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As I sat in the truck at Tunnel View, the rain abated for a while and the overlook filled with people. Suddenly the heavens opened up and sheets of rain came down. After watching people run for their cars I found myself almost alone at Tunnel View. A rare occurrence to be sure. 30 minutes later light began to glow serenely on leaning Tower. I made some images, but a few minutes later the real show started. Surreal Mammatus clouds filled the park and I was able to make this very satisfying image. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/123/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Rovinjreflectionlayers.jpg https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/122/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/monoafterglowweb.jpg https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/121/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/mesa-pano-web.jpg https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/120/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/lembertbluelayers.jpg https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/lembert-glow/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Lembert-Glow-web-pano.jpg Stormy Evening, Tuolumne Meadows Right before making this photograph, I was huddled under a Foxtail Pine waiting out a wild hail storm. The camera was already set up covered in my Patagonia jacket. It was a bit disconcerting watching the camera get pounded by hail, but when I unzipped the jacket my 4x5 was bone dry. I love the quality of light in this image. Mount Conness and Mount Dana glow serenely as the river meanders quietly away. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/misty-horsetail/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Horsetail2017-3060-web.jpg Last light, Horsetail Falls Every year I look forward to photographing the phenomenon of last light on Horsetail Fall. There is always an element of luck involved. The waterfall only drains about 300 acres so if it has been a dry winter, it will not happen. If it is too cold then there won't be enough snowmelt. The winter of 2017 had it all. It was warm, wet, with copious amounts of snow, and had more water flowing than I had ever seen before. It was a windy evening and the light was glorious as it caught the spray blowing back over the rim. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/alpenglow-horsetail/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Horsetail-Alpenglow-clouds-web.jpg Alpenglow over Horsetail Falls Every year I look forward to photographing the phenomenon of last light on Horsetail Fall. There is always an element of luck involved. The waterfall only drains about 300 acres so if it has been a dry winter, it will not happen. If it is too cold then there won't be enough snowmelt. The winter of 2017 had it all. It was warm, wet, with copious amounts of snow, and had more water flowing than I had ever seen before. It was a windy evening and the light was glorious as it caught the spray blowing back over the rim. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/glacier-pano/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Glacier-Panorama-Layers.jpg Glacier Point Sunset Panorama I had attempted this photograph several times for the right combination of storm and light. One more than one occasion the park service temporarily closed the road due to snow. On others, the light simply never materialized or the weather was uninteresting. At last in late autumn 2007 a scant few days before a major storm closed the road I was able to make this satisfying image. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/spring-dogwoods/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Dogwoods-on-dark-water-pano-web.jpg Spring Dogwoods I had spent all day making photographs of the Dogwood bloom along the Merced River, but did not expect this wonderful painterly light that happened in the late afternoon. For a moment the river was full of specular highlights, yet the water was the deepest gray blue - while the blooms were gloriously backlit. The piece has rhythm and movement. It's a quality of light I certainly hope to see again. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/thousand-pano/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/1000-island-pano-layers2021.jpg Thousand Island Lake Panorama n late July 2020 Kristen and I walked up to Thousand Island Lake in the phenomenal Ansel Adams Wilderness. As we progressed from fragrant Sagebrush and Junipers of the Eastern slope, to the heart of the Sierra Nevada, we felt as though every step was taking us to a different world. When we rounded a corner on the John Muir Trail and the first glimpses of Thousand Island Lake came into view, it was so beautiful it was surreal. Banner Peak soars over 3000 feet above the basin and makes a sublime back drop to Thousand Island Lake. Ansel Adams Wilderness https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/modern-interior-mock-up-furniture-and-decoration-of-minimal-livi/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Wall-Sizes-web2.jpg Wall Sizes to scale 48x72 to 12x16 https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/modern-living-room-interior-design-and-concrete-texture-wall-bac/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Canyon-light-sample.jpg Modern living room interior with 40x60 https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/vernazza-italy/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/vernazzaweb.jpg The Village of Vernazza For over 900 years Vernazza has existed as one of the Cinque Terre, Northern Italy's "Five Lands." For centuries each village was effectively cut off from one another due to the rugged landscape. In spite of tourism, life here continues much as it always has with brightly colored homes beckoning to the fisherman working just offshore and gorgeous terraces of wine grapes producing the delicious "vino blanco" the region is famous for. The Cinque Terre, Italy. https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/venice-footbridge-canal/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Venice-romantic-Canal-web-.jpg Venice Morning One of the things we enjoyed most in Venice was simply getting lost. Up early before the tourists arrive, macchiatto and cornetto for breakfast and by 9 or so we're already deep into soave and cicchetti (dry white wine and small bites). We must have walked every canal on the island of San Polo. After combing the island for potential photos, the best frames were merely feet from our apartment. Italy https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/street-rovijn-croatia/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/rovinj-typical-test.jpg Villa Valdibora Rovinj was the most wonderful and unexpected surprise of my European trip. I arrived on a bus after dark and had no idea what to expect. The next morning I awoke to one of the most magical and charming places imaginable. White cobbled streets wound past 17th century buildings that suddenly emerged to an overlook of the limpid blue Adriatic. It was breathtaking to say the least, and I will be returning. Rovinj, Croatia https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/rovinj-croatia-adriatic-reflection/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Rovinj-reflection-web.jpg Adriatic Reflection As I was making my "Rovinj Sunrise" photograph, I was mesmerized by the reflected colors on the bay. On the first day, however, the bay was too choppy for what I wanted. I only had to wait until the next morning and was rewarded with a perfect glassy surface. One of the strongest images from the trip. Rovinj, Croatia https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/riomaggiore/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/riomaggiore-web.jpg Riomaggiore Riomaggiore is a coastal village on the Cinque Terre coast of northern Italy. Linked by trails through rugged and beautiful vineyards, the Cinque Terre coast is the Italy of our dreams. Occupied since the 13th century, the villages are steeped in beauty and mystery. I had to climb over a fence to access the breakwater, and was rewarded with warm evening light. Cinque Terre, Italy https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/plitvice-croatia/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/plitvice-web.jpg Plitvice Cascade Plitvice National Park in eastern Croatia is unlike