Discovery View, Yosemite National Park

Since I started this personal website a couple years after I began posting photos on flickr, I have a backlog of some of my favorite photos that I'd like to yet post here as well. This is one such photo. I took this on my third trip to Yosemite, almost exactly a year ago today. My wife an I had an amazing trip to Yosemite to take in the waterfalls at their peak flow, and even climing to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls, some 3000 feet off the valley floor. It was exceptionally hot for this trip, with temperatures in excess of 90° on the valley floor, and 100°F on the rim. The only hint of cloud (too late to provide any relief on our hikes) came on our final day.

As we were making our way out of the valley we stopped at the Wowona Tunnel overlook to grab our food from a bear locker, and my wife pointed out the great cloud hanging over El Capitan. Despite this classic view of Yosemite being photographer millions of times, I had to take yet another for myself. I tend not to get all tha enthused about shooting in mid-day, as the light is terrible. But somehow I've always been very pleased with how this photo turned out. A polarizing filter helped to darken the sky, and I think enhanced contrast throughout the valley floor as well. Add Bridalveil Falls at full force on the right, and you have the closest thing to heaven on earth I know of.

I spent many years close to Yosemite before I bothered to make the trip, and the instant I saw Half Dome in the distance as we drove in I knew I'd wasted years. If you have the means, go to Yosemite. Just go. It's beyond amazing.

Nikon D40 | Sigma 10-20@18mm | f/9 | 1/125s | ISO200 | Handheld

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