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When you first enter Yosemite National Park it is impossible to miss El Capitan. Towering some 3,000 feet above the valley floor with a peak elevation of 7,573 feet its a feast for the eyes and an attractive challenge for several hardy rock climbers. The more I visit Yosemite the more I see visitors accept the walls of the valley as an unmoving constant, but if you stop to really watch the valley walls you’ll n

One of the more intriguing visual phenomenon is seeing a giant moon on the horizon. One might think that there is some physical explanation as to why the moon is larger when low on the horizon, but its actually a visual illusion where your brain is playing a trick on you. This illusion is aptly called the “Moon Illusion“. This illusion is incredibly well explained in the following video: So how do people

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 moo

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

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. [tags]pho

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 som

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

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. Exe