See Also – Taylor Gray: My Future is my Inspiration.

Some have tried to capture this event for over half a decade only to later go home empty handed. There are multiple elements that must come together in order for the waterfall to light up. Firstly, the fall will only light up during a small window of time – from around mid to late February. This is due to the ever-rotating direction of the sun. Secondly, there must be enough water flowing down Horsetail Fall. Without this element, the light will merely just light up the rock and the scene won’t be nearly as interesting. California has been in a historic drought for years, so Firefall hasn’t exactly been exceptional in quite a while. Luckily, there had been a decent amount of snowfall in Yosemite this year, so it didn’t look like that was going to be a problem. Next, the sky in the west must be clear of clouds. Even if the clouds are thin enough for the sun to get through, the light will be weaker therefore making the glow on Horsetail less prominent as well. Lastly, you must be in a certain location for it to be seen correctly. For most natural phenomena, perspective is key. For example, a solar eclipse can only be seen in certain parts of the world due to the angle and position of the sun and moon. The same concept goes for Horsetail Fall. If you were to try and photograph the event head-on with the Firefall directly above you, it would not seem as dramatic as if you were to view it from further south. This is due to the combination of the way the sunlight hits that rock face and the angle from which you view the waterfall.

Because the event only happens once a year, photographers come in droves to view and photograph this special occasion, which makes Yosemite very, very busy. Each year, Horsetail draws more and more visitors from all around the world. A half a century ago, only a select few knew about the spectacle. It wasn’t until 1973, when Galen Rowell photographed the Firefall in color, that it picked up attention from others around the globe. This year, more than 1,000 people have come to witness the Firefall during its two-week window and that number is sure to grow in the coming years.

When my group and I arrived last Friday morning, my initial plan was to scout the location that I would be taking my photos from and come back later in the day as it got closer to sunset. However when I got to the area, as many as fifteen photographers were already lined up, with their lenses pointed at El Capitan like tiny pieces of artillery.

The area I was in is called Southside Drive, a small clearing alongside the Merced River. As I stood on the river bank, I saw that there were a multitude of tree branches obscuring the view of the fall. I realized that finding an ideal vantage point was going to be harder than I thought. The best spots were filling up quickly and it was only 10:30 AM! I have been going to Yosemite in February for the past three years to specifically try and capture this event. Unfortunately, California’s drought has taken its toll on Horsetail Fall and the fall has either been a trickle of water or completely dried up for the past six years. But this year, the water was flowing well and I wasn’t about to miss out on witnessing this rarity. My group and I made the decision to grab our spots, hunker down in our lawn chairs and hammocks, and wait for the show to start. For the next 7 hours, we socialized with other photographers, napped, and patiently waited….and waited…and waited.

At around 3:00 PM, the once deep blue sky paled, as clouds made their way over the valley. We all groaned, knowing that if these clouds didn’t clear up, we would go home with nothing. By this time, there were over 150 photographers lined up behind us, all hoping to get the same thing as the person next to them. It occurred to me that this was all a bit ridiculous. There’s wasn’t much of a creative process happening in this situation, just a crowd of photographers with expensive camera equipment lining up to more or less get the same shot. I wanted to find a unique way to capture the fall that would get me away from the crowd, but more on that later.

At the moment, the clouds had cleared up enough for the sun to cast a warm, golden light on Horsetail. It was starting. A surprising quietness came across the crowd, as everyone intensely concentrated on trying to capture the scene in front of them. The sound of camera shutters opening and closing again and again was deafening. The waterfall slowly turned from a light yellow to a dark shade of orange. Some people were commenting on how the color was not as bright as it should be. They were right. As Horsetail kept turning darker shades of color, the light was getting steadily dimmer. Something was clearly wrong. The fall should have eventually turned to deep red as it reflected the sun’s afterglow, but as we all soon found out, that wouldn’t happen. A few clouds had snuck their way in front of the sun and prevented any more light from lighting up the fall. It was hard to not feel disappointed after spending the whole day camped out on a patch of open dirt, only to be sent away without a satisfying image of the event.