anything you have ever experienced. Crystal clear water flows down a canyon of natural lakes seperated by waterfalls. But it's the boardwalks that steal the show. Throughout the park these walkways take you right out next to the waterfalls, under and over them. As you wind your way along, enchanted, the boardwalk ends at a pier where a water taxi is waiting to whisk you across the lake to the next series of cascades. Croatia https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/burano-buildings-canal/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/burano-web.jpg Burano Streets Known for its colorful buildings, Burano is one of many islands in the Venetian Archipelago. Although most visitors are drawn to the handmade lace that the island is known for, we came to eat! Burano is also known for making the best risotto in the world. Riding the water taxi out here, you really feel like you have stepped back into time, into a slower and warmer time. Burano, Italy https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/california-poppies/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Poppys-web.jpg Merced Canyon Poppies 2002 was a slim spring for wildflowers, but one afternoon as I drove up to Yosmeite National Park along the Merced River I caught a glint of color out of the corner of my eye. Far, far up the side of a mountain was a wild display of California Poppies. Yosemite was forgotten, as I hauled the camera up a seeminly endless hillside. My effort was rewarded by one of the most beautiful displays I have ever seen, made more rich by the mix Blue Eyed Grass and Tom Cat Clover. Merced River Canyon, California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/poppies-and-lupine/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/poppy-field-web.jpg Poppies and Lupine The Spring 2008 flower season was fantastic. This is a ridge and valley area near the southern entance to Sequioua National Park. The flowers were so prolific that my challenge was to slow down and stay in one spot long enough to set up good compositions. This series of photogrpahs feels like the essence of Calirnia to me. Three Rivers, California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/foothill-oak/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/oak-web.jpg Oak and Lichen I often wonder how many storms these old oaks have seen. They are the stalwart residents of the lower Sierra elevations each with its own rugged character and story hidden deep within its roots. The lower elevation oaks represent the human beginnings of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. I love how the granite is a hint of what is to come higher up in the range. Serra Nevada Foothills https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/california-wildflowers/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Lupin-Web.jpg Lupine One of my favorite things about driving to Yosemite from the San Joaquin Valley is when the foothills barely begin to roll. It is an amazing thought that at that point you are on top of one of the largest granite batholiths on earth. This lichen covered granite, all the way to the shining cliffs and mountains of the "Range of Light," are the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Sierra Nevada Foothills https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/100/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/lithia-park-web.jpg Autumn Symphony, Lithia Park Lithia Park is located directly adjacent to Ashland's famous Shakespeare festival. Strolling through the park on a crisp autumn day I was mesmerized by the kaleidoscope of color on the ponds and streams. Ashland, Oregon https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/lichen-granite-california/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Lichen-Layers.jpg Lichen One of my favorite things about driving to Yosemite from the San Joaquin Valley is when the foothills barely begin to roll. It is an amazing thought that at that point you are on top of one of the largest granite batholiths on earth. This lichen covered granite, all the way to the shining cliffs and mountains of the "Range of Light," are the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Sierra Nevada Foothills https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/golden-gate/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Golden-Gate-web.jpg Golden Gate Bridge From the Marin Headlands, north of San Francisco, it's easy to see why the Golden Gate bridge is regarded as one of humanity's greatest achievements. The contrast in the landscape from one side to the other is striking. To the south rises San Francisco and its beautifully cosmopolitan skyline, while just a scant two miles away the coastal hills are shrouded in fog, mountain lions prowl, and red tail hawks soar. San Francisco, CA https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/point-reyes/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/symmetry-pt-reyes-web.jpg Symmetry Point Reyes National Seashore, California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/seashore-stones/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/stones-web.jpg Seashore Stones Located on California's central coast, Montana de Oro is one of the hidden gems of the state park system. Rolling grassy bluffs give way to rugged cliff and hidden coves. Everywhere in the park the cold Pacific dominates your senses: waves crashing into the edge of California, cool fog reaching up the coastal canyons, wonderfully charged fragrances of the ocean everywhere. This detail of the shoreline was found in a little hidden cove that I climbed into. No one was in sight and I felt like an explorer that just landed on this undiscovered shore. California Coast https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/montan-de-oro-california/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/stillness-montana-de-oro-web.jpg Stillness, Montan de Oro California Coast https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/pacific-fog-big-sur/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/pacific3-web.jpg Pacific Fog On this evening the Pacific Ocean and the sky seemed to be one. I felt as though the world was an intimate place enveloped by mist. I have envisioned these series of three to be viewed as large pieces so as to gain a sense of the light, water, and sky. "Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away"- Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Big Sur, California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/big-sur-beach/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/pacific2-Web.jpg Pacific Dream Stepping away from Highway 1, Big Sur is one of the emptiest quarters of California. Deserted beaches, the omnipresent fog, and rugged inaccessible coastlines create a sense of other-worldliness. I wanted to create a piece with no particular focal point for your eye. A photograph of vast space that somehow feels at once quiet and intimate. Big Sur, California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/pacific-big-sur/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Pacific1-Web.jpg Pacific #1 Stepping away from Highway 1, Big Sur is one of the emptiest quarters of California. Deserted beaches, the omnipresent fog, and rugged inaccessible coastlines create a sense of other-worldliness. I wanted to create a piece with no particular focal point for your eye. A photograph of vast space that somehow feels at once quiet and intimate. Big Sur, California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/montana-de-oro-sunset/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/montana-de-oro-sunset-web.jpg Montana de Oro Sunset California Coast https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/montana-de-oro-california/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/montana-cave-web.jpg Montana de Oro Sea Cave Montana de Oro holds a special place in my heart. It was here while I was a student at Cal Poly that I became fascinated with landscape photography. For me Montana de Oro is quintessential California. True to its name, golden hills gently roll towards the sea. On this evening I was struck at how abruptly the North American continent seems to dissolve into the Pacific. California Coast https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/mcway-falls/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/McWay-Web.jpg McWay Falls