Located inside the heart of Yosemite National Park is one of the Eastern Sierra’s most breathtaking treasures, Bridalveil Fall.The sheer force of this waterfall creates a mesmerizing spectacle, with its ethereal waters catching the light as it leaps off the cliff’s edge and over 600 feet into the valley.
Gusts of wind blew the falling waters sideways, briefly causing the flow to sway and spray from side to side. The Ahwahneechee Native Americans called this waterfall “Pohono”, which means “Spirit of the Puffing Wind.”
I have been fortunate to be able to spend a vast amount of time in Yosemite and over the years have noted during a few weeks in the winter months, late afternoon light breaks through the shadows of the valley walls and illuminates only the falling water.
Patiently waiting for the beams of light and the gusts of wind to harmonize, I clicked the shutter on my camera. Captured in black and white, the brightness of the falls emphasizes the lightness and whimsy of the cascading water, while the rugged cliffs and leafless Dogwood trees fall into darkness. A moment captured in time of the grace and power of Yosemite’s iconic Bridalveil Fall.