I only had one day left in Yosemite before I had to go back to school the following Monday, so I was committed to capturing the Firefall. There was no telling when the phenomenon would happen again, so I had to get the shot the next evening. The next day was also Ansel Adam’s birthday, a landscape photography pioneer who beautifully captured many national parks around the United States in stunning black and white photographs, so I thought it would be cool if I could get a good shot in his honor, in the National Park best known through his incredible photographs.

When my group arrived at the same location the next morning, we all felt a tinge of dread as we set up our gear in our desired spots. Spending another full day sitting around on our butts for the next eight hours did not sound appealing. After socializing with the people around us for a while, I met up with a talented photographer who I had been following on social media for some time but had never met, and we shared our desire to try and find a unique angle for photographing Horsetail.

After some research and a whole lot of bushwhacking, we eventually found an area that very few people knew about. We could hardly contain our excitement at our discovery and shouted a victory cry that echoed across the valley. The scene had a clear view of the waterfall as well as the skies in the west.

By the time we hauled all of our gear to this new location, the sky had become dull and overcast. The sun was just barely visible as it struggled to break through the dense clouds. I had a sinking feeling that I would end up with worse results than yesterday, as there was absolutely no light in the valley. I had a sliver of hope, however, when I saw a thin patch of blue sky in the west. The blue sky seemed to be taking over as the clouds were pushed to the east. The only problem was that the clouds were moving very, very slowly. With two and a half hours left until the waterfall was illuminated, I tried my best to gauge if the clouds would clear up in time for the Firefall to start. It looked promising, but if there is one thing I’ve learned from all of my time in Yosemite is that the weather can be very unpredictable. As the peak time grew closer, the anticipation of my group built. Finally the clouds managed to clear up 20 minutes before the Firefall was supposed to start and the light was back. I watched in amazement as Horsetail Fall once again began its multicolored process. This time, the color was brighter and more vibrant than the previous night. A colorful sunset was the cherry on top to a long, and tiring, but successful, day. Our group was very emotional because after three years, and only 8 hours  of sleep for the entire weekend, we finally got the shots we had envisioned in our minds for so long. We let out long cheers across the valley which were returned by the crowd at Southside Drive shortly after.

Today, the image of the Firefall is still burned into my mind and is even more incredible to witness in person than I had expected. Yosemite National Park is one of those places that you can never get tired of no matter how many times you visit. If you ever get a chance to visit this amazing and diverse park in late February, the Firefall is a must-see!

Five Tips for Photographing the Firefall

Get there early!

If you are photographing the fall from either Southside Drive or the El Capitan Picnic Area – the most popular viewing locations – get there earlier than you’d expect! Parking can be a nightmare with the massive number of visitors that descend on Yosemite during this time, so parking spots can fill up very quickly.

Don’t Leave early, either

I can’t tell you how many people left as soon as the “last light” faded from the falls. This, in fact, was not the last light, but the beginning of the afterglow caused by the reflection of the setting sun. This stage of the Firefall is where you can see the deep reds and oranges so be sure to stick around for at least 10-15 minutes after sunset.

Bring a tripod

If you are shooting the waterfall with a telephoto zoom lens, you will definitely want to use a tripod to reduce any shaking of your camera. Some of my images were shot at around 1/10 of a second, which isn’t ideal for handheld. A shutter release cable is also a good idea to help reduce camera shake and will help produce clean and sharp images.

Watch the weather

It’s good to check the weather forecasts before planning a trip to photograph the Firefall. Also, be sure to check if Horsetail Fall is even flowing. There is about a two-week window in which you can capture the Firefall, so if the weather does not look ideal, don’t give up. There are plenty of interesting things to see in Yosemite so maybe focus on other aspects of the park while you are waiting for the weather to clear up.

Enjoy what you are witnessing

Firefall in Yosemite is one of the most awe-inspiring sites you will ever see, and will make you appreciate the beauty that is contained in our National Parks. It will be a frantic couple of minutes while you try to get that perfect photo, but try to take a couple of minutes, take your finger off the shutter, and just enjoy the beauty of Yosemite National Park.

Also, I was lucky enough to capture the Firefall on Friday and Saturday night through two different time lapses that I made. Make sure to check it out below!

See Also – Taylor Gray: My Future is my Inspiration.

