Periodic spring storms are often still passing through in May, to deliver stunning sunrises and sunsets, and snow may briefly reach the Valley floor, even through the end of the month.
For my workshop in May 2017, we have a massive snowpack that will maximize the waterfall flow and mist, and all of these opportunities line up in the same week! The full moon, moonbows and dogwoods blooming may not be this likely to occur in the same week again until 2020, and that may not be a strong runoff year.
This year’s convergence of photographic opportunities, and their magnitude, may not be this favorable again for another decade or more. I plan all of my workshops for the optimal time in each region that I cover, but given cyclical El Nino weather patterns and the rarity of high runoff years, this could well be the most productive, opportunity-rich May week for photography in Yosemite Valley for a very long time to come.
I’ve updated this old blog post to contain more information on pursuing moonbows in case you’d like to try anyway: http://activesole.blogspot.com/2008/05/chasing-moonbow-in-yosemite-valley-at.html
The weather forecast for the first half of the week favors the possibility of rainbows spanning the width of the valley!
Having shot in Yosemite for so may years, I’ve worked out the sun position necessary to produce rare events like the rainbow in the mist of Bridalvel Fall in this shot by Lori Hibbett. We first worked out the conditions required to pursue this shot in 2012, and the astronomical alignment will occur during our May workshop in 2017. I can’t wait to lead photographers to unique opportunities like this!
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Bellisimo
Incredibly gorgeous and wonderful!! It's my pleasure to share your amazing photo to the +Landscape Photography page! Check out all the great photos there including yours!!
Belleza
Beautiful.
Lovely rainbow
Very nice
I'm hoping to go soon but not sure I can make it yet, plus lodging issues and going to the doctor to make sure I don't have pneumonia first. gawd, I sound like a drama queen. ;)
Beautiful
I'll have to rush back Friday morning to get a crown installed on my broken tooth +Kurt Harvey.
Priorities... some things can wait. :-)
+Margaret Tompkins I also created a time-lapse video of one of Yosemite's lunar rainbows at night: Yosemite Falls Night "Moonbow" (HD timelapse)