Winter in Yosemite

coscorrosacoscorrosa Registered Users Posts: 2,284 Major grins
edited February 9, 2010 in Landscapes
I made my first trip in Yosemite last week, I arrived just after a snow storm (in fact all roads into the park were closed when I got there around midnight on Friday and didn't open until later Friday morning).

Here's a sampling of some of my favorite photos.

#1:

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#2:

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#3:

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#4:

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#5:

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#6:

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#7:

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#8:

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#9:

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#10:

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Comments

  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited February 1, 2010
    Very nice..............clap.gifclapclap.gif

    Sam
  • dlplumerdlplumer Registered Users Posts: 8,081 Major grins
    edited February 1, 2010
    Fabulous set Ron. clap.gifclap.gif Those first two are my favs, and #2 almost looks like a fire at first glance. How difficult was the hiking and cold? Did your snow shoes prove to be invaluable?
  • Secluded ValleySecluded Valley Registered Users Posts: 176 Major grins
    edited February 1, 2010
    Beautiful beautiful set, Ron.

    Kristine
    "How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains!" ~John Muir
  • acowanacowan Registered Users Posts: 156 Major grins
    edited February 1, 2010
    Excellent and diverse set! The clouds really convey the mood well in both the color and B&W photos. The three star trail photos are nice, especially #7. One small nit...#3 might benefit from a slight bump in contrast. With that said, photo #1 or #2 is the best IMO...thumb.gif
  • CWSkopecCWSkopec Registered Users Posts: 1,325 Major grins
    edited February 1, 2010
    Great stuff, Ron!! The valley looks absolutely incredible with the low hanging clouds! clap.gif

    #7 might be my favorite with the star trails over the falls (Upper Yosemite?), but it's really tough to pick the best of the set.
    Chris
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  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,942 moderator
    edited February 2, 2010
    #2 is a classic Yosemite view. The storm left nothing but goodness for you :D
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  • Marc MuenchMarc Muench Registered Users Posts: 1,420 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2010
  • SwartzySwartzy Registered Users Posts: 3,293 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    Wonderful series....love the light..the moods...great star trails! Sweet work!
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  • ThwackThwack Registered Users Posts: 487 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    Very nice set! Thanks for sharing them. I was 25 miles from Yosemite when I heard all roads in the Park were closed and made other plans for that weekend. Looks like I missed some amazing opportunities.

    I was in the Park this past weekend and was surprised to see how many trees had been knocked over (or at least had major limbs broken off) by the storm the prior weekend.

    The sunspots on #2 look like Jack O'lantern eyes glaring out of El Capitan's stony face.


    How did you manage to not have a single car's taillight at the base of the trees in #6? Every time I've done long exposure shots at that pullout, I end up with cars driving through the shot. Is the trick to wait until it's so late that nobody else is awake? :D
  • SnowgirlSnowgirl Registered Users Posts: 2,155 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    Excellent set. #2 and #8 do it for me - different moods; great light! clap.gif
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  • coscorrosacoscorrosa Registered Users Posts: 2,284 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    dlplumer wrote:
    Fabulous set Ron. clap.gifclap.gif Those first two are my favs, and #2 almost looks like a fire at first glance. How difficult was the hiking and cold? Did your snow shoes prove to be invaluable?

    I only truly needed the snowshoes for the hike up to the Mariposa Grove (I went about 6 miles round trip). I also used them for getting to Cathederal Beach (on the south side of the Merced River across from El Capitan) as there was about 2-2.5 feet of snow there.

    Just about everywhere though I had waterproof pants, gaiters, waterproof hiking boots, and YakTrax (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CZJIOQ/). The other critical piece of equipment are toe warmers (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001EPHGO8), especially when waiting around for 1-2 hours in the snow for the light to get good.

