Leaving Pohono

Walking off Pohono Bridge in the morning, the Merced River bends away toward El Capitan, the willows along the bank catching the first direct light while the granite above them is still in the full brightness of morning — and in the river, El Capitan's reflection begins to break as the first current disturbs the surface. The image was made walking — camera in hand, the composition found in motion rather than from a tripod — and the slight informality of that method suits it: this is a moment encountered on a morning walk, not arranged. The willows in this image are the yellow-green of early spring, the kind of color that announces the valley's intention before the full leaf-out arrives. The reflection was gone within a few steps.