This was one of the first photos I took while I was out in Yosemite Vally's bitterly cold winter. We made it there just in time for sunset, but due to Yosemite being a deep valley, the typical sunset photos aren't quite the same. I walked through some shin-deep snow in one of the meadows to some trees in the distance. The freezing cold temperatures covered the trees in a fragile layer of frost. They looked like something you'd only see in a storybook. I wanted to capture these trees the first night I was there because the frost could melt away the following day if it got warm enough. It took a little bit of searching for the right angle to show these trees with their surroundings. As I walked around, the last beams of light were creating a warm glow on the highest point of Cathedral Rock. As I positioned myself to capture this moment I noticed the frosted trees appear to almost lean and reach towards the sunny peak, and I knew I had my shot. One last decision I made was to actually capture this scene with a panorama, making sure I had every last detail in the small shards of ice clinging to the trees. Everything from the minuscule ice, to the towering mountain made this a special photograph for me.
I had to make another trip out to Yosemite over the New Year holiday, making it my third trip! I never get tired of seeing the sights in Yosemite, especially this time, being my first time there in the winter. On my first morning in the park, the temperature was nearly 20 degrees below freezing, plenty cold to create some great looking ice and frost along the ground and river. I made a short trek through some of the meadows and along the river winding through the valley. A sharp bend in the river gathered a massive slab of ice and created several opportunities for photos. I stepped cautiously onto the ice and shuffled further out over the river to capture the minute details of the sheet of ice.
Shooting in the snow was unlike anything I've ever tried before. Having never really seen it before, I had to think on my toes to try to get the right shots. I found that while the snow and frost was absolutely amazing, it was much more difficult to shoot in. Any footprint in the snow created imperfections in the scene, and the typical colors I look to highlight in my scene simply weren't there anymore. I had to look for spots people hadn't walked, and I looked for scenes highlighting the warm colors of the granite walls. I'm not sure if this spot has a specific name, but after hours of searching for a great sunset location, this was perfect. The orange glow from the valley walls helped bring a unique color to the cool blue surroundings of the snow. I made sure to take a photo with a long exposure to keep the water looking smooth to highlight the reflected light from El Capitan.