    The cold was fine as I was dressed for it and had the toe warmers. I had four (!) batteries, but I only ever needed two at any given time. A two hour exposure in 25 degree temperatures only used about 75% of a single battery on my 5D MII.
  • coscorrosacoscorrosa Registered Users Posts: 2,284 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    acowan wrote:
    Excellent and diverse set! The clouds really convey the mood well in both the color and B&W photos. The three star trail photos are nice, especially #7. One small nit...#3 might benefit from a slight bump in contrast. With that said, photo #1 or #2 is the best IMO...thumb.gif

    Thanks, I agree, I replaced #3 with a version that has a little more contrast. #1 was probably my favorite shot from the trip, it didn't look like it was going to pan out and then everything turned pink for about 5 minutes.
  • coscorrosacoscorrosa Registered Users Posts: 2,284 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    CWSkopec wrote:
    Great stuff, Ron!! The valley looks absolutely incredible with the low hanging clouds! clap.gif

    #7 might be my favorite with the star trails over the falls (Upper Yosemite?), but it's really tough to pick the best of the set.

    Thanks Chris, yes #7 is Upper Yosemite falls viewed from what I guess is called Sentinel Meadow (just before Sentinel Bridge, near where the (snow covered) boardwalk meets the road). I noticed that Upper Yosemite faced almost directly north so I was curious to try some star trails shots with Polaris. I want to repeat this shot when the temperature and dew point aren't identical (my lens got fogged after about an hour of 5 minute exposures), and when there is a moonbow (star trails + moonbow would be pretty cool I think).
  • coscorrosacoscorrosa Registered Users Posts: 2,284 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    ian408 wrote:
    #2 is a classic Yosemite view. The storm left nothing but goodness for you :D

    Thanks! I was going to go a week earlier but the conditions were even more crazy, I was lucky I was there for at least two days when there was some snow in the trees, and one day when there was a clearing storm. Like I mentioned to other people there if I lived near the bay area I'd be making at least 6 trips a year to Yosemite.
  • coscorrosacoscorrosa Registered Users Posts: 2,284 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    Go Ron, gothumb.gifthumbthumb.gif

    I went! :D

    Yosemite was at the very top of my list for places to visit, and I'm glad I had the opportunity. Now I just need to photograph it in spring with the waterfalls and some wildflowers and dogwoods, and in summer outside the valley in the higher elevations, and in the fall when the leaves turn, and... basically every month of the year. I would have to say it was the most photogenic place I have ever been in my life, you can definitely see how it inspires people.
  • coscorrosacoscorrosa Registered Users Posts: 2,284 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    Thwack wrote:
    Very nice set! Thanks for sharing them. I was 25 miles from Yosemite when I heard all roads in the Park were closed and made other plans for that weekend. Looks like I missed some amazing opportunities.

    I was in the Park this past weekend and was surprised to see how many trees had been knocked over (or at least had major limbs broken off) by the storm the prior weekend.

    The sunspots on #2 look like Jack O'lantern eyes glaring out of El Capitan's stony face.


    How did you manage to not have a single car's taillight at the base of the trees in #6? Every time I've done long exposure shots at that pullout, I end up with cars driving through the shot. Is the trick to wait until it's so late that nobody else is awake? :D

    It was a lot of fun, I actually drove down from Seattle (it's about a 15 hour drive) so I had my 4WD car and chains, snowshoes, trekking poles, boots, sleeping bag, all that crap. Definitely worth it. The falling trees are what closed 140, the other entrances (120 and 41) were closed due to snow and ice. Even after I arrived on 140 the other roads were still closed until later that afternoon. The parking lot at Tunnel View was an ice rink then :D

    As for #6, that shot was taken at 9 PM. I took three separate exposures, one of them had no car lights on the left, one of them had no car lights on the right, and the other one had no moon shadows on the rocks in the foreground. I blended them together to get an image with no car lights and no shadows on the rocks.
  • coscorrosacoscorrosa Registered Users Posts: 2,284 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    Everyone else - thanks for all the comments and feedback. Yosemite is a magical place, especially in winter.
  • anwmn1anwmn1 Registered Users Posts: 3,469 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    Great stuff Ron.

    Going to have to pick up a pair of those snow tracks for boots. thumb.gif
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  • kdogkdog Administrators Posts: 11,681 moderator
    edited February 2, 2010
    Great stuff, Ron. I think I like #2 the best. I give you a lot of credit for making this trip. Your preparation and effort really paid off.