Mcway Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State park slips about 80 feet to the pristine cove at its base. This is a wonderful place to be as the Pacific sun sinks and turns the Big Sur Coast a warm gold. Julia Pfeiffer Burns Sate Park, California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/heceta-beach-oregon/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Heceta-Beach-Sunset-web.jpg Haceta Beach Sunset For five days I endured so much rain that it was impossible to make any work on the Oregon Coast. At last, at the penultimate moment, the skies parted for this gorgeous sunset at arguably the most beautiful light house in North America. I slept in my truck, and by morning it was pouring rain again. Heceta Beach, Oregon https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/big-sur-shore/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Big-Sur-Vertical-Web.jpg Big Sure Shoreline As one winds their way south on Highway 1 from Carmel, much of the view is blocked by dense stands of Monterey Cypress. Then, all at once, the trees end and one of the most sublime vistas on earth unfolds before you. Henry Miller said: "Big Sur is the California men dreamed of years ago." On the evening this was the light I had been dreaming of for some time. Garapada Headlands, California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/agave-plant/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Agave-web.jpg Agave I had walked past this beautiful agave growing near the ocean in La Jolla, CA, many times before it struck me as a fantastic photograph. On this morning the sun was burning off a light fog layer from the Pacific Ocean. The decreased contrast and slight backlight made this photograph possible. California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/white-sands-new-mexico/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/White-sands-web.jpg Dunes of White Sands White Sands, New Mexico https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/the-virgin-river-narrows/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Wall-Street-Vertical-web.jpg Wall Street Section of Virgin River Narrows I have had my eye on this image since 2002 when I first encountered it. On that trip the light faded before my eyes on the canyon wall as I approached the area. Two years ago I returned, but my companions felt we should turn back earlier in the day. Finally, in Autumn 2009 I was in the park alone and conditions were perfect with a soft cloud cover that reduced contrast and allowed me to highlight the natural color of the sandstone walls. Wall Street, as this section of the narrows is called, is a very intimate section of the narrows where the canyon is a scant 20 feet across in some areas. The rim of the canyon is completely out of sight over a thousand feet overhead. This is an otherworldly place of light, water, and stone, at times raging with flash floods and at times such as this, a gentle wilderness of beautiful colors - like being in the womb of the earth. Zion National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/the-subway-pools-zion/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Subway-Pools-web.jpg Subway Pools In the northwest portion of Zion National park, in an area known as the Kolob Terraces are fantastic canyons that few visitors see. Just getting to Subway Falls requires about five miles of sometimes walking, wading and making your way up the left fork of North Creek. As you progress, the canyon becomes more and more narrow and interesting. Subway Falls guards the entrance to "The Subway," an almost round slot canyon that requires swimming and rappelling to negotiate its length. This is a wonderful place where the only sound is water running over sandstone, and sparrows high on the canyon walls. Zion National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/subway-slot-canyon/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/subway-Log-web.jpg El Camino de Agua "The Subway" is a mysterious and beautiful slot canyon in Zion National Park's Backcountry. Farther up canyon from my 2004 piece "Subway Pools" is a canyon that I have long wanted to complete. The entire day was brilliant with the approach traversing sandstone bowls and ridgetops before steeply descending into the canyon proper. Soon we donned wetsuits and climbing harnesses. All day was a fantastic adventure as the canyon formed a natural passage through the Navajo sandstone, here through deep cold pools and there rapelling down splashing waterfalls sparkling with light. This is the finest piece from the trip as late afternoon light flooded this brilliant section of stone architecture. Zion National Par, Utah https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/zion-subway-falls/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Subway-Falls-web.jpg Subway Falls In the northwest portion of Zion National Park, in an area known as the Kolob Terraces, are fantastic canyons that few visitors experience. Just getting to Subway Falls requires about five miles of walking and wading as you make your way up the left fork of North Creek. As you progress, the canyon becomes more and more narrow and interesting. Subway Falls guards the entrance to "The Subway", an almost round slot canyon that requires swimming and rappelling to negotiate its length from the top. This was my second visit to this location - this time a slight cloud cover helped lower contrast to make this photograph work. Zion National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/zion-subway-canyon/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/subway-entrance-web.jpg Subway Canyon Zional National Park, Utah https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/canyon-de-chelly-spider-rock/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/spider-rock-web.jpg Canyon de Chelly Canyon de Chelly has been occupied by the Anasazi and Navajo people since 1500 B.C. Spider Rock spire holds a great deal of importance to the Navajo people. Rising 750 feet from the canyon floor, the Navajo people believe that the spire is home to Spider Grandmother, the creator of the world. Legend has it that she spun a web, laced it with dew, and flung it into the sky creating the stars. I cannot imagine a better home in this silent place of red-tailed hawks, deep canyons and vast skies. Canyon de Chelly National Monument, AZ https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/antelope-canyon-passage/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/passage-web.jpg Passage, Antelope Canyon South of the Arizona-Utah border, the Navajo Nation stretches away for thousands of square miles. Much of the landscape appears to be little more than sagebrush covered hills and small sandstone cliffs. The true beauty of this area is also its greatest secret. Here, water has carved exquisite forms through solid sandstone. The Navajo call this place Tsé bighánílíní, "The place where water runs through rocks." This is the lower canyon where I made arrangments to spend several hours in the ethereal passage, winding down ladders, squeezing through narrow sections, and ultimately emerging on the far side. Antelope Canyon, Page, Arizona https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/mesa-arch-canyonlands/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/mesa-sunburst-web.jpg Mesa Arch Sunburst On a clear morning Mesa Arch glows for a few minutes as the sunrises to the east. This was my third attempt at this image. On my previous attempts a slight cloud layer was just enough to prevent the glow from happening. It was after the very first trip that I decided the image benefited from snow. At last on a cold (-10 degree) January morning in 2010 I was at the arch on a crystal clear morning for the very satisfying photograph. Canyonlands, National Park, Utah https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/antelope-canyon/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/lightfall-web.jpg Lightfall in Antelope Canyon South of the Arizona-Utah border, the Navajo Nation stretches away for thousands of square miles. Much of the landscape appears to be little more than sagebrush covered hills and small sandstone cliffs. The true beauty of this area is also its greatest secret. Here, water has carved exquisite forms through solid sandstone. The Navajo call this place Tsé bighánílíní, "The place where water runs through rocks." My Navajo guide was fantastic, and when this shaft of light began appearing