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Black and White Yosemite Landscapes

Yosemite Black and White Photography. Images available for licensing, cards, and fine prints on Exhibition Fiber or Canson Baryta for true museum quality fine black and white prints.
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Nevada Falls, Yosemite. Copyright © 2006 James McGrew.<br /> <br /> Ultrachrome Exhibition Fiber Prints available as Limited Editions of 19x13 and 22x17.<br /> <br /> <br /> Nevada (which means snowy) has always been one of my favorite falls for its incredible power and snowy white appearance throughout the year. This perspective represents a seldom seen view of the falls for good reason. The popular Mist Trail ascends a series of hundreds of granitic stairs on the opposite side of the water. To reach the viewpoint of this photograph, one must venture off trail over boulders, hundreds of downed moss covered trees through pouring icy cold rain and deafening winds. Of course its not really rain, but rather the torrential downpour of the "mist" created by the waterfall. I made it to this location in the morning just as the first light crept over the falls and spent the entire afternoon here, making a series of photographs and producing a plein air oil painitng. Although Nevada Falls is often considered by many to be the park's most powerful waterfall, no perspective reveals that incredible power as this view. The Merced River accelerates as it races towards the brink of the fall, splashing back and forth between a series of ledges before hurling itself out into the air. It then free falls about 200 feet until it strikes the "apron" and cracks which force the water to explode upwards and outwards with irregular surging similar to the Waterwheel Falls on the Tuolumne, only with far greater power and height here with Nevada Fall.
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Nevada Falls, Yosemite. Copyright © 2006 James McGrew.

Ultrachrome Exhibition Fiber Prints available as Limited Editions of 19x13 and 22x17.


Nevada (which means snowy) has always been one of my favorite falls for its incredible power and snowy white appearance throughout the year. This perspective represents a seldom seen view of the falls for good reason. The popular Mist Trail ascends a series of hundreds of granitic stairs on the opposite side of the water. To reach the viewpoint of this photograph, one must venture off trail over boulders, hundreds of downed moss covered trees through pouring icy cold rain and deafening winds. Of course its not really rain, but rather the torrential downpour of the "mist" created by the waterfall. I made it to this location in the morning just as the first light crept over the falls and spent the entire afternoon here, making a series of photographs and producing a plein air oil painitng. Although Nevada Falls is often considered by many to be the park's most powerful waterfall, no perspective reveals that incredible power as this view. The Merced River accelerates as it races towards the brink of the fall, splashing back and forth between a series of ledges before hurling itself out into the air. It then free falls about 200 feet until it strikes the "apron" and cracks which force the water to explode upwards and outwards with irregular surging similar to the Waterwheel Falls on the Tuolumne, only with far greater power and height here with Nevada Fall.

Nevada fallsyosemite

  • Nevada Falls, Yosemite. Copyright © 2006 James McGrew.<br /> <br /> Ultrachrome Exhibition Fiber Prints available as Limited Editions of 19x13 and 22x17.<br /> <br /> <br /> Nevada (which means snowy) has always been one of my favorite falls for its incredible power and snowy white appearance throughout the year. This perspective represents a seldom seen view of the falls for good reason. The popular Mist Trail ascends a series of hundreds of granitic stairs on the opposite side of the water. To reach the viewpoint of this photograph, one must venture off trail over boulders, hundreds of downed moss covered trees through pouring icy cold rain and deafening winds. Of course its not really rain, but rather the torrential downpour of the "mist" created by the waterfall. I made it to this location in the morning just as the first light crept over the falls and spent the entire afternoon here, making a series of photographs and producing a plein air oil painitng. Although Nevada Falls is often considered by many to be the park's most powerful waterfall, no perspective reveals that incredible power as this view. The Merced River accelerates as it races towards the brink of the fall, splashing back and forth between a series of ledges before hurling itself out into the air. It then free falls about 200 feet until it strikes the "apron" and cracks which force the water to explode upwards and outwards with irregular surging similar to the Waterwheel Falls on the Tuolumne, only with far greater power and height here with Nevada Fall.
  • Pohono Comets and Swirls
  • Pohono. <br /> <br /> Prints available as limited edition 18x12 on Exhibition Fiber Paper.
  • Clouds and Fresh Snow, Cook's Meadow. Copyright © 2001, James McGrew
  • Upper Yosemite Fall from Fern Ledge. ©2005, James McGrew.<br /> <br /> Available as 8x10 special edition print on exhibition fiber paper. <br /> <br /> John Muir describes a wild night time adventure where he climbed up to Fern Ledge and ventured behind upper Yosemite Fall to watch the moonlight through the water. Fern ledge is a narrow shelf extending across the cliff of upper Yosemite Fall, roughly one third of the way up its vertical precipice. In the 20th century, Ansel Adams beautifully photographed Upper Yosemite Fall from this same general area creating a dramatic composition with the fall basically front lit showing the "comets" streaming down. However, I've always marveled at the fall in the late afternoon when the sun shines through the fall just before dropping behind Eagle Peak. So, in 2005, on a hot spring day, I made the steep off trail journey, scrambling up sliding scree and massive boulders, slippery wet ledges, and a few short vertical climbs until I reached the base of Lost Arrow and made this exposure before venturing out to the brink of Fern Ledge where I stood mesmerized by the sheer size and power of the thundering waterfall as it raced downwards with incredible speed at this vantage point despite the fact it seems to fall in slow motion when viewed from the valley floor from a distance of more than a mile.
  • Lower Yosemite Falls. Copyright ©2005 James McGrew<br /> <br /> This perspective required a short but icy cold adventure through the torrential downpour of "spray" and winds at the base of the falls. To prepare for the journey I placed all my camera and painting equipment inside ziploc bags in my daypack. Then I protected my daypack with a plastic cover and finally wearing Chacos and waterproof pants and jacket with hood, I took a series of deep breaths, put my head down and ventured up through the slippery boulders the wall adjacent to the base of the Lower Yosemite Fall. I would take a step onto a rock with only a half inch of water sheeting down its surface and suddenly a burst of wind would deposit so much water from the air that I'd be instantly standing on six inches of water rushing around my ankles. The wind and blasts of water nearly knocked me over a few times. I watched miniature waterfalls form on my chest as so much water slammed against my body, collected and dropped to the ground. In a few minutes, I was out of the bulk of the water and continued climbing the steep boulders towards the crevice behind the waterfall. Once I reached my destination, intent on capturing the first rays of morning sunshine as it lit the fall from behind, I removed my back pack only to find shreds of tattered plastic clinging to the straps. The winds and driving water actually shredded the rain cover from my pack. Despite my energy, layers of clothing, the shivering still took about an hour to cease, making photography and painting difficult, but a spectacular experience I remember clearly even more than five years later. I made the same journey later that night to watch the light of the full moon shine down through the waterfall.
  • Half Dome from Olmstead Pt.
  • Yosemite Valley and Clearing Snow Storm from Turtleback Dome. Cpyright ©2001, James McGrew
  • Tueeulala Fall, Hetch Hetchy Valley. Copyright, © 2008 James McGrew.
  • Upper Yosemite Fall. Copyright, ©2010, James McGrew
  • Yosemite Falls
  • Yosemite Valley; Clear Skies after the Snow Storm.
  • Pohono Swirls. Copyright, ©2004 James McGrew
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