Stillness and Fury
Yosemite National Park, November 2010
On a cold November morning in 2010, I left Sacramento well before dawn and drove into Yosemite National Park, just after an early heavy snowfall had blanketed the Sierra. The Valley was quiet—deep, still, and wrapped in winter’s hush. I made my way east of Yosemite Falls, drawn as always to the commanding presence of Half Dome.
I had set up my tripod and my Mamiya 645 medium format camera, loaded with Ilford Delta 100 Professional film, and spent time composing several exposures of the iconic granite face. The air was cold and crisp. Everything was calm. I began walking to another spot when, without warning, the silence shattered. What sounded like both thunder and a freight train echoed through the Valley.
I turned back and saw it — snow, massive and voluminous, spilling off the sheer face of Half Dome in an avalanche. It was a staggering sight. I rushed to reset my camera: 100mm lens, f/11, shutter speed 1/250. I managed to frame and fire off an exposure just before a dense cloud of snow-mist obscured everything.
It all happened so quickly, but the timing couldn't have been more perfect. I captured the moment — the raw power of nature breaking through the stillness. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event, and I knew it even as I pressed the shutter. In that moment, I felt like the luckiest landscape photographer alive.
I’ll never forget that day.
📷 Behind the Shot
Camera: Mamiya 645 medium format
Film: Ilford Delta 100 Professional
Lens: 100mm
Aperture: f/11
Shutter Speed: 1/250 second
Tripod: Yes
This image was captured moments before a rising cloud of snow mist enveloped the avalanche entirely. Timing and preparation aligned at just the right moment.
🛒 Own This Moment
Limited Edition Print: “Stillness and Fury”
Available in two sizes, printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag:
16×24” – $550
24×36” – $800
(Edition of 25 in each size. Signed and numbered with certificate of authenticity.)
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