before me, I felt as though I was witnessing something otherworldly. I am counting the days before I can return to this place. Antelope Canyon, Arizona https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/delicate-arch-arches-utah/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Delicate-Arch-web.jpg Delicate Arch As I traveled toward Arches National Park, thunder cracked and lightning flashed while rain pelted the landscape. It was one of those all or nothing days that typify fine landscape photography. I sat in the truck for hours listening to an audiobook while the storm roared through the afternoon, watching would-be hikers run back to their cars soaked. At last it looked like the storm was letting up, so off I went through a gentle rain. On the way up, lightning and thunder cracked again, and I took cover under a scant juniper in a torrential downpour. At last I made it up to Delicate Arch as the storm was breaking and had this icon of the American west all to myself for 2 hours. The light dropped below the clouds and I was able to make this satisfying image. Arches National Park, Utah https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/chaco-new-mexico/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/chaco-web.jpg Pueblo Bonito Built over a thousand years ago, and occupied for 300 years, Pueblo Bonito is one of the "Great Houses" of the ancestral Puebloans of what is now New Mexico. There is petroglyph evidence that the original occupants were aware of and interested in the solar and lunar cycles in the orientation of the building and its rooms. I was fascinated by the passages and the mysteries they held. Who lived here? What were their lives like? Chaco Culture National Historic Park, New Mexico https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/bryce-canyon/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/bryce-web.jpg Bryce Canyon I had spent almost the entire previous day walking the rim of Bryce Canyon looking for a morning composition. Sunrise in Bryce is by far the best time of the day as the park is situated on a ridge and faces southeast Hoodoos and spires become backlit by the morning sun. The whole place takes on a glowing quality, and one feels as though they are in an ampitheatre of light. Try to find the pine tree growing on top of one of the Hoodoo spires! Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/spring-aspens/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/spring-aspens-web.jpg Spring Quaking Aspens No place is more dear to my heart than the Eastern Sierra. Like many places in the desert, what seems harsh and inhospitable from a distance, gives way to lush canyons and tumbling creeks on closer inspection. Lee Vining Canyon is such a place. The canyon is the main route into the Tuolumne section of Yosemite National Park, but for the most part, the road completely avoids it by skirting to the north side. This place is a masterpiece of glacial design, filled with shimmering Aspens and bordered by craggy alpine peaks. Mono Basin, California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/southfork/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Southfork-web.jpg Southfork Aspens The autumn of 2003 had the most amazing colors that I have experienced in decades of photographing the Eastern Sierra. Brilliant oranges and reds were everywhere. I spent an entire afternoon scouting this aspen forest with the view camera until I found this composition. I liked it so much I spent the next four hours waiting for the right light. Eastern Sierra, California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/lake-sabrina/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/sabrina-web.jpg Lake Sabrina Reflections The Autumn of 2003 had the most amazing colors that I have experienced in years of photographing the Eastern Sierra. Brilliant oranges and reds were everywhere. I waited three days for the wind to stop blowing in the morning to make this composition at Lake Sabrina. Lake Sabrina, California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/petroglyphs/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Petroglyphs-web.jpg Petroglyphs in the Eastern Sierra I have been looking for this particular tablet for years. It is easy to imagine sitting on this rock thousands of years ago as the sun rose on the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I was in awe in the silence of the setting as I imagined the rock passing through thousands of storms. Eastern Sierra https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/north-lake/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/North-Lake-Piute-web.jpg Autumn, North Lake and the Piute Crags North Lake, California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/mono-afterglow/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/mono-afterglow-web.jpg Mono Lake Afterglow On perfectly still evenings about a half hour after the sun has gone down a wonderful glow is created on the surface of Mono Lake. Walking through cold ankle deep mud and waiting for the light to come up was well worth the effort for this photograph. Mono Lake, California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/forest-floor/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/forest-floor-web.jpg Aspen Leaves on the Forest Floor Parker Creek is one of the least known and most outstanding canyons in the Eastern Sierra. Situated near Mono Lake, the creek tumbles and splashes its way down the escarpment of the Sierra Nevada through one of the most outstanding forests of Aspens anywhere. A strong breeze was blowing on this chilly autumn day, and my hopes of making a sharp quaking aspen tree image were waning - until I noticed the color of the freshly fallen leaves were compelling. I am anticipating this autumn when I will try for the same concept, but photograph the leaves as they decay over time. Mono Basin https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/backlit-willows/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Backlit-willows-web.jpg Morning Light, Great Basin Sagebrush, Cottonwoods, and Willows Owens Valley, CA https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/yellowstone-falls/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/yellowstone-falls-web.jpg Yellowstone Falls As soon as we arrived in Yellowstone National Park an early season storm rolled in and it began to snow in earnest. Although any thoughts of sunny autumn day spent hiking through the backcountry slipped away, the park took on a primeval look. I had prescouted this location along the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Upper Falls, Yellowstone national Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/sunrise-whitney/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/whitney-web.jpg Sunrise on Mount Whitney from Iceberg Lake I was pretty stoked to make it up to Iceberg Lake below Mt. Whitney before all the 2020 lightning fires started. What a marvelous walk up to this fantastic location. Always interesting, the Whitney region is not only the continental United States' highest point at 14,500 feet, it's one of the most beautiful as well. The route up - calling it a trail stretches the definition - it doesn't waste any time, and offers an ever changing look at the Alpine world. Upon reaching Iceberg Lake at over 12,000' I was so close to the sheer east face of Whitney that I had to use a 12mm lens to get it all in. Iceberg lake is so clear it feels transparent. Mount Whitney https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/mount-whinteycrest/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/whitney-tele-web.jpg Mt. Whitney and the Whitney Crest Mount Whitney and the Whitney Crest glow under a warm sunrise, the pinnacles to the left are the Keeler Needle, Crooks Peak and Mount Muir. This piece was made by joining several vertical images together to create an extremely sharp image of the highest point in the continental United States. John Muir Wilderness https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/white-mountains/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Whites-smoky-glow-web.jpg Smoky Sunset over the White Mountains White Mountains, California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/lorain-lake/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Moraine-Lake-web.jpg Moraine Lake As we walked up to Moraine Lake, I said, "No one is going to believe that I didn't enhance