Back by popular demand, I’ve calculated the best dates to shoot Horsetail Falls in Yosemite National Park in 2012. Similar to 2011, I used the same procedure that I originally used in 2010 to calculate the range of acceptable times to view or photograph the falls. For 2012, the best viewing times are between February 15, 2012 and February 28, 2012 with the absolute peak date being February 21, 2012. 

For a more detailed explanation of the procedure used to determine these dates, be sure to check out my blog post Photographing Yosemite’s Horsetail Falls.

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Last year I sat down and came up with a list of what I considered to be my top images of 2010 for inclusion on Jim Goldstein’s best photos of the year blog project. Now that 2011 has come and gone, I present my favorites from last year (I managed to come up with 10 this year):

Descending Winter Alta’s North Ridge – Sequioa National Park

Clouds and Evening Light on El Cap – Yosemite National Park

Frost on Yosemite Falls – Yosemite National Park

Pardington Cove – Big Sur

Liberty Cap, Nevada, and Vernal Falls – Yosemite National Park

Taft Point Sunset – Yosemite National Park

Moonrise over Half Dome – Yosemite National Park

The Tunnels – San Diego

Ice Skating on Tenaya Lake – Yosemite National Park

Late Afternoon – San Francisco

Was pretty bummed that I couldn’t make it to Yosemite this past weekend – looks like they got pounded with snow! Did manage to grab this shot instead though. Still trying to master the 10-stop neutral density filter, but I think this one turned out pretty well.

Bigger

A reasonably straightforward weekend trip along the north rim of Yosemite Valley (up Snow Creek, across to North Dome, down Yosemite Falls) turned in to a seriously long slog through knee to waist-deep snow above about 7200′. Oh, we brought too much food to fit in the three bear cans we had too. Another great Yosemite trip though, even with the minor (major?) setbacks. Looking forward to my week-long solo trip in July!

Half Dome from Snow Creek

Yosemite Falls

Took a quick daytrip out to the Anza Borrego desert last Friday (2 April) to check out the desert wildflower bloom. The park’s website claimed that the bloom was still going strong (a 7/10 on their scale). That being said, I think the only way I’d go back is if it were a 9 or 10/10. Most of what we saw was typical San Diego desert – rocky and boring. The one exception was a couple of acres of wildflowers blooming on the north side of Henderson Canyon Rd. in Borrego Springs. Maybe I was expecting too much? In any event, we saw plenty of Desert Sunflowers, Sand Verbena, Dune and Brown-Eyed Primrose, Desert Pincushion and Desert Dandelion. There was also lots of Purple Lupine on the drive out.

More photos

Just playing around with my new 85mm f/1.8 lens. The depth of field wide open at the minimum focusing distance is RAZOR THIN! The curvature of the beer bottle was enough to pull either side of the label out of focus!!

Also tried out some new PS effects (bleach bypass and a kind of cross processing/split toning effect).