G Dan Mitchell Photography

Horsetail Fall – It’s That Time Again

Posted on 13 February 2011

As more and more people now seem to know, late February is the prime time for the appearance of the “natural fire fall” in Yosemite Valley, when the setting sun may strike Horsetail Fall near the east end of the face of El Capitan, and when viewed from the right angle create a striking light show. I do not plan to be there to photograph the event this year since I’ll likely be shooting somewhere else during the prime time for the fall… but that won’t stop me from writing about it!

(Photo: Horsetail Fall, Early Evening. Yosemite Valley, California. February 15, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.)

The spectacle of Horsetail Fall is now quite well known. The initial renown came after Galen Rowell produced a striking and now-famous photograph of it several decades ago. Eventually, the timing and location became more widely known, and others began to photograph it as well. (I read somewhere that several other well-known photographers made images of Horsetail decades earlier, but apparently no one “discovered” the special annual sunset light until Rowell shot it.) Since that time, and especially in the past few years, news of the phenomenon and information about when, where, and how to shoot it has become widespread – especially now that information travels so fast on the Internet.

Twice each year, the setting sun lines up just right so that it casts its final light directly on the location of this waterfall for a few weeks. If water was flowing here then, autumn could also be a fine time to shoot the sight, but it is the mid through late February time frame when all of the conditions may fall into place. The phenomenon is ephemeral and dependent on a series of conditions that must all occur at the right time. First, it must be during that short window of time when the setting sun strikes the location of the fall on the face of El Capitan. Second, the waterfall must be flowing. Typically this means that there has been a good amount of snow followed by a warm-up that melts enough of it to get the fall going, though a warm winter rain could accomplish the same thing. Third, the western horizon must be clear so that the sun’s light will not be obstructed as it sets. (Those who have tried to shoot the fall a few times may have experienced disappointment when a crescendo of light potential occurs late in the day… only to be suddenly switched off as the sun drops behind low clouds to the west.)

Ideally the photographer wants to be east of the waterfall, so that some light hits the fall more or less from behind. The idea is to pick up the glow of the backlit waterfall and the spray that surrounds it and to perhaps see some reflections from the water coating the cliffs. There are a number of potential shooting locations – including some that are rarely used. Without given GPS coordinates, I’ll just say to keep in mind that a) you want to be east of the fall and b) you need a relatively clear line of sight.

Having said all of this, be aware that it is going to be extremely difficult to get a photograph of Horsetail that hasn’t already been done. I’ve seen a few, including one by Michael Frye – but most roughly duplicate existing images. In some ways, I think that the experience of being there and seeing it, and of contemplating the fact that such a thing actually happens in a place that already contains as many marvels as we see in the Valley may be more rewarding than making another photograph of it. (However, as much as it may seem like “it has already been done” at Horsetail, I’m sure that someone is going to find a new and creative way to photograph it, or perhaps manage to be there when just the right extraordinary conditions occur and produce an image that stands apart.)

A downside to the experience is that the popularity of “bagging this shot” has taken off remarkably in the past few years. Yosemite Valley is obviously already a place where it is tempting to run from well known spot to well known spot trying to recreate the well known photographic images that others have produced there. (Ironically, those who take this approach often miss many, many less known subjects in the Valley that can be every bit as beautiful and rewarding.) With Horsetail, the rush of photographers is compressed into a very short time period and focused on a few (mostly only two!) very popular shooting locations. Those who shoot from them on prime evenings may arrive a few hours early… to find a crowd of photographers already set up for “the shot!”

I was fortunate a few years ago to have a nearly solitary experience photographing the fall. That winter Northside Drive was closed and all traffic was routed in and out of the Valley along Southside Drive. It had snowed, and one of the locations for photographing the fall was only accessible by hiking across the Valley in snow to Northside Drive and then walking a bit further in the snow to the place from which I shot. I walked over early and spent an hour or more shooting alone in the silent and snow-covered El Capitan meadow! Then, as sunset approached, I walked quietly to a place where I could see the fall and joined a small handful of fellow photographers waiting for the event. We weren’t disappointed.

That is the way I want to remember photographing Horsetail Fall.

(Some of my Horsetail photographs are found here.)

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