Capturing Quality Light - iPhoneography

Image captured just after the sunset

Yesterday while at this iconic location in Yosemite, a photographic tour leader made comment about iPhoneographers, tripods and the seriousness of photography when he saw me and my iPhone yielding tripod amongst those with $5000 cameras and $2500 tripods. 

As those of you who follow my blog know, I am a very serious photographer who just happens to love taking photos with my iPhone. It really doesn't surprise me however that I am not taken seriously as most people who take iPhone photos capture a snapshot of a scene. 

I arrived to capture my iconic Yosemite Valley image about 1 hour before sunset. A few photographers had already staked their claim, tripod poised, shutter release in hand. 

I walked around using my tripod to balance as I walked through the rocks looking for my favorite location. Once I settled I actually found the light quite harsh and the image quite uninteresting.  I took a few shots and waited.

I was waiting in anticipation to capture the alpine warm glow on the granite cliffs just as the sun crossed the horizon. The glow never came. However just as the sun set the harsh light was gone and the beauty (IMHO) emerged. 

After I finished capturing what I believed was the best shots of the evening, I noticed that everyone had packed up and was walking to their cars. They missed the beauty that I saw. 

While packing up ourselves, Mark and I discussed how photographers prided themselves on arriving well before dawn to capture wonderful morning light, but few seemed to appreciate nor wait for the post sunset light to emerge. Why is that?

The image I found to be uninteresting.