these colors." The blue of the lake seems unreal and is caused from the refraction of light off the rock flour that is deposited in the lake from glaciers high in the Canadian Rockies. Banff National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/maroon-bells/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Maroon-Bells-web.jpg Maroon Bells For days it rained and rained in Aspen, Colorado. Along with the rain came heavy gusty wind that was stripping the Aspen trees of their leaves. I could only sit back and watch as it was looking like the opportunity was dwindling to make a good photograph. When the trailing edge of the storm moved over the Maroon Bells Crest however, it made up for all the waiting. What I love about this photograph is the clouds reflected on the surface of the lake filling the water with light. Colorado https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/lake-ediza/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Ediza-Web.jpg Sunrise on the Minarets from Lake Ediza. When you wake up at Ediza you feel as though you can reach out and touch the Minarets, so close are they. The Minarets comprise a subrange of jagged imposing pinnacles and spires in the Mammoth Lakes Sierra. There is truly no easy way to the top of these, and they have a well deserved reputation for loose rock! Ediza is perfectly positioned to be a reflection pool for the Minarets. There are 2 more lakes - Iceberg and Cecile - that are even closer. I would like to see them with a fresh dusting of snow in a clearing storm. Ansel Adams Wilderness https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/columbine-lake/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/columbine-sunset-web.jpg Columbine Lake Sunset Lying on the east side of rough and difficult Sawtooth Pass, Columbine Lake is almost 11,000 feet above sea level. This piece offers a glimpse into some of the most remote areas of the Sierra Nevada. Columbine is nestled on all sides by high alpine peaks. To the north, the lakes outlet drops in a series of falls to a line of lakes one on top of the other. This is most certainly a place I am looking forward to returning to. Sequoia National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/burney-falls/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/burney-falls-web.jpg McAuthur Burney Falls Traveling south from Washington State in Spring 2010, I decided to avoid the I-5 corridor, and take the road less traveled down Northern California's Modoc Plateau. I wanted to visit McArthur Burney Falls, a very special place for me as it was one of the first places I photographed back in 1990 following the hiking accident that led to my interest in photography. It felt surreal to be back - like finishing a giant circle that began over 20 years ago. It was appropriate then that I was testing a cutting edge technique with very modern equipment. This photograph was made with a tilt-shift lens mounted to a modern digital camera. This lens has many of the same movements as my 4x5 camera. Burney looked exactly as I remembered - a misty primeval place deep gray blue and green looking like it could have existed millions of years ago. Shasta Count, California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/bristlecone/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/bristlecone-web.jpg Sentinel to the Sky Few things cause me to ponder time and life more than ancient bristlecone pines. At 5,000 years, they are the earth's oldest living things. They thrive despite battling some of the harshest living conditions on earth. Battered by fierce winter gales and growing in thin rocky soil on exposed ridge tops, they become more beautiful with age. This ancient is on a windswept ridge at 11,000 feet in California's White Mountains. White Mountains, California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/thousand-island-lake/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/1000islandweb.jpg Sunset, Thousand Island Lake, Ansel Adams Wilderness In late July 2020 Kristen and I walked up to Thousand Island Lake in the phenomenal Ansel Adams Wilderness. As we progressed from fragrant Sagebrush and Junipers of the Eastern slope, to the heart of the Sierra Nevada, we felt as though every step was taking us to a different world. When we rounded a corner on the John Muir Trail and the first glimpses of Thousand Island Lake came into view, it was so beautiful it was surreal. Banner Peak soars over 3000 feet above the basin and makes a sublime back drop to Thousand Island Lake. Ansel Adams Wilderness https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/bachelor-graces/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/bachelor3grace-web.jpg The Bachelor and Three Graces The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias takes my imagination to a different time of long, long ago. It is easy to imagine a dinosaur walking through this primeval and ancient forest. My favorite time here is early in the morning when then is quiet but for the songbirds and breeze sighing through the trees. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/half-dome-watkins/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Watkins-web.jpg Half Dome from the Summit of Mount Watkins The north rim of Tenaya Canyon is one of the most unusual locations in the park. The granite rim has been sculpted into a series of water pockets and beautiful undulating forms. This is a great perspective to gain a sense of the gracefully sublime presence of the "Quarter Domes", the first formation past Half Dome. I love these parts of the park that are always quiet and serene. I spent the entire afternoon watching the breaking storm cast fleeting shadows on the domes while Cliff Sparrows swooped. The silence was deafening. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/quarter-dome/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Quarter-Dome-web.jpg Quarter Domes and Half Dome The north rim of Tenaya Canyon is one of the most unusual locations in the park. The granite rim has been sculpted into a series of water pockets and beautiful undulating forms. This is a great perspective to gain a sense of the gracefully sublime presence of the "Quarter Domes", the first formation past Half Dome. I love these parts of the park that are always quiet and serene. I spent the entire afternoon watching the breaking storm cast fleeting shadows on the domes while Cliff Sparrows swooped. The silence was deafening. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/northwest-face/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Northwest-web.jpg The Northwest Face of Half Dome On the southern shoulder of Half Dome, a blade of granite known as "The Diving Board" projects wildly out into space, 3500 feet above the Valley floor. This is one of the most sublime views on earth, with the whole of the massive northwest face of Half Dome soaring into the sky directly in front of you. The perspective is perfect; the angle affords the viewer a complete view of the width and breadth of the northwest face, while the Jeffrey Pines growing along the base completes the sense of scale. The photograph and accompanying short film took 6 trips in July and August 2006 waiting for clouds to add depth to the sky while not obscuring the clean early evening light. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/storm-over-tuolumne/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/lembertblueweb.jpg Thunder Storm over Tuolumne Meadows Right before making this photograph, I was huddled under a Foxtail Pine waiting out a wild hailstorm. The camera was already set up covered in my Patagonia jacket. It was a bit disconcerting watching the camera get pounded by hail, but when I unzipped the jacket my 4x5 was bone dry. I love the cool summer storm feeling of this photograph. It reminds me of the aroma of the Sierra Nevada Mountains after an intense storm. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/juniper-tenaya-lake/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/juniper-tenaya-web.jpg Juniper and Tenaya Lake One of my favorite pastimes in Yosemite is to wander along the crest of domes in Tuolumne. The ancient junipers that are rooted in seemingly solid granite each have their own story to tell. They seem to be the guardians of the High Sierra, watching thousands of storms pass, seasons come and go, always enduring and resolute, made more beautiful and compelling through hardship. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/hoffman/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Hoffman-web.jpg Yosemite Sierra from Mt. Hoffman Mt. Hoffman lies in the geographic center of Yosemite National Park. One fall evening in 2002, I carried the camera to the top of this peak. This is a truly outstanding summit with extensive views into the Yosemite Wilderness Backcountry. As I waited, the evening colors became vivid and intense. This ridge faces southeast, and offers a seldom seen perspective of the Tuolumne domes and Sierra crest. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/yosemite-falls-flooded-meadow/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Yosemite-Falls-spring-web.jpg Yosemite Falls and Flooded Meadow This is one of my favorite Valley locations on Swinging Bridge. I have never seen this much water in the channel! Mornings are wonderful in Yosemite. The valley is like a grand music hall, with songbirds and the murmering river as the musicians. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/half-dome-flooded-meadow/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/spring-half-dome-web.jpg Half Dome and Flooded Meadow Following the epic winter of 2017, every meadow in Yosemite Valley has experienced flooding. This is Ahwahnee Meadow, directly behind the Hotel. I waded up to my knees and watched as warm evening light turned a mild spring storm gold as the sun went down. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/light-of-the-heart/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/snowy-heart-light-web.jpg Light of the Heart, El Capitan Following a snowstorm, Yosemite Valley gives the impression that it is quiet and empty. There is very little traffic and a hush seems to fall over the Valley. I have always liked the juxtaposition of the Black Oaks and the wall of El Capitan - following the storm, the branches became etched with snow providing even more definition. When a soft glow illuminated Heart Ledge it exceeded my expectations and I was able to make this very special photograph. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/bridalveil-redbud/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Redbud-Bridalveil-Web.jpg Bridalveil and Redbud Spring is in full bloom in the park and the color has been as tremendous as the waterfalls this year. I love the color of the Redbud in the foreground - it personifies the valley in bloom, and is the perfect foreground for the heavy runoff of Bridalveil Fall. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/rainbow-over-yosemite/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/rainbow-gates-web.jpg Rainbow over Yosemite Valley On the day that Yosemite National Park celebrated its 125th anniversary in the autumn of 2015, Kristen and I found ourselves enjoying a fall storm while walking around the western edge of the Valley. Despite rain we stationed ourselves at the iconic view of the "Gates of the Valley". While rain poured on us, an outstanding rainbow formed right over El Capitan and Bridalveil Fall. Kristen did her best to keep the umbrella over me while I worked as quickly as possible. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/nevada-fall/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/nevada-fall-web.jpg Nevada Fall and Liberty Cap As a spring storm moves into the Sierra Nevada, Nevada Fall is bathed with evening light. Liberty Cap and Mount Broderick glow serenely before the storm overtakes them too. For a few months in the spring, Nevada Fall and the Merced River are a raging cataclysm as the snowpack of winter storms gives way to longer and warmer days. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/spring-merced-river/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/merced-green-web.jpg Spring Morning on the Merced River Try this: on a clear spring day park at Fern Spring in the lower section of Yosemite National Park, walk back to the bridge over the Merced River and just look downstream. When the time is right, the whole river is a liquid green reflection of the trees on its banks. I chose a medium long exposure to sow the water down and let the reflected colors merge. The colors in nature astonish me, particularly in the mountains where the air is clean and there is nothing to mute the vibrancy. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/horsetail-2021/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Horsetail2021web.jpg Horsetail Fall 2021 This years Horsetail Fall (aka "The Firefall") was a special one for me. I've wanted to make a piece that put the phenomenon in context as part of the larger landscape with El Capitan. I had planned on a full week in the park working on this, but as luck would have it, the clouds cooperated on the afternoon we first rolled into the valley. I scrambled up avalanche debris on the south side of Yosemite to make this memorable piece. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/dogwoods/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Dogwoods-on-dark-water-web.jpg Dogwoods on Dark Water I had spent all day making photographs of the Dogwood bloom along the Merced River, but did not expect this wonderful painterly light that happened in the late afternoon. For a moment the river was full of specular highlights, yet the water was the deepest gray blue - while the blooms were gloriously backlit. The piece has rhythm and movement. It's a quality of light I certainly hope to see again. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/horsetail-2016/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Horsetail-2016-web.jpg Horsetail Fall 2016 On the far eastern side of El Capitan is an ephemeral waterfall known as Horsetail Fall. Most of the time you have to really know where to look, with binoculars, to even catch a glimpse of Horsetail's delicate gossamer cascade. However, for one week a year, if the stars align and various elements come together, Horsetail Fall glows from a seemingly impossible beam of light from the setting sun. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/half-dome-drifting-clouds/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Half-Dome-Drifting-clouds-web.jpg Half Dome and Drifting Clouds In January 2017 Yosemite Valley was anticipating a major flood event. Temperatures were predicted to rise following heavy snowfall, with rain falling at high elevation. I stayed in the valley, hoping to witness a once in a lifetime event. On the eve of the rain moving in, I waited for the approaching storm in Awahnee Meadow. I really thought this piece was not going to happen because Half Dome was simply too obscured by clouds. The clouds split at the perfect moment, fresh snow etched the northwest face of Half Dome, and all was framed in warm evening light. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/yosemite-valley-reflection/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/gates-valley-reflect-web.jpg Yosemite Valley Reflection On the day that Yosemite National Park celebrated its 125th anniversary in the autumn of 2015, Kristen and I found ourselves enjoying a fall storm while walking around the western edge of the Valley. Despite rain, we stationed ourselves at the iconic view of the "Gates of the Valley". While rain poured on us, an outstanding rainbow formed right over El Capitan and Bridalveil Falls. Kristen did her best to keep the umbrella over me while I worked as quickly as possible. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/merced-river-merced/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/El-Cap-Merced-web.jpg El Capitan and the Merced River Late one summer afternoon, I was leaving Yosemite Valley after spending a day hiking. Some clouds had moved in, and the classic photograph of El Capitan from the gates of the valley looked like it might be good. A few photographers were already waiting for evening light when I arrived. The quality of that light exceeded all my expectations -- I decided to wade across the Merced River for a composition that is not made as often. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/ansel-elm-cooks-meadow/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Ansel-Tree-web.jpg Winter Morning Elm, Cook's Meadow Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/horsetail-2017/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Horsetail2017-web.jpg Horsetail Fall 2017 Every year I look forward to photographing the phenomenon of last light on Horsetail Fall. There is always an element of luck involved. The waterfall only drains about 300 acres so if it has been a dry winter, it will not happen. If it is too cold then there won't be enough snowmelt. The winter of 2017 had it all. It was warm, wet, with copious amounts of snow, and had more water flowing than I had ever seen before. It was a windy evening and the light was glorious as it caught the spray blowing back over the rim. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/grizzly-giant/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/grizzly-giant-snowy-web.jpg The Grizzly Giant In early January 2020 we got hit with major snowstorms. Photographing the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias in the snow has been on top of my list for some time. I skied up at about 5 in the morning and was very surprised to see that mine were the only tracks. Entering the Grove was indescribable. A fresh blanket of snow covered everything, and I was alone among the Giant Sequoias. I stayed with the Grizzly Giant for quite a while, listening to songbirds and the breeze sigh through the forest. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/eichorn-pinnacle/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Eichorn-Web.jpg Eichorn Pinnacle at Dusk On the evening that I had made my "Alpenglow over the Cathedral Range", my original intention had been to photograph Eichorn Pinnacle, the western summit of Cathedral Peak. I was stopped in my tracks by the Alpenglow happening to the south, and did not reach the vantage point for Eichorn Pinnacle until after the sun had dropped below the horizon. My timing could not have been better. The spire subtly glowed in a last trace of light, while lower Cathedral reposes in dusky twilight. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/dana-lenticular-clouds/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Dana-Lenticular-web.jpg Lenticular Clouds over the Dana Crest Like something out of a sci-fi movie, Lenticular clouds or "The Sierra Wave" as they are called, form a dramatic cap for Mts. Dana and Gibbs near Tioga Pass. Sierra Waves form as winds hit the Sierra Nevada and are forced to rise, causing water vapor to condense as it cools and forming lenticular clouds on the leeward side of the mountain range. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/cathedral-peak/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Cathedral-web.jpg Cathedral Peak and Upper Cathedral Lake At the southern end of Upper Cathedral Lake, granite slabs rise dramatically forming the north ridge of Tresidder Peak. In late summer 2002, I scrambled up these slabs with the intention of making a photograph that conveyed the sense of wilderness I feel for this location. The sweeping slab of glacially polished granite that ends in Upper Cathedral Lake creates the perfect foreground for Cathedral Peak. Sublime and imposing, Cathedral reaches its lofty summit to yet another of the uncountable pacific storms that have swept across the "Range of Light" for millennia. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/precipice-lake-web/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Precipice-website-.jpg Precipice Lake Precipice Lake lies deep in the interior of Sequoia National Park below the Great Western Divide. Positioned as it is in a harsh, high altitude basin, Precipice gives the impression of a deep green emerald set in ice sculpted granite. This was an afternoon of rumbling thunder, gentle rain and intermittent light. I love the combination of strong gray and orange granite with the otherworldly granite shapes under the clear deep water. Sequoia National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/tyee-creek-aspens/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Tyee-Web.jpg Aspens on the South Fork of Bishop Creek The Autumn of 2003 had the most amazing colors that I have experienced in decades of photographing the Eastern Sierra. Brilliant oranges and reds were everywhere. This composition was right off the South Lake road. I had to gingerly crawl on top of the shell of my truck to clear the brush in the foreground. Eastern Sierra California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/big-sur-horizontal/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Big-Sure-Horizontal-web.jpg Clearing Storm over Big Sur As one winds their way south on Highway 1 from Carmel, much of the view is blocked by dense stands of Monterey Cypress. Then, all at once, the trees end and one of the most sublime vistas on earth unfolds before you. Henry Miller said: "Big Sur is the California men dreamed of years ago." On this evening this was the light I had been dreaming of for some time, and all the poison oak I got from making this photograph was well worth it. Garrapata Headlands State Park California https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/canyon-light/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Merced-canyon-light-web.jpg Canyon Light on the Merced River Where the Merced River exits the park, nature has carved out an immensely deep canyon. As morning light moves down the canyon in the morning, the Merced River will pick up the glow, resulting in a "River of Light" in the otherwise still shady valley floor. The Merced River is so incredibly beautiful as it winds its way west, that I sometimes think it should have been included in the National Park. But there is something to be said for how quiet and peaceful it is here as it is now. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/manarola/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Manarola-Web.jpg The Village of Manarola Kristen and I had been on Italy's Cinque Terre Coast for couple of weeks making new work. We enjoyed hiking among ancient vineyards and fortifying ourselves with local wine. Manarola was perhaps our favourite. The owner of the Villa we rented invited us to his wine making cellar where he showed us pictures of his grandfather making wine, and the barrel he stomped grapes up to his neck in as a boy. The Cinque Terre, Italy. https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/california-sunrise/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Golden-Oak-Web.jpg California Sunrise My wife Kristen and I often talk about how much we would like to build a Spanish style home in the rolling oak woodland of the Sierra Nevada Foothills. For me this is quintessential California: Golden and warm, filled with the music of songbirds, a landscape that seems to evoke the gracious and laid back lifestyle of our Golden State. Central California Foothills https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/wall-street-narrows/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/wall-street-web.jpg The Wall Street Narrows I have had my eye on this image since 2002 when I first encountered it. On that trip the light faded before my eyes on the canyon wall as I approached the area. Two years ago I returned, but my companions felt we should turn back earlier in the day. Finally, in Autumn 2009 I was in the park alone and conditions were perfect with a soft cloud cover that reduced contrast and allowed me to highlight the natural color of the sandstone walls. Wall Street, as this section of the narrows is called, is a very intimate section of the narrows where the canyon is a scant 20 feet across in some areas. The rim of the canyon is completely out of sight over a thousand feet overhead. This is an otherworldly place of light, water, and stone, at times raging with flash floods and at times such as this, a gentle wilderness of beautiful colors - like being in the womb of the earth. Zion National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/yose-falls-sentinel/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Yosemite-Falls-Sentinel-Web.jpg Yosemite Falls from Sentinel Dome The top of Sentinel Dome is one of the most outstanding perspectives in the park. Nowhere else in Yosemite is the view this complete; to the west is the east buttress of El Capitan, directly north is the entirety of upper and lower Yosemite Falls, with the inner gorge connecting the two. To the east is mesmerizing half Dome guarding the "celestial wall" of the Range of Light. