Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.

This is the first afternoon/early evening I and several friends went to Yosemite to shoot the sun hitting Horsetail Fall. It looked promising earlier in the afternoon, but by half past 4pm things started to change when the clouds rolled into the valley blocking all the sunlight. It was moments after this that all the photographers lining the bank of the Merced River trying for the elusive shot started packing their gear, and talking about coming back the following day…if the weather looked promising.

This phenomonon of the sun hitting the fall in just the right place making it look like a fire fall happens only twice a year. In February, and October. February is the preferred month for photographers because there is often times water running down the fall that catches the light, and color.
When that happens it’s a magical sight.
During this year’s “window of oppotunity” we’ve had rain, and snow which have blocked the sun. Today was the first clear day we’ve had so we came up hoping we’d land the shot. Checking the weather forecast my friends and I decide we’ll come back again tomorrow for one last try for the shot.