Yosemite National Park – Earthwatcher

Some of my Most Memorable Sunrises

August 20, 2023 by Earthwatcher, posted in Alabama Hills, Badlands National Park, California, Death Valley, Earthwatcher, Eastern Sierra, Fujifilm Cameras, Georgia, Grand Canyon, landscape, landscape images, landscape photos, nature, Nature Photography, Photography, sunrise, Uncategorized, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite, Yosemite National Park

This is a slow time for me and my photography. So, I thought I’d share some sunrises. As you look at these, please pay attention to the captions. Some of the tell a story about the place and the circumstance.

More to come!

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution!

Primera Lúz; First light over Yosemite
Yosemite National Park, California, USA; July 2014

Tunnel View is an iconic view at Yosemite. I visited it many times. I Often mused that a photo with the sun peeking from behind Half Dome. I planned this shot for 2 years until I was finally able to be there at the right time and it was all that I expected.

Wondrous Morning;
Zabriske Point, Death Valley National Park, California, USA; OCT 2015.

Zabriske point is the go-to place for a sunrise at Death Valley. On a typical day, the sun rises over your shoulder, casting an alpenglow over the mountains on the far side of the valley. If you are lucky, there will be a few clouds over the far mountains, and you can watch the sky turn from orange and magenta to gold. On the day we visited, the thick cloud cover from the previous day’s storm was breaking up. We got the beautiful color we had hoped for. But, in addition, we got a marvelous rainbow. It was an unforgettable moment.

Sunrise at Driftwood Beach;
Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, Georgia, USA; JUL 2023

Some days you just get lucky. We were having a family vacation to St Simons Island, Georgia, USA. I didn’t really plan to do any photography but took my equipment anyway. While there, I saw that the sun would be rising at a great spot. So, my wife and I got up well before sunrise and before anyone else woke up, went to this spot and it was wonderful.

Badlands at Sunrise;
Yellow Mounds Area, Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA; JUL 2021

The Badlands are an interesting place to visit anytime of the day but at sunrise and sunset the colors pop. The dry valleys cut from the highly eroded plateau are beautiful. Most of the valleys are drab and dusty. While scouting for places to shoot, I spotted this unique little valley with its creek and green floor. My research showed that the sun would be rising from a good position. We watched the beautiful sunrise paint the sides of the valley.

The Beam, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Par k, Wyoming, USA; FEB 2013

This “rainbow” can only be seen at sunrise in February at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. I was on a photography workshop, camping in Yellowstone. It was a wonderful experience to be with a small group of like-minded people enjoying this rare opportunity.

First Light on the Sierra
Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA; APR 2021

The Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, California are a wonderful place to visit. It is a field of immense boulders that sit in front of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s a place with many arches, boulders and trails. It becomes a place of wonder when the sun rises over the White-Inyo mountains to the east and paints the Sierras with it orange-red alpen glow. My spirit feels at home there.

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Yosemite in Early Spring

June 7, 2023 by Earthwatcher, posted in California, Earthwatcher, Eastern Sierra, Fujifilm Cameras, landscape, landscape images, landscape photos, left brained, nature, Nature Photography, Photography, Uncategorized, Yosemite, Yosemite National Park

A photograph of the Merced River and the iconic Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. The foreground is predominantly the green colored Merced River. The left of the river is flanked by a red-brown meadow lined by evergreen trees and a few spots of white snow. The right side of the river is flanked by evergreen trees with white snow at their base. The gray cliff face of Half Dome and the cliff to its right rise above trees just to the right and above the midpoint of the photo. The cliffs have a small amount of dark mottling and carry a white cap of snow. The sky is bright sky blue. — Half Dome from Sentinel Bridge;
Yosemite National Park, California, USA; APR 2023

A few images from our trip to Yosemite in early April 2023. I was surprised by the lack of snow on the valley floor. At least there was enough for my son and granddaughter to play and have a snowball fight.

Please click on caption to see images at higher resolution!

