And if you are serious about your photography, hang around that part of

Bridalveil Creek between the footbridge crossing the creek and the falls

themselves...lots of good images there for the seeing.  Earlier in the day

is best because of the speckled sunlight once the sun comes over the valley

rim later in the morning.

Another hint...you'll find that most valley views of Yosemite Falls has the

lower falls somewhat obscured by the stand of trees growing near the base,

particularly if you are on the opposite side of the valley.  Well, park in

the parking lot next to Sentinel Bridge (just east of the chapel) and walk

westward along the path towards the valley entrance, keeping an eye on the

lower falls.  Soon...after an eighth of a mile or so...you'll see a notch

along the tree line.  Line that notch with the lower falls and you'll have a

nice image as a reward for walking away from your car.  Definitely a late

day shot, but not so late that the falls are in shadow.

Hang around Sentinel Bridge come sundown and if you are fortunate, you'll be

rewarded with the face of Half Dome aglow.  Quite a sight and an even better

image with the right exposure setting - if you can, bracket the exposure to

assure at least one good image.  In summer when Glacier Point road is open

(and it probably won't be in May), being at Glacier Point at sundown is a

remarkable experience.

If you are in luck, the dogwoods will still be in bloom.  A difficult

subject because it is real easy to lose texture amongst their whiteness,

they can still be a good subject.  Stop down one stop or so from normal to

get that texture.  Better yet, bracket.

If you take the hike to Vernal Falls, don't do as many do and stop at the

foot bridge where you glimpse Vernal Falls for the first time.  Instead,

walk the 50 or 100 yards upstream to where this large rock - Franklin Rock -

juts out into the river.  The view of the falls is breathtaking from here.

Expect to be a bit on the damp side if there is any wind at all because

while you are still aways from the falls itself, the mist can blow down the

river onto this rock.  Be careful about slippery rock...wear good footgear.

Mid morning to early afternoon is best to bet the falls in full sunlight.

Too early and too late in the day will find the falls in shadow.

And don't forget Pohono spring, on the right side of the roadway as the road

crosses from one side of the valley to the other at the eastern most side of

the valley.  Good images here.

Make time to visit the Ansel Adams gallery at Yosemite Village...a good two

dozen of his images are available for sale in photographic form - not photo

reproductions, but real photographs from the real negatives.  Adams left the

negatives there with instructions that the photographs from them be

available to the public at a "reasonable" price.  I imagine the prints are

around $150 or so apiece these days, but if you are an Adams devotee, well

worth the price.  Because they are handmade, each is just a bit different

from its siblings...so go when it is relatively quiet (ie, early) at the

gallery so you can ask to see 3 or 4 prints of the same image, compare

amongst them, and select the one you want.

Lawrence