Light Makes All the Difference

I did make some comment in my previous post about the weather during my Yosemite trip. Not much interest in the sky most days, but there were a few exceptions. I did compose a panorama from Glacier Point overlooking the cliffs, domes, mountains and falls along the course of Yosemite Valley. While this image gives you sense of the scale and beauty of the place, it lacks what I feel is necessary for a strong and moving image.

After the hour drive from the valley to get to this viewpoint I was determined to wait out the sunset, even though I was less than hopeful of the outcome, based on the featureless sky. In photography light is everything, and is often unpredictable. This afternoon, the wait was productive and the resulting image demonstrates what a little patience and anticipation can allow.

 
There was a brief period of patchy and thin cirrus clouds that captured faint colors of the setting sun which had now fallen below the horizon. This cast a soft and subtle light on Half Dome and the surrounding formations and allowed me to capture this final image. The light was rapidly changing and lasted for only minutes. The three and a half hour wait was worth it.