A photograph of a portion of Bridal Vail Falls in Yosemite National Park. The white, misty, waterfall is the center of the picture. Bordering the lower portion of the waterfall is a dark colored tree with branches but without leaves. The exposed cliff face flanks both sides of the waterfall. Next to the waterfall, the cliff face, on both sides, is covered with ice. On the left side of the image is the grey-blue exposed rock of the exposed cliff face with green and brown of an evergreen tree at its base. There is another evergreen tree in the bottom right corner of the picture. — Bridal Viel Falls in Winter;
Yosemite National Park, California, USA; APR 2023

A photograph of Yosemite Valley from a spot called Valley View in Yosemite National Park. It includes the valley, El Capitan, Bridal Veil Falls, and Half Dome. The foreground is the wide, U-shaped Yosemite Valley. It is covered in trees, mostly evergreen, some with and some without foliage. On the left side of the valley is a gray rock outcrop with grey patches of rock fallen from the outcrop above. The middle ground is the snow-capped cliff faces. Those in the front are gray and brown. Those further back are gray. To the left side is large, sheer walled, snow-capped, El Capitan. Proceeding down the right side of the cliffs is the white vertical Bridal Veil Falls. Deeper into the valley, atop the cliffs, is the dome shaped Half Dome. The sky is bright sky blue with wispy white clouds. — Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View;
Yosemite National Park, California, USA; APR 2023

A photograph of Yosemite Falls and the Merced River at Yosemite National Park. In the foreground and leading into the middle ground is the Merced River. At the bottom of the photo, the river is brown and rippled. As the river leads into the picture it becomes a mix of gray and green. The cliff face is gray mottled with brown soil and rows of brown and green foliage. The waterfall is white and is flanked on both sides by ice. The river is flanked by light brown soil and trees. The sky is bright, sky blue. The colors of the river result from the reflection of the waterfall, cliff face and trees reflecting in the water. The waterfall makes a prominent, white, reflection in the river. — Yosemite Falls and Merced River from Swinging Bridge;
Yosemite National Park, California, USA; APR 2023

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Yosemite – The Vistas

April 8, 2020April 8, 2020 by Earthwatcher, posted in Black & White Photography, Earthwatcher, Eastern Sierra, Fujifilm Cameras, landscape, landscape photos, nature, Nature Photography, Yosemite, Yosemite National Park

Primera Lúz
First light over Yosemite, July 2014

Today I am wrapping up my Yosemite posts by presenting some of the big, expansive vistas of the park.

There are some interesting stories behind some of these images.

Primera Lúz or First Light, was for me, a difficult shot. I wanted the image of the sun rising over El Capitan. I did my research to figure out when I might get that shot. That date was fortuitous because it coincided with the visit of my niece and nephew who had never visited Yosemite. I set up early and was treated to this magnificent view.

I was wandering Yosemite Valley in mid-morning when I caught the view of Bridal Veil Falls in the black and white image. There was a sense of familiarity in the scene, but I couldn’t place it. When I got home and looked at it, I realized I saw a scene that was reminiscent of images I saw in Look and Life magazines when I was a child. As an homage to what I remembered, I decided black and white would give me the retro presentation my memory asked for.

Upper Yosemite Falls at sunrise was taken on a trip to see the snow, but for which we were too late. As I researched for the trip, I realized that there should be some nice sunrise light on Yosemite Falls. But, I didn’t expect what I found. There had been some rain the night before and it was cold. As the sun rose. some holes opened in the clouds and bathed the chasm of Yosemite falls with beautiful golden light.

I love Yosemite very much. Its been a great blessing to be able to photograph it. Hopefully, I will be able to do more and do them better.

Note: Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution.

Dappling Gold
Early Evening Light Breaking Through Rain Clouds Over Yosemite Valley
Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park, MAY 2015

Upper Yosemite Falls at Sunrise
Yosemite National Park; MAR 2019

Bridal Viel Falls
Yosemite National Park, May 2016

Focusing Attention
Sunlight Streaming Through Breaks in the Clouds Play Across the Cliffs and Through the Valleys
Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park, MAY 2015

North Dome at Sunrise
The early morning sun highlights the face of North Dome as it rises over Yosemite Valley
Yosemite National Park, CA; MAY 2017

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

Yosemite – Small Vignettes of Spring and Summer

April 3, 2020April 2, 2020 by Earthwatcher, posted in California, Earthwatcher, landscape, landscape photos, nature, Nature Photography, Photography, Seirra Nevada, Yosemite, Yosemite National Park

Reflections in a Pond
Glacier Point Road, Yosemite National Park, CA; MAY 2017

Following with my small vignettes of Yosemite, here are a few from the spring and summer seasons.

