Fire on the Mountain
The "firefall" at Yosemite National Park occurs for just a few days each year towards the end of February when the setting sun hits Horsetail Falls at...
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The "firefall" at Yosemite National Park occurs for just a few days each year towards the end of February when the setting sun hits Horsetail Falls at just the right angle to illuminate the upper part of this rock monolith where the waterfall, when flowing, spills over the top. When conditions are just right, the waterfall and rock behind it glow orange and red as if they were on fire.
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Feb, 2016Views
4142
Likes
Awards
People's Choice in On a cliff edge Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in Spectacular Cliffs Photo Contest
Winner in National Parks Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in Vertical Photo Contest
Winner in Our National Parks Photo Challenge
Winner in Yosemite National Park Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Outstanding Creativity
Genius
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Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Top 30 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Categories
Platinum
mcampi
February 25, 2016
If I didn't see this with my own eyes I would say you made this up. What a wonderful capture. The other great part about this shot was is the second waterfall you caught. This is a top shop and congrats .
Platinum
trainwoman
February 26, 2016
This is completely INCREDIBLE........you and Mark both got some beautiful shots of this wonder of nature.
Flosno
February 26, 2016
OHHhh.. WOW...you've captured this brilliantly...it really is alive and breathing
DorisSeybold
February 27, 2016
this is an awesome natural spectacle - makes me speechless - so beautiful!!!
PRO+
mihrt
February 28, 2016
wow Nina, this is so amazing. I wonder if the timing of the 'firefall' has anything to do with 'ancient beliefs' or worship?? usually anything that has to do with the sun hitting or going through a rock face has always been part of a ritual etc.
Platinum
Bruz
February 28, 2016
WOW Nina. I am blown away with your shot. You made this incredible with your edit. This needs to hang in a museum. :-)
PRO+
PRO+
DwaynesWorld
March 02, 2016
Fantastic, Nina. Is this a 2016 shot? I saw where there were more photographers this year than any prior year.
chuckrickman
March 03, 2016
I too would not believe this if I did not read about it. What a perfectly timed trip and the rewards were out of this world. Your a Genius at editing it just perfectly. WOW
ElenaRK
March 06, 2016
Absolutely stunning! I'm glad you were there at the right time so the rest of us can enjoy it too.
SuzMDixon
March 12, 2016
This is so beautiful! I saw pictures of it in the paper - but they weren't as good as yours!
BrianaK
March 24, 2016
Absolutely gorgeous shot. Congrats on winning my Yosemite National Park Photo Challenge. I feel like you captured the magic of horsetail falls perfectly and the sun on the rocks is absolutely perfect.
PRO+
Platinum
Platinum
bethany66
April 02, 2016
Another masterpiece Nina. I have to get to Yosemite someday! You were so blessed to be able to both witness and capture this:)
PRO+
PRO
Pamelabole
April 18, 2016
Wow!!!!! Absolutely stunning capture!!!! Love it!!! One of these years I want to see this and try my hand at capturing this phenomenon!!!!! : ) And congrats on your well deserved Challenge win!!!!!! : )
PRO+
Platinum
PRO+
Platinum
p_eileenbaltz
July 13, 2016
The best image of this that I've seen!!! Congratulations on being chosen a contest finalist....and good luck. :)
PRO+
PRO+
blairwacha
July 13, 2016
Great shot, Nina! Horsetail Falls is such a fascinating place. There were over 600 photographers there one of the nights I was there this past winter.
Platinum
Platinum
romagman
December 10, 2016
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique. Let's get better together!
PRO
bryanfriend
December 18, 2016
Love this shot, Yosemite is one of my most favorite to shoot at. Great job of Horsetail Falls
Platinum
Bruz
June 06, 2018
Congrats Nina. I knew this was a winner from the first time I saw it. Way to go. :-)
PRO+
PRO
Pamelabole
June 19, 2018
Again, Congrats, and this time for being a contest finalist!! Such a gorgeous capture!! : )
Premium
Platinum
lizziemellis
December 14, 2019
Awesome ! An unbelievable wonder of Yosemite, I would just love to see this I have heard about it and seen photographs , lucky you a magnificent shot:-)
MaryMarie
April 10, 2020
What an incredible capture~ Mesmerizing, get lost in your thoughts for sure~ Love it....
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photograph was taken in Yosemite National Park in California at the base of what is known as Horsetail Falls near El Capitan.Time
We began setting up at approximately 5:30 p.m. as we didn't know exactly when, or even IF, what is known as "the firefall" would occur. Several photos were taken as the light changed, but this photo was shot at approximately 6:30 p.m.Lighting
Yosemite's famous "firefall" is never a sure thing. This phenomenon only occurs usually during the month of February during a two week time period but only over a period of about 4 days in late afternoon or early evening. Several conditions must exist, but mainly the sun's position on the horizon (and a bit of sunset always helps to increase color), and water on the granite cliff. Because California finally had some much-needed rain after a long drought, water was pouring off the top of the rocks. The wind was blowing the water across the cliff face which allowed more light to reflect off of it, and as the light changed the colors became more saturated.Equipment
This photo was taken using my Nikon D750 full frame DSLR camera with a Nikkor 28-300mm zoom lens on a tripod.Inspiration
I love landscape photography, and Yosemite is an amazing place to capture some amazing vistas. I have long wanted to capture the beautiful sight of the firefall, but previous trips to Yosemite were never during the right time of year. However, knowing that California's recent rains would increase our chances of seeing it, we purposely planned our trip around its possible occurrence. We live only a few hours from Yosemite so a long day trip rewarded us with the photos that we hoped to capture!Editing
Lightroom and Photoshop were both utilized for enhancement of color and clarity and for exposure correction.In my camera bag
My current camera of choice is a Nikon D750 full frame camera. I usually use my Nikkor 28-300mm zoom lens which I find to be extremely versatile in most situations. I also use a Nikkor 24-120mm lens on occasion. I always have 2 64gb memory cards in my camera, with a spare 32gb memory card in my bag as a backup, since I shoot in both Raw and jpg fine. Additionally, I always carry a fully charged spare battery and battery charger, UV and polarizing filters for all lenses, a Tiffen variable ND filter, the Cokin filter system, a lightweight carbon fiber tripod, and cleaning supplies.Feedback
Landscape photographers often have the luxury of returning to a particular location at different times of the day (or night) in order to capture a particular scene under different lighting or weather conditions. However, since you can't always count on a sunset (or a firefall in Yosemite!), there is often a a lot of luck, and sometimes detailed planning ahead, in order to capture a particular photo. Most landscapes are best captured during the "golden hours", usually early morning or late afternoon. These times almost always provide the best lighting and reduce the amount of post processing that would otherwise be required to make an average photo into a great photo.
