“Meadow, Mountains, Morning Mist” — Morning mist rises from a subalpine meadow with trees in the foreground and peaks in the distance.
For a few days in early July I had this usually-crowded Yosemite location almost to myself. The nearby high-country campground was not yet open, and entry-restrictions to the park reduced the number of visitors. I camped just outside the park’s boundaries, and I entered in the mornings before sunrise — there was no line and I could get to my destinations quickly. On a couple of mornings the sunrise destination was this great subalpine meadow.
The meadow runs from east to west, so sunrise and sunset tend to send light down its length. I positioned myself near the west end on this morning, which meant that I was shooting nearly directly into that morning light. Here I placed a group of trees along the right side of the frame, to contrast the dark forms of their trunks and shadows with the lighter distant mountains, details muted by backlit haze.
“Pond, Forest, and Fog” — Fog rising from a subalpine pond drifts through pine forest, Yosemite.
This is one of several photographs I made in this area on the morning after a significant storm moved through the Yosemite high country. It rained for hours and made photography virtually impossible. But it also primed conditions for beautiful morning fog the next day, so I was up very early and out looking for it before sunrise.
Before long I passed a small lake that I’ve known about for decades but rarely photographed. This time the scene was sublime — fog was rising from the surface of the little lake and slowly drifting into the forest. The early morning light (from the now-clear sky) illuminated the scene, but there was no direct sun to overwhelm it. I began photographing, walking slowly along the shoreline and into the forest, eventually tearing myself away in order to seek out some other subjects.
“Trees in Morning Light, Granite Dome” — Trees grow on a bit of talus at the base of a Yosemite dome.
Scenes like this are a big part of what characterizes Yosemite, especially the park’s high country: trees growing on granite, domes, forests, and that “range of light” atmosphere. The features are so common that it is possible for a longtime visitor to almost take them for granted.
I have paused at this spot on virtually every visit to the Yosemite high country for decades. The dome rising to the left in the photograph was my original interest — it is a beautiful dome in an especially aesthetic location. But later on the trees became an equal attraction — easy to overlook among millions of other trees, but once you see them you don’t forget.
“Shoreline Forest” — Trees grow along the shoreline of a Yosemite high country lake.
When I plan to spend a morning photographing in an area like this in Yosemite, I figure I have perhaps 3-4 hours of interesting light for morning photography. I typically start with a subject that works well in predawn light, move to one that focuses on the actual sunrise, then move around to find other subjects when their best morning light arrives. A subject like this one typically comes later and is often the final one of the morning.
I made the photograph in full sunlight, though it was slightly muted by some thin haze. I was interested in the interplay between the shapes of the trees and their shadows. In order to create this composition I had to photograph essentially directly into the morning sun light, though I positioned myself so that the shadow of one of the trees blocked the direct light.
Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.
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