Last Light From Artist Point

WJMcIntosh
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Last Light From Artist Point
Last Light From Artist Point

The day after I finished my last big concert at the college, Tom, Corey and I were on our way to Yosemite to try to get a decent moonrise shot with the moon due to rise just to the North of Half Dome. We knew a storm was moving in, but we were hoping that the clouds would be thin enough to allow the moon to light up the sky above the valley. We arrived two hours before sunset, and after some discussion, we decided we should try Artist Point for what we thought would be the best angle.

If you've never made the hike up to the point, it is certainly worth the effort as I believe it provides a superior view of the valley to that found back at the tunnel parking lot for the following reasons: a)You are roughly another 500 feet or so above the trees in the valley, b) It opens up the valley and provides a better view of Clouds Rest, c) It pulls Bridal Viel into the center of the frame a bit more, and d) You aren't competing with 300 other photographers for one of the good spots back at the tunnel, i.e. one in which trees aren't blocking your view and you can still see the falls.

So, 40 some-odd minutes later, we arrived only to find that all of the sunlight was gone and we were bang out of luck in terms of a sunset. The clouds were much thicker and looked even darker as we looked over to the West. Darkness settled over the valley and we gloomily began thinking about the long drive back to Orange County. Just as all of us officially gave up hope, we looked up in unison and our jaws dropped. Somehow, one shaft of light broke through the clouds as the sun was setting and completely lit up the North side of the valley with vivid orange light and began working its way up to Half Dome. We shot like mad for about 10 minutes and suddenly the light was gone again as quickly as it appeared.

We never did see the moon from Artist Point that night in spite of sitting on our butts, freezing, and checking the Chargers/Patriots score every 10 minutes. It was only after we gave up and were back at the tunnel that the moon finally came out creating one of the most ginormous moon dogs I have ever seen. Still working on processing my shots of that, so we'll see what happens. In the mean time, we'll be back for at least one more attempt this Winter for a decent Yosemite Moonrise.

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Taken on: December 7, 2014
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