Read Taylor Gray’s previous article on Resource Travel which talks about his photography inspiration. Also to see more from Taylor Gray, follow him on Instagram at @taylorgrayphoto or on his website.

The post Horsetail Fall : The Hidden Treasure of Yosemite National Park appeared first on Resource Travel.

See also
‘Taylor Gray: My Future is my Inspiration‘

Day 1 – Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are one of Death Valley’s most popular attractions and, compared to the park’s other dunes, are the easiest to access . When I arrived, they were bustling with tourists and I got a sinking feeling that I wouldn’t be able to get any of the shots I had envisioned without footprints intruding on my compositions. However, my dad and I had just driven 8 hours that day in order to see this place, so I was not ready to give up that easily. Most of the people there only went about a half mile into the dunes, so in order to find dunes free of humans, we had to walk further than most would go. After hiking for what seemed like ages, we stumbled across a pristine area and happily began snapping away.

One of my favorite shots I got from the trip required me to lay down in the sand in order to get a good perspective of the dune I was shooting. There are endless opportunities for one to come up with unique compositions in the Mesquite Dunes, so don’t be afraid to go a little outside of your comfort zone and get creative with it.

It was hard waking up at the crack of dawn after a long night of shooting, but as I looked up into the morning sky, my sleepiness instantly evaporated as I saw a deep red glow slowly spread across the sky. Sometimes giving up a little sleep is worth it.

Day 2 – The Racetrack Playa

The legendary Racetrack Playa: A dried lakebed that holds an ancient on-going race between various sized rocks – some weighing over 100 pounds! The science behind how these “sailing stones” move was a mystery up until 2013. A whole heck of a lot has to come together in order to get these rocks to move. Researchers discovered that when the lakebed is covered in a few inches of rain and freezes over, the rocks are then embedded in ice deposits. If winds are strong enough, the rocks are pushed across the thin layer of water trapped underneath the ice, leaving a trail of mud behind.

Our journey to the Racetrack was an adventure all in itself. It consisted of twenty-six miles of 4×4 off roading, almost no cell reception, thousands of Joshua trees, and fifty teakettles. Teakettles? That’s right. One of the most bizarre things I’ve seen on this trek was a crossroad with the sign “Teakettle Junction” in the middle of it. Over the years, visitors have hung their teakettles on the sign with messages or memoirs written on them regarding their trip to the Racetrack.

After hours of bumps and bruises in the car, we finally caught sight of the playa as it shimmered in the sun’s heat. It was completely flat except for two large, dark rock formations known as The Grandstand. Shooting up 75 feet into the air, it offers a great view of the whole playa. About two miles down the road from The Grandstand, my dad and I saw the first few rocks. I couldn’t believe how far some of them had moved. Some have been measured to move as much as 1500 feet!  My eyes followed their trails until they slowly merged into the horizon and disappeared from view.

Another two miles down the road was a surprisingly well-maintained campsite with old mine shafts dispersed across the surrounding mountain sides. During the California gold rush in 1848, mining was popular in many parts of the park. If you look carefully around the campsite, you can still find old, rusty cans and mining equipment left behind by the miners.

Nothing beats the feeling of crawling into your tent after a long day of shooting and falling asleep to the silence of the outdoors…. And then waking up two hours later to begin another day of shooting.

After a fast night at the campground, it was off to explore a new part of the park – Zabriskie Point.

Day 3 – Zabriskie Point

Visiting Zabriskie point is like being on another planet. The alien landscape consists of mud hills and gullies that exhibit shades of red, orange, yellow, and purple when the afternoon light hits them right – a perfect place for a photographer to get creative. The area is a great place for hikers as well and I saw many people trekking over the mudstone. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to explore Zabriskie Point as much as I had wanted because most of the day was taken up from driving back from the Racetrack. However, I was lucky enough to get a couple decent shots before the sun went down and I look forward to exploring more of this spot on my next trip to the park.

Day 4 – Eureka Sand Dunes

With over 700 feet in height, the Eureka Sand Dunes tower over its surrounding desert landscape. They are only three miles long and one mile wide, but are some of the tallest sand dunes in North America. The dunes are considered to be an oasis for many different plants and animals. They are so unique in fact, that they sustain five species of beetles and three species of plants that aren’t found anywhere else in the world!

