Autumn Color, Merced River. Yosemite Valley, California. November 1, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Autumn trees along the Merced River near El Capitan Meadow Bridge – Yosemite Valley, California.

This photograph was made on the first day of a very rainy fall weekend in Yosemite Valley. I go to the Valley every fall at about this time to photograph the fall colors of oaks, maples, and meadows, but this year was different than some of my previous visits. First, it rained. A lot. It more or less rained the entire time I was there, though I’ll admit that there were a few brief intervals when it only sprinkled and even briefer moments when the rain actually stopped. Although this makes photography more difficult, it also creates many compelling photographic opportunities that just don’t appear on more pleasant (and boring) days. There was mist everywhere; among the trees on the Valley floor, and wrapping the cliffs and summits around the Valley. The fall colors became even more intense. And, most unusual, after a very dry season that left many of the waterfalls, creeks, and rivers low or completely dry, they suddenly came back to life. In this photograph the Merced River has already risen and picked up leaves and other material. (I came back to this spot the next day and the plants along the right river bank were underwater!)

(There is another version of this photograph with a tighter composition – I’m still thinking about which I prefer.)

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