After driving for five hours, my hopes were very high as I got into Yosemite, seeing the rain clouds from yesterday still floating around. I was so confident that the lighting would turn out epic in this kind of condition. I had timed it almost to the minute of the sunset. I believed I could nail it this time. However, one mile before approaching Glacier Point, I saw Half Dome was wrapped in a shroud of clouds! Two-thirds of the top were hidden, and only the base was visible. My heart sank, and I told myself a miracle needed to happen. I came all the way for this epic moment and couldn’t have the main subject hidden like this. After I parked, Half Dome was still under thick clouds, although the surrounding clouds and lighting were in top condition. I quickly ran to a spot where I could set up my tripod. Just after I barely set up my tripod, Half Dome began to peek a little out of the shroud, but only for four or five minutes. I quickly clicked away like crazy and crossed my fingers that at least one would turn out good. Soon afterward, the shroud came back, and Half Dome was hidden again. At that time, the sun had already set.
What makes this image so special is that the light had shone through the clouds and hit the front, which gives the illusion of lava flowing down. Some people on-site even said it looked like the “Firefalls.” Afterward, I was in awe that I was able to capture this sliver of window in this precious and breathtaking moment. Five hours of driving was well worth it!
