Bridalveil Fall
Bridalveil Fall in Yosemite plunging into a sea of fog in the valley below.
Bridalveil Fall in Yosemite plunging into a sea of fog in the valley below.
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Dec, 2016Views
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Awards
Zenith Award
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Contest Finalist in Inspiring Landscapes Photo Contest
Top Shot Award
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Contest Finalist in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 17
Contest Finalist in Monthly Pro Vol 27 Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
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Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
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jvs32
February 01, 2017
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique. Let's get better together!
CharlotteB
February 12, 2017
Oh my goodness, this is an amazing work of art—a true masterpiece, you captured the magical beauty from this awesome scenery!
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Yosemite at the iconic spot known as Tunnel View, which provides a vast vista of Yosemite Valley, its water falls, and the surrounding mountain peaks. The spot is crowded with tourists, who have taken countless photos. On the day I took this photo, I was in Yosemite Valley at dawn and the Valley had a lovely misty layer of fog. I decided to travel up to Tunnel View to see what the foggy valley looked like from that vantage point. The view was magical and I became captivated by Bridalveil Falls, which seemed to be flowing into the mist--or perhaps creating it!Time
I took this photo an hour or so after sunrise. Early morning light is particularly lovely in Yosemite and it often lasts for several hours. I am not a morning person, but for the sake of beauty and photography I manage to wake up early, stumble out of bed, sip a quick espresso, and make my way to a vista where I can enjoy the first light of the day.Lighting
Waterfalls need to be illuminated by light if they are to be the subject of an interesting photograph. When I arrived at Tunnel View, I saw that the morning light was beginning to illuminate the beautiful Bridalveil Falls and the mist below, making the shot I wanted to get possible. Without that light, it would not have been possible to create the magical feeing of the falls flowing into the mist.Equipment
I took this image with my Nikon D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens. This is my "walk around" lens because it is remarkably versatile. But It would have been better to have used a longer lens for this shot to avoid the cropping that was necessary. Alas, my long lens was at a camera shop for repair. Still, the Nikon D810 has lots of megapixels and this makes cropping more compatible with creating a viable print size image. I also used my wonderful Gitzo Traveller 2 tripod, which is remarkably sturdy and yet fits when folded down into my carry on luggage.Inspiration
Yosemite is inspiring and so is the Tunnel View vista. But it has been over photographed from the same vantage points, and so one of the challenges is to find fresh ways to present its beauty. The magic of Bridalveil Falls seeming to flow into the mist below created that possibility for me.Editing
I shoot in camera raw and do some post-processing of all of my images. For this one, I did some dodging and burning, some tone adjustments, and a bit of contrast (with luminosity masks), sharpening, and cropping. I enjoy the editing process almost as much as I enjoy shooting an image. It brings the image to life and adds an extra artist's touch.In my camera bag
I normally carry either my Nikon D750 or D810 and three lenses--a wide-angle, mid range, and long lens. My actual lens choices depend on what I think I am going to photograph, and sometimes I have to resist the impulse to add "just one more" lens to my bag, which already gets quite full and heavy. For each lens, I include polarizing and graduated neutral density filters. For wide angle lenses, I carry 3, 6, and 10 stop neutral density filters for long exposure work. My bag also includes essentials such as lens cloths, batteries, memory cards, small allen wrenches for tightening screws that may have come loose, tape, and some kind of rain protection for my camera. Finally, but importantly, my bag includes my cellphone and snacks--usually nuts and chocolate.Feedback
I think that part of the appeal of this image is its difference--it presents Bridalveil Falls in a way that is not often seen in photographs. Although it was tempting to photograph the vast Tunnel View vista seen so often in Yosemite photographs, capturing this image required focusing instead on smaller, more discrete parts of that vista to really see what was there and what might inspire me. And that's important. Take time when you arrive at a site to walk around, absorb what you are seeing, consider compositional opportunities, and discover what inspires you.