Note: Please click on caption to see images at higher resolution.

Cascade on Yosemite Creek
Yosemite National Park; APR 2016

A Spirit Within the Mountain
El Capitan, El Capitan Meadow, Yosemite National Park, JAN 2018

A Deceiving Role
Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park; APR 2016

View from the Merced River Near El Capitan Bridge
Yosemite National Park, CA; FEB 2018

Tioga Pass Road
Yosemite National Park; May 2013

Tree at Base of Cascade Falls
Yosemite National Park; MAR 2019

Roiling and Thundering
Tioga Pass Road, Yosemite National Park, APR 2016

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

Ravens

March 20, 2019 by Earthwatcher, posted in Bird Photography, bird watching, birding, Birds, Photography, Yosemite, Yosemite National Park

On our trip to Yosemite last week, a pair of ravens were foraging among the trees outside our hotel room. They were totally unfazed by me as I followed them around.

It was an interesting day to shoot ravens. Everyone knows ravens are black. But black just means that its feathers absorb all frequencies of color and reflect none back. Like some other birds, the raven’s feathers can refract or bend light, allowing their feathers to appear other colors. When the birds were in bright light, they were their bright, familiar, black. But, when they were in lower light, depending upon how they positioned themselves, their wing and tail feathers appeared blue. In one other instance, the light hit the raven’s ruff under his chin and made it look brown.

Is it a raven or is it a crow. If its big and bulky and it makes a croaking sound, its probably a raven. If its smaller and makes the familiar caw, its probably a crow. But, sometimes its not so simple. I am collecting images to put together a simple but more complete illustrated guide.

Please click on caption to image at a larger size.

Common Raven (Corvus corax); Yosemite National Park; MAR 2019

These and other images are available for purchase at my website, www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

A Golden Waterfall

March 17, 2019 by Earthwatcher, posted in Photography, waterfall, winter, Yosemite, Yosemite National Park

Upper Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park; MAR 2019

Last week, we took a trip to Yosemite National Park. We were a bit late in the season. We were looking for snow, but almost all of the snow was gone from the valley floor. There was some clinging to the nooks on the cliff side. It was sunny when we arrived but, as the golden hour approached, the skies became cloud covered and we got rain. Just being in Yosemite when there are few people is a real treat, so walking around in the rain was enjoyable even though photography opportunities were few. Little did we know the treat that would await us in the morning.

We dutifully got up and out ½ hour before sunrise – about an hour before the sun would start to light up the valley walls. While planning the trip, I learned we would have clear skies in the morning and that the sun would be in a good position to light Yosemite Falls. Yosemite falls is often shaded during the golden hours for photography. We found the position from which I wanted to shoot and set up. It was then we got our first surprise – snow had fallen on the cliffsides on either side of the waterfall. There was even a dead tree that was partially snow covered that I could get into the frame.

I set up my composition and waited in the cold. After a period of time that seemed interminable, golden sunlight began to penetrate the valley. Watching the sun light the mountain tops and valley walls is one of my favorite experiences; I never grow tired of it. We watched and enjoyed. I would shoot from time to time. But, I really wanted more light on the water fall. When the light broke, I got a treat I hadn’t expected. The sun began giving the water and the mist a golden glow. I watched and I shot as the different sections would glow. We stayed through the entire show.

I’ve included 2 of the images I got that morning. I hope you enjoy them.

Please click on caption to see these images at higher resolution.

These and other images are available for purchase at my website, www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

Some Wildlife from Recent Trips

October 28, 2018 by Earthwatcher, posted in Bird Photography, Birds, Death Valley, Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, Photography, raptor, Wildlife, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park

Here is a few shots of some wildlife we saw travelling through various places. The locations are listed with each image.

We hadn’t seen any bears in the wild for several years. Then, on one trip, we saw 2. Unfortunately, the one that got away, was a cinnamon colored one. Maybe someday I’ll be able to photograph one of those.

The tufa in Mono Lake are beautiful themselves but we got a rare treat – an osprey on its nest on top of a tufa.

Note: Click on caption to see image at higher resolution.