Yosemite Firefall 2016

As we approach the time of year when an annual phenomenon known as Firefall occurs in Yosemite, some friends asked me about my experience last year.

Sony a7r A-mount Tamron 150-600mm f/5-6.3 SSM with LA-EA3 adapter
@400mm f/8 1/25s ISO100

Due to the extreme drought in California the previous years, the phenomenon did not occur since snow did not form on the top of El Capitan, and hence Horsetail Fall had no flowing water.  Then in mid February 2016, all major news outlets reported striking images of the Firefall.  I decided to take a day trip on Sunday, February 21, the last weekend when it can be viewed.

The forecast predicted a sunny day, so I left my Bay Area home before 8AM with excitement, hauling a bagful of photography gear.  I also packed bread, snack, and water to last me a whole day.  After a 4-hour solo drive, I arrived at a site on Southside Drive just before noon, where there were many cars already parked on the roadside.  I parked behind them, which was a short 5 minute walk down the bank of Merced river.

Viewing location, map source from this web page

Even though the show was 5 hours away, the front row spots along the river bank were almost all claimed.  Some people put their tripods with no camera just to claim a spot.  I quickly claimed the next spot on the river bank, almost the leftmost spot, before the waterfall was partially blocked by a tree.  At this location, I set my Sony a7rii with Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 to take individual shots.

Front row at Merced River bank

Yosemite Falls looking east from river bank

There were also tripods set up on a small slope behind the riverbank, so I set up my second tripod there to take a timelapse with my Sony a7r with an A-mount Tamron 150-600mm, attached with LA-EA3 adapter.

Tripods set on the slope, many with no camera

View from the slope, I had to ask people around me where to look for the waterfall

I spent the next 5 hours mingling with people there, occasionally taking photos of the surrounding.

Among the people that I chatted with, there was a fellow co-worker were we asked about work, a few Sony camera users whom we shared our experiences, and a few dedicated photographers who traveled around the country chasing these natural phenomena.  A guy was there for the 3rd consecutive day, and described the joyous moment the day before, as the crowd broke into cheers and applause when the show was over.

Many folks came from other states like Oregon and Washington, all because of the amazing photos that appeared on the web the week before.  A professional videographer was documenting the event for PBS Nature.  He was handing out video release forms in case anyone wanted to be on TV.  He also asked people around him not to use swear words during the event, so he wouldn't need to beep the sound out.

My Sony camera at bottom of photo.  Notice the guy on the right with a huge camera behind the long white lens.  He is a videographer for PBS Nature.

As time went by, the crowd grew larger and larger, and the noise level grew also.  I overheard a group of young Chinese folks who came down because they saw the large crowd but didn't know what was going on.  I had to explain to them in Mandarin what we were waiting for.

Crowd around 1pm

Around 2:30pm

 Around 4pm

Since I went there alone, I faced one problem.  There were no public restrooms in the area, and there was no way I can hold it for the whole day.  People told me to just cross the road and go behind the trees.  As I was crossing the street, I saw another person coming out of the woods, and he pointed where to get to the best spot!

Relief trees

Just before 5pm, a shadow started casting on left edge of El Capitan, and a visible circle of glow appears on the mountain side.  However, there were some low clouds near the horizon that threatened the show.

Horsetail Fall glow around 5pm

As the minutes went by, the circle of light became narrower.  The crowd noise gradually went down to a hush, while the camera clicking sounds increased to a rapid fire.

Progression of light circle from 4:48pm to 5:13pm

Before the light became a single line of fire, the whole waterfall dimmed.  It seems the sun has set beyond the far clouds.  Many people were waiting hopefully for a final glow, but the skies are turning dark quickly.  I continued shooting individual photos, and my timelapse was still firing away.

There were no cheers nor applause, but voices of disappointment that the scene was not as spectacular as the photos online, nor the day before.

When I processed the timelapse at home, I notice a final glow at the end of the video (around 5:47pm), something that was not noticeable when we were there.  Not spectacular, but definitely not shabby either.  This second glow was also reported here on the web, and it seems to be due to some temporary blockage of sunlight.  I will definitely look for it if I go up again.

Firefall timelapse from 5:19pm to 5:56pm

Here is a post-processed photo around 5:38pm before the final glow.  The actual glow is much dimmer than this photo.

Yosemite Firefall @5.48pm
Sony a7rii 70-200mm @200mm f/11, from 0.5s-1/30s 5 image HDR-merge

While cars were rushing out of Yosemite after 6pm, I stayed behind for an hour taking some photos in the valley before heading back home.

Yosemite Falls at 6:15pm
Sony a7rii 16-35mm FE @29mm f/11 30s ISO400

Half Dome at 6:40pm
Sony a7rii 16-35mm FE @26mm f/8 30s ISO800

Four hours drive up, 5 wait, an hour and half of shooting, followed by 4 hour drive back.  What a day!