Willie Huang Photo
Moonrise Tunnel View
Getting a full moonrise over Yosemite Valley had been on my bucket list but had eluded me for some time. My original plan for the day was to shoot the full moon rising over the Painted Ladies with the San Francisco skyline during blue hour. However, the forecasted clearing storm in Yosemite was too promising to pass up.
While shooting sunset at Tunnel View, I was so engulfed watching the epic conditions unfold I nearly forgot about the moonrise. Once the sunset show was over, all the photographers began chattering about the impending full moon rise.
Somehow, no one seemed to know where or when exactly the moonrise was to occur. Figuring that we had already driven 4 hours to Yosemite, Alan, Aaron, and I decided to wait it out. Twilight began kicking in and all of a sudden, the moon appeared on the horizon north of Cloud’s Rest. At that moment, the entire crowd of photographers flocked southward at the Tunnel View overlook.
Initially I focused on shooting the moon using my tele lens in hopes of getting a giant moon framed with Half Dome. However, the moon’s position had too much spread from Half Dome and the wider angle shot seemed more optimal. For my last shot, I threw on my 24-70 lens for a midrange shot with hopes of a light star from the moon. I really did not expect much out of the shot but was pleasantly surprised with the result. It was an evening worthy to remember: an epic sunset followed by a full moon rise over Yosemite Valley.
Popular Photography Magazine Your Best Shot finalist for January 2013.
Canon 5D Mark II
EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II
Moonrise Tunnel View
Getting a full moonrise over Yosemite Valley had been on my bucket list but had eluded me for some time. My original plan for the day was to shoot the full moon rising over the Painted Ladies with the San Francisco skyline during blue hour. However, the forecasted clearing storm in Yosemite was too promising to pass up.
While shooting sunset at Tunnel View, I was so engulfed watching the epic conditions unfold I nearly forgot about the moonrise. Once the sunset show was over, all the photographers began chattering about the impending full moon rise.
Somehow, no one seemed to know where or when exactly the moonrise was to occur. Figuring that we had already driven 4 hours to Yosemite, Alan, Aaron, and I decided to wait it out. Twilight began kicking in and all of a sudden, the moon appeared on the horizon north of Cloud’s Rest. At that moment, the entire crowd of photographers flocked southward at the Tunnel View overlook.
Initially I focused on shooting the moon using my tele lens in hopes of getting a giant moon framed with Half Dome. However, the moon’s position had too much spread from Half Dome and the wider angle shot seemed more optimal. For my last shot, I threw on my 24-70 lens for a midrange shot with hopes of a light star from the moon. I really did not expect much out of the shot but was pleasantly surprised with the result. It was an evening worthy to remember: an epic sunset followed by a full moon rise over Yosemite Valley.
Popular Photography Magazine Your Best Shot finalist for January 2013.
Canon 5D Mark II
EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II