Yosemite and California, February 2010
With each February trip to Yosemite I discover more of Yosemite's winter glory. It is now my favorite stop for winter as well as spring photography. Regardless of the time of year, a very wide angle lens is needed to capture the tall mountain scenes and the Merced River at the same time. The Merced runs so close to the peaks such as El Capitan that even 10MM ( APS-C format) is not wide enough to get the reflection and the mountain in one landscape format shot without panorama stitching. Even during warm spells, temperatures are below freezing in the morning, so dress warm for the sunrise opportunities. On a cloudy day or in the shadows anytime, shoot RAW or bring a gray card to set custom white balance-there is a strong blue shift in those non-sunlit snow scenes.
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A sharp turn in the Merced River, with Half Dome peeking around in the distance, as seen from the well-groomed riverside trail. A very short walk is required to get to this spot but, if you keep looking back, this view is visible from the Park exit road. The afternoon light makes it worth the effort. Mid-afternoon, February 13, 2010.
