Meadow Fire I

The Meadow Fire burned in Yosemite National Park behind Half Dome after being ignited by lightning. Hikers on trail had to be evacuated by helicopter, and I drove 8 hours straight to photograph the fire, spent the night on the mountain photographing, and made this image just before sunrise at 5am. I noticed smoke on the Yosemite Park webcams, and took a chance to drive up to the blaze, - en route it was rainy and cloudy, and I thought the journey was for naught. After spending the night perched with a tripod in the wind and chilly summer mountain weather, this scene materialized for just a few minutes as the sun rose far behind the valley in the east. This image defines the Terra Flamma pr...View all