Recently I took a road-trip to Yosemite for the first time with a group of California-based photographers. The original intent of the trip was for the phenomenal Firefall. This phenomenon, in short, is when “burning hot embers were spilled from the top of Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park to the valley 3,000 feet below. From a distance it appeared as a glowing waterfall. ” (source: Wikipedia). However, 2 weeks prior to the trip we learned that Firefall would not happen due to the lack of water this year. Nonetheless, we visited Yosemite with the mindset of having a good bonding time.

When I arrived in Mariposa for the Airbnb, it was already 10pm on a Friday night. Our group decided to capture the sunrise together so my anticipation of driving into Yosemite at the crack of dawn was high. Though waking up at 4am was rough, we gathered everyone and headed off to Tunnel View, just in time to see the sunrise. At Tunnel View, I saw El Capital and Half Dome for the first time. It was a surreal moment as I’ve only seen pictures of them from an Apple Macbook. That morning was rainy and gloomy. Though we did not see much of a sunrise “burn”, we spent merely 3 hours “modeling” for each other and captured a group photo to document our trip.

Next, we went to a spot near Cathedral Beach to view the Three Brothers. It was then the sun came out from the clouds and shined through Yosemite. I was very much in awe with the scenic views: bright blue sky, calming water and the glowing Three Brothers.

Weather was one hell of a rollercoaster on Saturday. Soon after the Three Brothers, it started to downpour again. We stayed dry in the car for a few hours mid afternoon until it stopped. Our last stop, and my personal highlight of the day, was surprisingly on a random road. What was meant for just a “regroup” spot for us turned out to be a fun bonding time, taking turn taking photos in the middle of the street while trying not to get run over by vehicles. We ended the day at Valley View. The views were quite grey and dull until a rainbow suddenly appeared. By default, every photographer whipped out their cameras to capture it before it was gone. Sunset was beautiful soon after; sky was filled with orange and pink hues. We ended the night by making some homemade Pho (thanks to Chrystal), celebrating Young Min’s birthday and having a face mask party. It was the most wholesome way to end the night.

Everyone slept in the next morning as expected. We packed our bags, cleaned up the Airbnb and headed off the Yosemite one last time. I thought I was in semi good shape but the hike (more like a rock climb) up to “The Couch” told me otherwise. Boy, was I out of breath. We were greeted by the most amazing view, overlooking the National Park. After we soaked in the views, we parted ways and headed home.

Saying yes to new adventures has always led me to the most amazing time. Keep in mind I’ve only met most of the people on this trip ~2 months ago in the Bay. Big thanks to Grace for introducing me to the group! I learned a lot from each of them in just a span of two days. These are some of the most inspiring creators, whether it be wedding photographers, event photographers or film-makers, they are extremely passionate. Thank you for making my first time there so memorable. I’m itching to go back in a few months for the dreamy Autumn leaves.

Till next time, Yosemite.

photo credits: Makito @makeetz (www.makitoumekita.com)