Milky Way Magic: A Yosemite Night Sky Spectacle
Photographing in Yosemite National Park is an experience like no other. The sheer scale of the granite cliffs that define the valley can be both awe-inspiring and, as I discovered, a bit of a photographic puzzle. When you're trying to capture the vastness of the Milky Way, those towering cliffs mean you're often looking almost straight up, making composition a real challenge.
Despite this, I think this shot of Bridalveil Falls came together beautifully.
A Gentle Flow and a Starry Sky
We visited late in the season, and the dramatic snowmelt that feeds Yosemite's famous waterfalls had largely subsided. Bridalveil Falls, usually a powerful cascade, had transformed into a gentle stream. Thankfully, there was just enough flow to make its iconic presence recognizable beneath a sky absolutely brimming with stars.
The Technical Details
Here's a peek at the gear and settings that made this shot possible:
- Camera: Sony A7iii (astro-modified)
- Lens: Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM
- Aperture: f/2.0
- Exposure: 20-second single exposure
- ISO: 3200
- Location: Bridalveil Falls, Yosemite National Park
One of the questions I often get is about the "astro-modified" aspect of the camera. Essentially, this involves modifying the camera's sensor to be more sensitive to the specific wavelengths of light emitted by nebulae, which are crucial for astrophotography. It makes a significant difference in capturing those faint details in the night sky.
Even with a 20-second exposure at f/2.0 and ISO 3200, the stars are remarkably sharp. There's a slight trailing if you zoom in extremely close, but when viewed at normal photographic sizes, the stars remain pinpricks of light, perfectly framing the natural wonder below. It's often a balancing act to get the exposure right without introducing too much star trailing.
If you'd like to see more of my adventures in capturing the cosmos, feel free to follow along on my Instagram:
