Spring has sprung

Dogwood and Redbud, Merced River, Yosemite
Sony a7R II
Sony 70-200 f/4
1/40 second
F/4
ISO 200

I spent most of the last week in Yosemite and can confirm that spring has definitely sprung there. The Merced River, swollen by snowmelt, is overspilling its banks, flooding meadows and submerging riverside trails. Reflections are everywhere, and viewing the waterfalls without getting wet? Forget about it.

Another spring highlight is the moonbow that colors the mist beneath Yosemite Falls. A fortunate convergence of Yosemite Falls’ southeast exposure and the angle of the rising full moon when the snowmelt is at its peak make Yosemite one of the best locations in the world to witness a lunar rainbow. I was able to photograph it three times last week, twice with my workshop group and once with a private tour customer. Easily visible to the naked eye as a silvery arc in the billowing mist, a long exposure reveals the moonbow’s true colors.

But of all the spring treats Yosemite offers, for creative photography I think the dogwood might be my favorite. For just a few short weeks in April and May, these graceful blooms shower Yosemite Valley with splashes of white that remind me of the Fourth of July sparklers of my childhood. But unlike the ephemeral sparks of a sparkler, the dogwood progress in slow motion so I can appreciate them at a much more relaxing pace.

I found this branch at the Bridalveil Fall vista on Northside Drive, about a mile east of Valley View. The river was gold with late light, and the air was still as I went to work on the scene. Careful positioning allowed me to juxtapose three layers in my frame: in the foreground is the dogwood branch with varying degrees of detail; the middle-ground is a blend of heavily blurred redbud and more dogwood; all this spring beauty stands out against a backdrop of the sunlit Merced River. I experimented with different depths of field by varying my f-stop, focal length, and focus distance until I was satisfied.

Yosemite Spring

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Forest Dogwood, Valley View, Yosemite Valley

Lunar Rainbow, Lower Yosemite Fall, Yosemite

Forest Dogwood, Yosemite Valley

Captive Crescent, Yosemite

Lunar Kiss, Half Dome and Sentinel Dome, Yosemite

Sunrise Trio, El Capitan and Half Dome, Yosemite

Dogwood and Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite

Half Dome Sunset Reflection, Mirror Lake, Yosemite

Moonbow and Big Dipper, Lower Yosemite Fall, Yosemite

Dogwood and Rapids, Merced River, Yosemite

Dogwood Branch, Pohono Bridge, Yosemite

Spring Reflection, El Capitan and Three Brothers, Yosemite

Daybreak, El Capitan and Half Dome, Yosemite

Spring Moon Reflection, Half Dome, Yosemite

Dogwood and Redbood, Merced River, Yosemite

First Light, Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Moonbow and Wildflowers photo workshop

Spring Snow, El Capitan, Yosemite

Spring Moonrise, Bridalveil Fall and the Merced River Canyon, Yosemite

Yosemite Rainbow, Tunnel View

Bridalveil Dogwood, Yosemite

Floating Dogwood, Yosemite

Half Dome Reflection, Merced River, Yosemite

Moonlight Reflection, El Capitan and the Three Brothers, Yosemite

Dogwood Above the Merced River, Near Fern Spring, Yosemite