As a professional photographer, I spend my entire life traveling around the world attempting to capture amazing scenery and events, but there’s just something ultra-fulfilling about capturing a phenomenon like the Yosemite firefall. I compare it to chasing the northern lights in the Arctic Circle.
It truly is a rare and magical moment that I didn’t expect to affect me as much as it did. And, while I failed to capture it in 2020, I did in February 2021. Here’s how the Yosemite firefall photography experience went, with some tips for those hoping to catch it, too.
What is the “Firefall?”
What is a firefall, you ask? Starting in the late 1800s, the owners of Glacier Point Lodge would toss burning embers over the top of Glacier Point, giving the effect of fire or lava flowing hundreds of feet to the valley floor. This tradition held up until 1968, when the National Park Service terminated the event.
Now, it’s au naturale.
Every February, for a typically two-week period, a natural firefall appears on the eastern side of El Capitan in Yosemite. The waterfall is actually named Horsetail Falls and is typically a seasonal waterfall. During this two-week period, the sunlight squeezes between two rock faces and just happens to hit the exact line of this waterfall. The light doesn’t hit any other part of the valley, giving us that unique and amazing firefall effect.
Photographing the Yosemite firefall
Unfortunately, it isn’t as simple to capture as it sounds. In February 2020, I made my first attempt. Weather conditions seemed perfectly lined up and we were there at the perfect time. But, there was one problem: no water. That’s right. Sometimes this waterfall doesn’t even flow, which means the firefall simply can’t happen. If Yosemite National Park doesn’t receive the right amount of snow during winter, the waterfall doesn’t get enough snowmelt to flow in February.
Everything else has to line up perfectly in order for visitors to capture the event. You also need a clear line from the sun to the valley wall, without interruption from clouds. Temperatures need to be above freezing to allow the snow to melt. Finally, any amount of wind can easily affect how this waterfall is displayed. Too much win will only show a glowing red mist. Not enough wind, and you may barely be able to see the stream as a whole. Long story short: Conditions have to be perfect.
How to photograph the Yosemite firefall
Shooting location
Before 2020, there were four to five spots in the valley that you’d want to photograph this event from. Since then, restrictions have been put into place to protect certain areas that were being affected by having too many photographers stand in the same spot over and over again. Part of the Merced River Bank actually collapsed at one point.
That being said, there are now just two general areas that I would recommend, both having very different but equally amazing waterfall views. If you feel like hiking 25 miles round trip, you could make an argument for a third perspective.
The first spot is the El Capitan Picnic area. This is easily the most popular and crowded spot in the park during February’s firefall. It is easily accessible but you have to get there early to get a spot. We actually showed up six hours before firefall and still barely got the perspective I was looking for. There were easily 8,000 people around us when the time finally came. You will need to park at or near the visitor center and then walk 1.5 miles to the picnic area.
The second area I recommend is actually a snowpack that rises above the valley floor. It gives you a full view of the entire valley and more options to shoot at a wider focal length. You will want to park at or near the Swinging Bridge parking lot, walk down Southside Drive about half a mile, and then head straight up toward the snowpack. There isn’t a marked trail, but the snow provided us with footprints of the hikers from the previous day. It can get steep, but the hike itself is less than a mile and worth the effort.
If you are feeling committed to finding a new perspective, you can hike the Glacier Point Road up the valley rim and photograph it at eye level. This is a strenuous and long hike that I only recommend if you have winter hiking experience along with snowshoes and/or skis. Yosemite can be treacherous in the winter and pop-up storms happen all the time.
Yosemite Covid-19 restrictions
Due to COVID-19, this year’s firefall event was open by reservation only. I’m not sure if they plan to continue doing this next year, but be on the lookout for reservations to reopen on February 1st of 2022 if they do.
Beginning in 2020, the NPS began restricting certain areas from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. during the month of February. The areas between the Merced River and Southside Drive are off-limits, and pedestrians are not allowed on Southside Drive during that period either. This is just another reason why you have to get into the park and to your spot early in the day. Sometimes lines to get into the park can take hours to get through if you arrive in the afternoon.
Best gear for Yosemite firefall photos
You will have a good 15 to 20 minutes of shoot time once the event starts, which gives you quite some time for wiggle room when it comes to figuring out what gear you need, as well as the right settings. I brought three different camera bodies along with two tripods, planning to both photograph the falls and set up an interval time-lapse to capture the entire process. Though a tripod isn’t completely necessary, I highly recommend using one anyways. You will want to have a more narrow aperture, and possibly a slower shutter speed, depending on how much water is flowing.
My go-to lens was the Olympus M.Zuiko 12-100mm F/4 Pro. This allowed me to shoot with versatility and the options to go both wide and tight on the firefall without having to change my lens.
For the timelapse, I used the Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm F/2.8 Pro. My goal was to get a tighter look at the falls to show the details and movement of the water. I tried to go a bit wider on my first timelapse, but it became tough to see the actual move of the water.
Firefall photography tips and tricks
Like I said before, you will have a solid 15 minutes to shoot the firefall once it actually starts. It normally begins around 5:28 p.m. and lasts until 5:45 p.m. Play around with your camera beforehand and try to get your settings right leading up to the perfect light. Yes, 15 minutes sounds like a lot of time, but it goes by fast. Here are some additional tips:
- Bring food and plenty of it. You may be sitting in your spot for hours and the last thing you need to think about is being hungry. You want to make sure you enjoy this event and every moment leading up to it.
- If the water seems like it isn’t flowing as much, open up your shutter to allow your camera to capture the movement of the water, giving you more to work with. Bring your aperture to F/22 if necessary.
- You won’t see the actual falls until later in the evening. Half the time we were there, we couldn’t tell if it was flowing or not. Just be patient and don’t give up until after that 5:45 p.m. mark.
- Use a timer or cable release to make sure there is no movement of your camera, especially when opening up your shutter.
- Take a break from shooting. If you feel like you’ve gotten your shot, take a few seconds to step away from your camera and actually enjoy seeing Firefall for the first time. I remember my first time seeing it and it is honestly one of those moments where it hardly seems real. Step back and just enjoy being there. You’re witnessing an event that happens nowhere else on the planet!
Feature image by Tyler Glass
