This photograph was captured at the iconic Tunnel View in Yosemite National Park in January 2023. What makes this shot special isn’t just the composition or the subject but the extensive preparation involved.

Tunnel View is a well-documented vista, and I’ve personally photographed it several times. However, this visit was particularly inspired by the wintertime images I admired in the Ansel Adams Gallery. My goal was to capture the elusive winter fog, which adds a mystical quality to the landscape.

The key to capturing fog lies in understanding the weather conditions. The likelihood of fog increases when the dewpoint is close to the current temperature, within about a five-degree range, and the humidity is high, ideally over 80%. While there are applications like Clear Outside that attempt to forecast fog, I’ve found them unreliable. For example, on the day I shot this photo, Clear Outside predicted fog from 7 AM to 9 AM, yet the fog lingered throughout the day.

Instead, I relied on the Apple Weather app to monitor these crucial parameters closely.

Getting to Yosemite was a challenge due to the storm, but the effort was worthwhile. By the time I reached the valley around 5 PM, fog was beginning to envelop the area. The scene was breathtaking as sunset approached around 6 PM. Despite the beauty, winter conditions typically limit the dynamic range in photography, especially in the absence of sunlight. Fortunately, only a couple of exposures with ±1 increments were necessary to capture the full dynamic range of this scene.

Lightroom Editing

In Lightroom, I combined the exposures using the HDR photomerge feature and fine-tuned the image by adjusting the vibrance, shadows, and highlights.

I hope you enjoy this image as much as I cherished the experience of capturing it. To me, the true essence of photography is about more than just the final product; it’s about the profound connection with nature during those quiet, picturesque moments.