Nearly full moon rising next to Half Dome, viewed from North Dome, July 11, 2014

After hiking about 4 and a half miles from Porcupine Flat to North Dome, I waited for the sun to set and the moon to rise. July 11th was the day before the full moon, so the scenery would still be lit by the sun, or at least still be bright, as the moon was rising. I had to reposition myself around North Dome until I saw the moon lined up the way I wanted it. I hoped to see the moon between Half Dome and the smaller high point to its left, called Sub Dome. Fortunately, that worked out. Then I hiked back out from 9PM to 11PM.

Getting the exposure on the moon and the landscape in the same image is very difficult. The moon at this phase is very bright, so a setting that properly exposes the landscape results in a washed-out moon. Properly exposing the moon results in a dark landscape with no detail. To solve this problem, you can take two images, one exposed for the landscape and the other exposed for the moon, then combine the moon from the one image into the washed-out moon in the other.

While atop North Dome, I decided to take a selfie with my smart phone as proof that I was there.

Richard Robinson standing on the highest point of North Dome with Half Dome over his shoulder.

The picture shown below is the bench mark for the highest point of North Dome, at 7531 feet elevation. On topographic maps, you'll see these labeled as BM and a plus sign or crosshair on the map, so that when you see this marker on the land and find that mark on the map, you know exactly where you are.

Remember it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Sequoia-Kings Canyon's Crystal Cave showing cave drapery

This image was taken while on a tour of Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park. Caves of this type form underground by water that has become weakly acidic by absorbing carbon dioxide, then dissolving away limestone or marble to create a cavity in the earth. The original rocks of the cave wall are collectively called speleogen. This type of cave is called a solution cave, due to the way it forms. After forming, the water continues dissolving minerals underground and dripping down through the cave. When the drops dry up, the calcium carbonate mineral is left behind, forming the cave features most people associate with caves. These formations are normally white, but may be tinged with orange or reddish streaks if the minerals have iron mixed in. These features that form after the cave walls, speleogen, are called speleothems. These particular kinds of speleothems are called cave draperies.

Photographically, the white calcium carbonate makes for a challenge since it can end up washed out by the flash. Having the light bright, but diffused, helps create an even lighting across the surface of the features instead of having a bright spot where the light from the flash ends up being too concentrated. A simple technique for achieving this effect is to move farther away from the features and use the telephoto zoom lens in combination with the flash, which is how this image was made. Not only will the light be softer, but cave drapery and other bright cave features to the side will reflect the light soften the shadows.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!