Like many other places in Death Valley, the backcountry roads are poorly maintained  and full of treacherous rocks. But unfortunately, this particular road – a 10 mile stretch of unpaved madness leading straight to the dunes – is notorious for causing flat tires. We tried our best to drive as cautiously as we could while making our way to our destination.

After what seemed like an eternity, we safely made it to a campsite at the base of the dunes. But as we were unpacking our gear, one corner of the car was sneakily getting lower to the ground. A flat tire was the last thing we needed since sunset was just a few hours away. We both wanted to catch the last light of the day in this new location, so we quickly got to work.

Once we had finished tightening the last bolt on the wheel, there were only minutes of light left in the day. I scrambled up some of the closer dunes to scope out some good compositions. Thankfully, I was able to line up a few solid shots before the sun set behind the surrounding mountain tops.

After an almost completely overcast day, the clouds managed to break up just before sunset and the dunes literally glowed with the last light of the day.

Last Chance Mountain Range lies east of Eureka Sand Dunes and has some of the craziest textures and lines I have ever seen in nature. The range is made up of rock that has been around for 2.5 million years. About 15 minutes before sunset, each layer of rock was exaggerated as the fading light illuminated the million year-old rock face. The lines of sediment popped and exploded with color as the sun slowly slipped below the horizon. After scrambling up the nearest dune in order to catch the scene, I sat down in the sand and thought about how insignificant and short our lives were compared to all that was around me. I was currently 1/600000 the age of the rocks in front of me and it made me realize how little time we have to live our lives. It made me want to experience more, see more, and explore more before my time on this planet is up.

The dust you see in this photo was kicked up from high desert winds. The wind at Eureka Dunes was both a blessing and a curse because although it quickly cleaned up stray footprints left in the dunes, it caused sand to get in my hair, ears, and other fun places while making it nearly impossible to change lenses. However, it is in environments like these where some of my favorite shots come from.

However, the day was far from over. I had an idea of a shot that I wanted to get ever since I first learned of Eureka Dunes. After gulping down a quick dinner, my dad and I set out on an hour and a half trek to the top of the sand dunes. The sun was long gone by then, and we only had the moonlight and our headlamps to guide us. The hike was absolutely grueling. For every three steps we took forward it was one step backward as the combination of loose sand and steep slopes provided us with very little friction to work with as we were walking. The dunes also had no distinct landmarks or textures that I could see. Everything in front of me was just a pale blur under the moonlight and I was becoming more and more disoriented.

Eventually, we reached a flat spot near the top of the dunes. It wasn’t until I turned around that I discovered where I was. My jaw dropped as I looked at the scene in front of me. The shot I had envisioned had materialized right before me. The whole valley was bathed in soft yellow moonlight as the dune’s shadows grew longer and longer with the setting moon. The beauty of what I was seeing made me grateful to my dad for making this trip possible and helped me realize that all the time and effort we put into this trip was worth it.

My TakeAway

I learned a few things during those four days in Death Valley. For starters, although I was able to see many different interesting parts of the park, I almost felt cheated of my time with these unique locations. When I look back on it, everything sort of blurred together in those few short days. The next time I go back, I plan to spend at least two days at each place so I can experience them to their fullest.

I also learned that the desert can be very hard on your photography equipment. It can be really windy in Death Valley, which means dust and dirt can easily infiltrate your camera body and lens. This can cause dark spots to appear on your final images. To prevent this from happening, avoid changing lenses as much as possible in the open air and if you really must, make sure that you do so in a fairly clean environment. For example, in your car or tent. This will help you to prevent having to spend extra time removing annoying spots in your photos.

But the biggest takeaway is that I really enjoyed exploring Death Valley during the time I had. It made me realize how special and beautiful the desert landscape truly is and how lucky I am to practically have this place in my backyard. I can’t wait to go back.

To see more from Taylor Gray, follow him on Instagram at @taylorgrayphoto or on his website.

The post A Four Day Photography Adventure Through Death Valley National ­Park appeared first on Resource Travel.

