View of Yosemite Falls from a Meadow

Nikon D100, Sigma 15-30mm

Here's another one for all you fans of my Yosemite pictures.

We've been to Yosemite so many times that it is a challenge to make a picture that is "different". To get warmed up and into the photography "groove", we go to the usual view points and we take the standard shots. This is true of any place with spectacular scenery, you feel compelled to take pictures of it even though you and everyone else have taken hundreds of pictures from the exact same spot before. Take Yosemite Falls, for example, it's true that each time, the scene is just little bit different, the weather, the fullness of the falls, the shadows on the granite, the color of the trees, etc. I'm sure that showing one of those "standard" shots would still impress by virtue of the subject matter. However, I believe that it is even more satisfying to see and create a new view of a particular subject. It takes time, willingness, patience, and a "practiced eye", to really observe the scenery around you.

This picture was taken in the meadow between Sentinel Bridge and Yosemite Falls. On this trip, we decided to stay and hike primarily in the valley. We hiked in the valley from one end to the other. After breakfast, we took took a shuttle to the Sentinel Bridge stop to see if the clouds have lifted from Half Dome. Half Dome was still covered in clouds so we decided to begin our walk by going through the meadow. The park service built wooden paths across the meadows in the valley in order to save the meadows from being trampled by park visitors (see my previous shot in a different meadow: "Meadow People"). As Gail walked ahead, I took my time on the path, snapping various shots along the way. As I walked along, I noticed that because it was still early summer, the falls were full and the rivers were high, and there was a lot water in this meadow. Then I came upon this particular swatch of water that was rather dramatically curved and I saw the reflection of Upper Yosemite Falls in the water. I immediately thought to myself, "Now here's a scene that you don't usually see!". I had to capture that scene as I saw it that morning. During any other time of the year, the meadow would be dry.

I decided to travel light on this trip, but most fortunately, I decided to include my Sigma 15-30mm in my kit (as my only other lens). My Tamron 24-135mm was on the camera at the time, and the 24mm was not wide enough to show what the image that I had already framed in my mind. The path was narrow, so there was no space for the "sneaker zoom technique"(walking back and forth). So I quickly put down my backpack and swapped lenses before anything changed. The winds were calm at that moment which made the reflection more pristine. I took 3 shots in total, the first two were overexposed, so I switched to manual exposure to compensate and got the shot that you see here.

I hope you enjoyed this story.


--Warren