Magical Evening in Yosemite

Yosemite’s Enchanted Evening, Magic at Twilight:

My plan was to drive into The Valley while it was snowing, so I could get sunrise pictures with snow on trees. On my way in, it became obvious I was going to be 30 minutes to an hour behind the storm. Shortly after leaving Groveland, it became apparent the sky was starting to clear. Simultaneously, I kept driving through sections of patchy fog with snow everywhere. It got me thinking, maybe they’ll be an opportunity for a picture tonight. By the time I was going through the tunnels, it was obvious I was going to be driving directly to Tunnel View.

I was shocked when I pulled into the parking lot and there wasn’t a single person there. It was clear things were happening fast, and there were no guarantees how long the fog or clouds were going to last. It felt like an eternity to dig out my tripod and camera. I hustled over to where I needed to set up in only a long sleeve shirt and vest. The temperature was hovering around 30°, but I wasn’t even remotely cold. I was completely filled with excitement and adrenaline. All I could think of was how fast I could get my first test shot done so that I could start getting images.

Once I got a few pictures taken, the entire valley fogged over and most of the sky in that direction got cloudy. I was worried I might have missed my window. I took advantage of that opportunity to get a jacket and gloves. At that time another photographer showed up. Normally, I enjoy finding solitude in moments like this, however, it was special to share the excitement with someone else who appreciated the extraordinary evening that was unfolding.

Within minutes, the clouds and fog started to move around and clear again. Things were changing so fast I just kept taking shots, not knowing what nature had in store for me each time. Eventually, the clouds all blew out and the fog disappeared. By the time I got in the car, 3 fingers on my right hand were numb from making adjustments. I drove to the lodge ridiculously slow, taking in all the granite and trees covered in snow. I didn’t want this special evening to end!

I would often say all the key spots in Yosemite have been photographed extremely well. I could show up and have the best moment of my life and it’s probably already been done. Well, that may be the case, but this image feels like it will stand with the best of them.