When I was about 13, long before I got into photography, I often asked myself, “What is my purpose?” and “What do I want to do most in life?” I understood that I still had quite a bit of time to figure that out, but at that age, as I was maturing, I didn’t really have anything that I was extremely passionate about. There had always been this feeling that I was lacking something – as if I was deprived of a vital ingredient to the recipe of my life. I still engaged in regular teenage activities such as playing on the soccer team, skateboarding with my friends, and playing the drums in my school band. But up until about three years ago, I felt this inescapable emptiness inside of me. I wanted to understand the cause of the emptiness and lack of direction, but it would take a few years for me to finally discover the cause. But once I did, everything changed.

The summer before my sophomore year, I took my father’s Nikon D5100 on a two-week backpacking trip in the Colorado Rockies. When I returned home, I had over two thousand photographs and a new found obsession. I was completely hooked. That emptiness was filled and with it feelings of boredom, frustration, and anxiety vanished. But a new restlessness took root. Along with photography, I discovered a love for adventure and travel. I am constantly wanting to see new places and explore the unknown.

I enjoy the adventure aspect that comes with most of my photography outings just as much as I do in taking the photographs. Whether it’s shooting from rooftops in San Francisco, hiking down steep cliffs to reach a deserted beach, or climbing to the top of a fourteen thousand foot mountain in Colorado, adventure is always calling my name.

Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I picked up the camera and was instantly able to take good photographs right off the bat. In fact, those first few thousand images I took in Colorado were nothing more than simple, thoughtless snapshots. I was just a kid fooling around with an expensive piece of photographic equipment, pushing random buttons in hopes that it would go CLICK! But to me, it was pure magic. Today, I often look back at those photos and can still feel the indescribable joy that those first images gave me.

Eventually, I was able to get my own camera (thanks Mom!) but I still did not fully understand how to put all of its confusing buttons and functions to good use. So, I took it upon myself to learn all that I could about my camera with the help of many YouTube tutorials. I learned everything from how to properly shoot in manual mode to post processing the final image in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. The learning process was a little tedious at times, but I was determined to pursue my new found passion. I then applied this new knowledge by taking different types of photos all over the San Francisco Bay Area. I unearthed hundreds of places around San Francisco that I didn’t even know existed prior to my interest in photography. I felt like a giddy little kid opening presents on Christmas with each new discovery being as exciting as the next.

I couldn’t drive myself to all of the locations I wanted to see – I was only 14. Because of that, I owe a lot of credit to my parents. My dad was already into photography, and would shoot beside me on our trips, but my mom was not. So rather than sit in the car and patiently wait until I was finished, she decided to make the best of it and picked up a camera of her own. I am extremely fortunate that my family is able to share a common interest in photography and travel, and it has allowed me to photograph places that I have never dreamed of even seeing in person.

As I began to accumulate a catalog of work, I began posting my work on various social media sites, such as Instagram and Facebook, and was overwhelmed with the surprising amount of positive feedback that I received. I also connected with an amazing community of local Bay Area photographers and began shooting with them regularly. Most of them are at least twice or three times my age but it doesn’t really matter to me. They have become good friends and my life is enriched as a result.

For me, photography is not just a casual hobby, it is a lifetime obsession that will stick with me forever. Even though I am only 17 now, I realize the profound impact photography has on my life. It has improved my work ethic and made me look at the world around me with more appreciation. It is my dream to one day have a successful career based on my photography, adventure, and travel. If there is anything I have learned from my passion, it’s that anything is possible as long as you put hard work, dedication, and joy into whatever it is you are trying to achieve.

To see more from Taylor Gray, follow him on Instagram at @taylorgrayphoto or on his website.

Yosemite National Park, California

San Francisco, California

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

San Francisco, California

Jackson Lake, Wyoming

Mt. Harvard, Colorado

Yosemite National Park, California

Hallstatt, Austria

Buena Vista, Colorado

Davenport, CA

Eureka Dunes, Death Valley National Park, California

Eureka Dunes, Death Valley National Park, California

Fort Point, San Francisco, California

Columbia Basin, Colorado

Martin’s Beach, California

Yosemite National Park, California

Davenport, California

Lower Yellowstone Falls, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Gibbon Falls, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Harvard Lakes, Colorado

Marysville, California

Yosemite National Park, California

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California

Buena Vista, Colorado

The post Taylor Gray : My Future Is My Inspiration appeared first on Resource Travel.