Yosemite's Celestial Spectacle: A Single Exposure of Bridalveil Falls

Photographing the night sky in Yosemite National Park presented a unique set of challenges, primarily due to the towering cliffs that define its breathtaking landscape. These natural giants often dictate compositions that force you to shoot nearly straight up, making it a complex task to effectively frame the majestic Milky Way.

Despite these hurdles, I managed to capture a striking single-exposure image of Bridalveil Falls, a moment I'm thrilled to share.

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Visiting late in the season meant that the usual torrent of snowmelt had subsided, leaving Bridalveil Falls as a gentle cascade. However, the reduced flow was just enough to make the falls recognizable beneath a sky awash with stars. This shot is a testament to the beauty that can be found even when nature dictates a more subdued spectacle.

This particular image was achieved with a single, untracked exposure, a technique I've been increasingly drawn to for its immediacy and the raw beauty it preserves. The settings used were: f/2.0, a 20-second exposure, and an ISO of 3200, all captured with my astro-modified Sony A7iii and a Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM lens.

The process of shooting in such a location is always rewarding, and Yosemite certainly provided a memorable backdrop for this celestial endeavor.

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