Shadow View

Tunnel View, Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California, USA

As a storm slowly cleared, revealing more of the valley, El Capitan poked out from the left. Shadows danced across the forested valley floor and Cathedral Rocks jutted out from the right. BridalVeil Fall roiled in rainbows as the low sun stuck the fall from directly behind me. In more than one hundred sunsets photographed from this spot, this was the second time a rainbow appeared. Near where Ansell Adams captured his famous photograph of the valley, the end of the tunnel from Wawona is a favorite of photographers and bus loads of tourists alike.

The expansive view was reduced to a three foot space over time by growing trees when this photograph was taken. Subsequently, the park service removed some of the trees to accommodate more people and more photographers. In the center of this view, Half Dome sits prominently, with the sheer glacial cut face turned toward the viewer.