Yosemite waterfall full#

The spectacular sight mirrors an entirely artificial “firefall” that cascaded down the park’s 3,200-foot-tall Glacier Point cliff for more than 80 years. ( Check out our YourShot photographers’ pictures of Yosemite’s firefall.) DIY Firefall Ever since, photographers have trekked to Yosemite, angling to get a glimpse of the glittering mist. Though renowned photographer Ansel Adams captured the gleaming waterfall in 1940, the “firefall” didn’t become widely known until National Geographic photographer Galen Rowell snapped a shot of it in 1973. When it comes to photographing Horsetail Fall, Dey is in good company. “I didn't want to miss a second of experiencing it.” “This was one time in my life where I was deliberately using my eyes to see the phenomenon than look through my lens,” she wrote. It was a very emotional moment for me.”ĭey wasn’t looking through her camera’s viewfinder when taking the photos, opting instead to trigger the camera’s shutter remotely while she gazed at the waterfall herself.

“As glowed in yellows, oranges and reds, I realized I had tears flowing down. “Finally, as the sun's rays moved towards the fall, I saw the color of the water changing,” she wrote in an email to National Geographic.

Yosemite waterfall full#

( Read more about Yosemite and the importance of the United States’ national parks.)įortunately, pediatric neuropsychologist and National Geographic Your Shot member Sangeeta Dey of San Francisco snapped a striking, now-famous photo of the waterfall on February 15, after waiting a full day for clear skies. The marked contrast between the glittering mist and muted rock makes the waterfall look like it's glowing. If all goes well, the Yosemite Valley's rocky peaks progressively coat El Capitan in shadow from west to east during sunset, leaving a narrow swath of light on the waterfall just before sundown. Plus, there’s no guarantee of a waterfall, as it pours down El Capitan’s east side only if there’s enough water to fuel it. The effect is finicky, requiring superb conditions: The sunset must catch the 1,000-foot-tall Horsetail Fall just right to illuminate the mist with reds and oranges. For a couple of weeks each February, a waterfall in California’s Yosemite National Park appears to be set ablaze by the setting sun, a fleeting evening spectacle known as the “firefall.”