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/vernal-fall-summer-2/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Vernal-High-Flow-web.jpg Vernal Fall Everything in this image was being impacted by the waterfall and the river. The air was so full of spray that I was soaked in seconds. The air blast coming off the fall was tremendous, shaking trees and providing a sense that everything was alive and pulsing to the beat of the river. This image was extremely difficult to make! First I tried farther upstream with the idea to photograph streamers of light over the fall as the sun came up. After discovering that the soles of my new shoes had the traction of roller skates on wet granite, I stayed in position, getting soaked with spray for a long time. At last the sun came up and instantly turned the river into one blinding mass of spray. I moved farther downstream where the spray was more manageable, but the air blast coming off the fall was making sharp images difficult. This is the sharpest photograph of the set, but I am looking forward to returning through the summer as the sun moves farther north and the light does interesting things on Vernal Fall. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/vernal-fall-summer/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/vernal-falls-web.jpg Vernal Fall, Summer Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/mammatus-clouds/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Tunnel-View-Mammatus-Web.jpg Mammatus Clouds over Yosemite Valley All afternoon before I made this photograph the valley reverberated with thunder, lightning and rain. As I sat in the truck at Tunnel View, the rain abated for a while and the overlook filled with people. Suddenly the heavens opened up and sheets of rain came down. After watching people run for their cars I found myself almost alone at Tunnel View. A rare occurrence to be sure. 30 minutes later light began to glow serenely on leaning Tower. I made some images, but a few minutes later the real show started. Surreal Mammatus clouds filled the park and I was able to make this very satisfying image. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/taft-horsetail/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Taft-Horsetail-Web.jpg Winter Light on Horsetail Fall from Taft Point Winter Light on Horsetail Fall And El Capitan, Taken from Taft Point, Yosemite. Following making Horsetail Fall on the Merced River, I wanted to photograph the phenomenon from a wilder, lonelier perspective. I should have been careful what I wished for. I skied 22 miles on one of the coldest days of the year. I got out after midnight exhausted, cold and with blistered feet. I love the result, though, and hope you do as well. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/stormy-gates/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/stormy-gates-Website.jpg Evening Glow at the Gates of the Valley Gates of the Valley is one of my favorite places in Yosemite. I enjoy reflecting on the knowledge that this view has remained essentially unchanged for thousands of years. Come sit here on a quiet morning or evening. Bridalveil Fall slips over its granite precipice, the Merced River flows by on its westward journey, and a storm passes overhead. This evening was one of the most extraordinary processions of storm and light I have ever seen in Yosemite. First a strong double rainbow appeared followed by beautiful silvery light and reflections. The finale was this incredible moment of alpenglow and wild breaking storm. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/stanford-bridalveil/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Stanford-Point-web.jpg Bridalveil Falls from Stanford Point I got the idea for shooting Stanford Point on a day hike with Kristen last Autumn. We made some time for a quick overnight trip earlier in June 2020 and I was fortunate to have some lovely clouds form right at sunset. Hiking back to our camp I heard someone going "yoooohooooo" in a singsongy voice. What the-? As I got closer to camp there was the sound of Sia playing over a radio. "Great" I thought. "Just what I want is some joker playing a radio in the wilderness." By the time I got back to the tent it was completely dark, apparently the dance music was coming from our tent?! Turns out a bear had come walking very loudly right up to the tent, and Kristen, in a very Kristen way, had wanted me back asap but did not want to alarm me, so she yelled yooooohooo. I didn't work - I sauntered back enjoying the evening. She played the dance music to scare the bear off. I kinda thought the bear probably heard it and came looking for the party, but who knows? Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/evening-view-sierras/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Sentinel-Near-View-web.jpg An Evening View in the Sierras The top of Sentinel Dome is simply the most commanding and wonderful view in Yosemite National Park. Nowhere else can one experience all of the grand Yosemite formations in one place. Turn west and El Capitan rises 3000 feet from the valley floor. North, Yosemite Falls, all of Yosemite Falls, from the lower falls through the inner gorge and up to the thundering upper falls and beyond, comes into view. Then, turn east and face the direction you've just scrambled up. Here is one of the most sublime spectacles on Earth. Half Dome rises an unbelievable 4700 feet from the valley floor, and that is just the beginning. The Sierra Crest rises in the background, as Muir once put it, like a "celestial wall of light." On this evening a spring storm swept through the park - the sun peeking out for a moment to illuminate the undersides of the clouds. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/glacier-point-sunset/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Half-Dome-Alpenglow-web.jpg Glacier Point Sunset I had attempted this photograph several times for the right combination of storm and light. On more than one occasion the park service temporarily closed the road due to snow. On others, the light simply never materialized or the weather was uninteresting. At last in late autumn 2007 a scant few days before a major storm closed the road I was able to make this satisfying image. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/summer-storm/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Glacier-Point-Storm-Web.jpg Summer Storm over Half Dome and the High Sierra This was one of the strangest days I have experienced in Yosemite. The storm that was moving through the region was out of the south, warm and releasing a lot of rain. Somewhere in the upper reaches of the Merced River it must have triggered a landslide because for a few minutes the waterfalls turned brown from the silt load they were carrying. The light was some of the wildest and most beautiful I've seen over the Yosemite backcountry. In my ongoing quest to create original work far from throngs of other photographers, this piece was made by walking down the Panorama Trail until I turned east and headed cross country to find this outstanding perspective of the Merced River Canyon and Little Yosemite Valley. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/el-cap-dewey/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/El-Cap-Dewey-Website.jpg El Capitan from Dewey Point I first envisioned this photograph on a summer hike of the south rim of Yosemite Valley. The composition struck me at once as an opportunity to photograph El Capitan in the larger context of the Yosemite Wilderness. I wanted to make an image that portrayed two worlds -- the pastoral valley floor, and the wild snowy highlands. After several trips on skis to Dewey Point, I realized the final version on New Years Eve, 2002. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/photo/yosemite-valley-twilight/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/images/xl/Valley-Twilight-Website.jpg Yosemite Valley Twilight On a spring afternoon in April the forecasted high in Yosemite was about 65º degrees. Much to my surprise a very localized weather system rolled into the Valley and began to snow. After a long cold wait something magical began to happen. The clouds were settling onto the floor of the Valley... I was watching the strongest image I had ever seen unfold before my eyes. The light was failing fast as I counted down a sixty second exposure out loud. By the end of the exposure, it was so much darker that I decided to add some time and I was able to make this very satisfying and dramatic image - my signature piece. Photo © copyright by Michael Ambrose. Yosemite National Park https://www.michaelambrose.com/news/ https://www.michaelambrose.com/contact/