By Emily Donnelly, Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, ’21

View of Yosemite’s famous Half Dome from Glacier Point

This spectacular image was taken from the ledge of Glacier Point trail in Yosemite National Park, overlooking the iconic 8,844 foot tall half-dome granite rock, which is such a historical and symbolic part of this natural landscape. The rugged rock formations that make this terrain so beautiful were formed 65 million years ago and then were shaped by glaciers that moved through the landscape, creating the sheer rock faces and wide valleys and lakes that we see today. I chose to take this photograph in black and grey rather than color to allow the natural textures and composition of nature to be delicately exposed. This allows the viewer to focus on the details of nature and true depth of the image, however a camera lens comes nowhere near close to capturing the true beauty of this breathtaking landmark.

This was taken August 19, 2019 when I went to visit Yosemite for the first time with my family. The camera used is a Canon 60D with an 18-200mm lens.

In the future I hope to visit Yosemite many more times as it is truly the most beautiful place I have been.