Iconic Reflection

When you speak of natural icons here in America, one of them is the largest block of granite rock in the world. It is one that experienced climbers from around the world love to climb. Of course, this icon can be found at Yosemite National Park, in California.

In this photo, I took a more indirect way of showcasing this icon. I was situated in an area called Cathedral Beach, along the Merced River. This was taken on my most recent trip to Yosemite, during the first week in November. If you try this shot in the Spring, let's just say, you will not have the still, glass, calm waters of the Merced.

This is a pretty challenging shot, as far as exposure goes. El Capitan, if shooting it from a shaded area, is very hard to keep from blowing out. Dynamic range is maxed out here. You have to ensure that you leave some details in the shade, while not blowing out the portions in the sun. I composed the shot to minimize the area in the sun.

Reflection shots are not as easy as they may seem. So many will just take the easy way out, and do the 50/50 composed shot. Meaning they will show exactly what they see on top in the reflection, where the horizon is split right in the middle, giving a 50/50 view of the reflection and the non-reflected.

The added grass and fall leaves in the very foreground nicely adds a little nice touch and frames around the tip of El Capitan's reflection. Hope you enjoy it.