Figure 1. Autumn Foliage in Yosemite Valley.
You might hear some people say Yosemite is not a good place to see autumn foliage, because most trees are conifers. This is both true and false for me. It depends on what kind of autumn foliage you want to see. If you want to stand at an overlook and see the sea of colorful leaves, you will be disappointed.
The strength of autumn foliage in Yosemite is to blend it with the iconic landscape. One of my favorites is Half Dome such as Figure 1 taken in Sentinel Meadow. Although black oak trees are perhaps more familiar to most people in Yosemite Valley, cottonwood trees, as in Figure 1, with yellow leaves are worth mentioning. They are just as beautiful as black oak trees.
I tried to explore some new spots during this autumn trip to Yosemite Valley. Fortunately I got this one at the bank of Merced River at Sentinel Meadow. It is interesting that this shot was taken at noon. It might not work at golden hours because of the season in early November. The timing and lighting are just right to make Half Dome and the bright yellow leaves stand out.
I tried coming to the same spot the next day for some more varieties. Unfortunately it was a cloudy day and far from what I expected. I will definitely come here again next autumn.