    Cheers,
    -joel
  • dlplumerdlplumer Registered Users Posts: 8,081 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    kdog wrote:
    Great stuff, Ron. I think I like #2 the best. I give you a lot of credit for making this trip. Your preparation and effort really paid off.

    Cheers,
    -joel

    Yeah, the two of you are "extreme landscape shooters" which is, in my opinion, a tough sport deal.gifrolleyes1.gif
  • schmooschmoo Registered Users Posts: 8,468 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    coscorrosa wrote:
    Like I mentioned to other people there if I lived near the bay area I'd be making at least 6 trips a year to Yosemite.

    Uhh yeah I think I need to get a move on this, especially as I've never been to Yosemite (except passing through)... :uhoh

    These shots are so gorgeous and I can only imagine it was even more breathtaking in real life. The clouds and mist you captured there in particular are poifect.

    Your persistence is really inspiring! I'm so glad I can live vicariously though at least one photographer who is perfectly willing to take a 15 hour road trip for a weekend. (My husband thinks I'm nuts if I want to drive 2 hours for a photo. lol3.gif )
  • LaurieHLaurieH Registered Users Posts: 29 Big grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    I love them all, but #2 is the one that made me go "WOW!"
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  • GovMuleGovMule Registered Users Posts: 37 Big grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    Beautiful shots Ron. Really like 1 & 2,particularly #2.
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  • coscorrosacoscorrosa Registered Users Posts: 2,284 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    anwmn1 wrote:
    Great stuff Ron.

    Going to have to pick up a pair of those snow tracks for boots. thumb.gif

    Very useful for packed snow and ice, not so useful for deep snow, I need to order another pair as near the end of the trip I broke one of them.
  • coscorrosacoscorrosa Registered Users Posts: 2,284 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    kdog wrote:
    Great stuff, Ron. I think I like #2 the best. I give you a lot of credit for making this trip. Your preparation and effort really paid off.

    Cheers,
    -joel

    Thanks Joel, I got #2 on the first night, it spoiled me for the rest of the trip!
  • coscorrosacoscorrosa Registered Users Posts: 2,284 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    dlplumer wrote:
    Yeah, the two of you are "extreme landscape shooters" which is, in my opinion, a tough sport deal.gifrolleyes1.gif

    Except unlike golf you end up with something after you throw your clubs in the water.
  • coscorrosacoscorrosa Registered Users Posts: 2,284 Major grins
    edited February 2, 2010
    schmoo wrote:
    Uhh yeah I think I need to get a move on this, especially as I've never been to Yosemite (except passing through)... :uhoh

    WHAT!? Where's the smack button? Are you telling me you moved to SF for something besides being closer to Yosemite? :D

    I might make a return trip in spring to get the waterfalls at their peak.
    schmoo wrote:
    These shots are so gorgeous and I can only imagine it was even more breathtaking in real life. The clouds and mist you captured there in particular are poifect.

    Your persistence is really inspiring! I'm so glad I can live vicariously though at least one photographer who is perfectly willing to take a 15 hour road trip for a weekend. (My husband thinks I'm nuts if I want to drive 2 hours for a photo. lol3.gif )

    To be fair, it was for a full week and not just the weekend (although I did 12 hours to Yellowstone/Grand Teton for a weekend...). The photographs are just an (often futile) attempt to capture the experience, which is the real reason to go to begin with. And what's wrong with being nuts?
  • mtmountainmanmtmountainman Registered Users Posts: 10 Big grins
    edited February 3, 2010
    I really love the ones where you can see the star trails. They really stood out to me!
  • hawkeye978hawkeye978 Registered Users Posts: 1,218 Major grins
    edited February 3, 2010
    Beautiful set, Ron. I'm envious. The first 3 are my favorites. Great light and contrast.
  • dogwooddogwood Registered Users Posts: 2,572 Major grins
    edited February 4, 2010
    Oh wow, these are great. That first shot grabbed me and they just kept on going! Nice work.

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