Twilight Over Yosemite High Country

Posted by Don Smith (California, United States) on 13 October 2009 in Landscape & Rural.

UPCOMING 2009 / 2010 WORKSHOPS:

Arches/Canyonlands Photo Workshop November 4-8, 2009 (Sold Out - Waiting List Only)
Spring Big Sur Photo Workshop - March 29 - April 1, 2010 (5 spots available)
Northern Arizona: Grand Canyon, Upper Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and Sedona Photo Workshop - May 3-7, 2010 (space available)
Redwoods and Mendocino Coast Photo Workshop - June 15-18, 2010 (space available)
Kauai, Hawaii Photo Workshop - July 12-16, 2010 (8 spots available)
Big Sur Photo Workshop Summer August, 2010 (Exciting details TBA soon)!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Often times on clear sky days my best images will come either before or after the sun has made an appearance. What made this image come alive for me was the soft pink hues of twilight, especially vivid in the high country after the sun had set.

I captured this image while assisting Gary Hart's Eastern Sierra Workshop. We had the group at Olmstead Point in Yosemite National Park to photograph setting sun light on Half Dome. After assisting several photographers with composition and some technical concerns, I decided to wander around and see if I could find something a little different to photograph.

Gary and I often times tell our students that sometimes the best image is happening behind our backs. While everyone was looking west, I climbed up a small granite perch which afforded me a view of towards the northeast. About the time I put the camera to my eye, Gary called out to the group that some fantastic sunset alpenglow was illuminating Mount Conness (the far granite peak with snow on either side directly above Lake Tenaya).

Shortly after the warm light faded off the famed peak, a twilight wedge began to appear. The wedge is the result of the remaining warm rays of the sun bending up and over the horizon and can be seen quite vividly towards the east on a clear evening at high elevations. The dark blue which appears below the wedge is the earth's shadow (though not yet present in this image).

The lesson here is to always take the time to turn completely around and see if there are images behind or to your side. Sometimes your best image is waiting right over your shoulder.

My Website: "how to" articles, galleries, stock photos, and more...
www.donsmithphotography.com

Software Discounts:
Photomatix Pro 3.0 type in code at checkout: donsmithphotography
Nik Software type in code at checkout: DSMITH

vfxy Photoblogs | Listed on Photoblogs.org