it’s hard for me to resist. Early morning low lying fog lending an ethereal quality to the many species of coniferous trees that inhabit El Capitan Meadow in Yosemite National Park; higher than normal humid conditions in Northern and Central California are certainly creating some interesting weather this summer. https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com

Bucks in El Capitan Meadow

Photographing in El Capitan Meadow in early morning, just as the fog began to clear, a herd of deer wandered into our scene and this beautiful buck posed for just a second for an enjoyable, unexpected photo bomb! https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com