El Capitan often creates its own weather. Following a storm clouds often form around the giant monolith. In this case, two bands of clouds formed with gaps on either side making one of the more interesting views I have seen of the towering rock. There were a number of people climbing on this day and it must have seemed strange with the clouds quickly revealing the massive height then shrouding it in fog. The image worked best as a Black and White and will make a stunning print.

© Darvin Atkeson
LiquidMoonlight Studios
Follow me on Facebook

Tags:   El Capitan Yosemite National Park California Sierra Nevada Mountians Black White BW Oak Pine Forest Valley Floor Darv Darvin Atkeson LiquidMoonlight.com

© All Rights Reserved

I don't do a lot of black and white images so if you are viewing this I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

At first glance you might think this to be the Rocky Mountains but the Minarets are found in the California High Sierra Nevada Mountains not far from the ski town of Mammoth. It was a late afternoon, bone chilling cold and we were eager to get back to town to get some warm food. I had been shooting the peaks from a lower location but gave up as many of the spires disappeared scraping through the clouds. Just as we were getting in the car I noted that the clouds had moved slightly and light was now passing under the peaks. I pulled the camera back out of the car and took one last shot from the edge of the parking lot. Within a few seconds clouds blocked the sun and the scene turned dreary. The shot looks great in color but is even more dramatic in black and white.


© Darvin Atkeson
LiquidMoonlight Studios
Follow me on Facebook

Tags:   Minarets Peaks Sierra Nevada Mountains Mammoth Jagged Edge Spires Eastern Fall Black and White Dramatic Forest Sawtoothed Landscape Darv Darvin Atkeson LiquidMoonlight.com

© All Rights Reserved

Horsetail Fall is famous for lighting up like lava in the middle of each February for about two weeks so the show has long passed. We were passing through Yosemite Valley with broken clouds above. I looked down at one of the sites where Horsetail Fall is generally shot from and the clouds had parted and the waterfall was glowing incredibly brightly against the massive granite cliffs of Yosemite National Park. Recent rain had drenched the area and Horsetail Fall was flowing better than it had during the weeks it was famous for. Mist blew back along the top of the cliffs like a ghostly spirit. Fog scrapped across the top of El Capitan and made for a nice illumination of the tree line atop the tops of the nearly 3000 foot cliffs. And this time, I had it all to myself. I stayed for a long time before deciding to try the other side of Yosemite Valley but by the time we made it across the clouds had moved in and the waterfall disappeared in the grayness of fog. Being later in the year and past the prime time to photograph the event, Horsetail Fall was more of a golden silvery color than the bright orange lava color that occurs at sunset so I decided to process this one as a Black and White which worked with very little effort on my part.

© Darvin Atkeson
LiquidMoonlight Studios
Follow me on Facebook

Tags:   Horsetail Fall Yosemite National Park California Lava Glow Spring 2014 Storm Waterfall Falls Forest El Capitan Drought March Silver Gold Black White Black And White Landscape Mist Park Travel Tourism United States Darv Darvin Lynneal Atkeson LiquidMoonlight.com

© All Rights Reserved