Horsetail Fall 2025
Photography lore has it that renowned landscape photographer Galen Rowell "discovered" the Horsetail Fall phenomenon. He definitely published and raised awareness about it. The event is so popular, that the crowds along Southside Drive caused such extensive damage to the banks and environs of the Merced River, that the Park Service now cordon off that entire area and confines Horsetail Fall visitors to a 2-mile corridor along Northside. You can also view it from other locations in the park, if you can get to them on Four Mile Trail and Glacier Point. For the latter, bring your snowshoes.
Every year, Horsetail Fall is different, because so many different variables are in play. The one constant: the sun's transit in February and how it illuminates this tiny sliver of water to the east of El Capitan. If it illuminates. One of the key variables is visibility. Too much cloud cover, and the sun won't break through. Another variable is temperature. If it's too cold, and snow doesn't melt to feed the tiny wisp of a fall, there isn't much to see. True, the sun can stil illuminate the patch of rock that the water flwo and spray have darkened through the years, and it can stil be quite lovely. I've seen that a lot.
Then, there is the snow pack itself. Unlike many of Yosemite's larger, year-round waterfalls that are fed by lakes or vast creek networks, Horsetail Fall is entirely seasonal. It originates from a very small watershed on the sloped summit of El Capitan. Since there is no meadow, lake, or permanent river at the top to sustain it, the waterfall only flows in the winter and early spring when there is a direct runoff of melting snowpack or heavy rainfall. If there isn't much snow up there, there isn't much of a fall. I've seen that plenty.
But every once in a while, it all comes together for a combination of a dazzling light show and plenty of water to show it off. And then, there might be something you've never seen before. February 19, 2025, was one such time. You've heard of sky on fire? This was granite on fire.
Yosemite National Park 2025
Sony DSC-R10mkIV
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There are so many ways to print an image, so many papers and inks, and thousands of ways to frame or mount it. How does one choose? We've tried to simplify this process, by offering the types of prints, frames, and mountings that we use and love in our own home, and that we know complement our artwork.
Here is a short guide to the formats we offer:
Acrylic Block Gift Box
A small display piece — usually 4×6 or 8×8 inches. Whitewall's method is what makes this worth offering: the image is printed on archival paper first, then bonded to the acrylic. Many competitors print directly to acrylic, which compromises color reproduction and longevity. Our version keeps the brilliance and dimensional quality of a full acrylic presentation at a size and price that make it right for gifting or for a small dedicated space. Ships in a gift box. Available for images with native 1:1, 3:2, or 4:3 aspect ratios; for wider panoramas or unusual crops, see the other formats or request a custom quote.
Fine Art Bonded Acrylic
This is our premier print format: pigment inkjet on Hahnemühle Fine Art Paper, laminated behind glossy or matte acrylic glass on an Alu-Dibond backing, in a brushed silver slimline case with 1.2 inch mat or matless in matte silver, black, or gold. The pigment inkjet process holds the widest color spectrum and the finest tonal gradation of any medium we offer, and the paper is archival for generations. This is our default gallery presentation. We love how the slimline case creates a sense of elegance, while staying out of the way of the print. The 0.04 in. (1 mm) narrow aluminum bezel provides a discreet yet impressive finish: due to the shallow depth, your artwork effectively emerges from the frame with 0.06 in. (1.5 mm). The frame and mat combination is something we set individually based on the image itself.
Passe-Partout, Black or White
Hahnemühle Fine Art Pearl Paper has a very lightly textured surface that conveys a soft shimmer. It's suitable for color or monochromatic work.mounted in a double-mat passe-partout framing behind museum glass. Available with a black frame or a white frame; the paper and mat treatment are identical, only the frame color differs. The selection will most likely be governed by your decor, and your taste for modern or traditional styles. Available for any image, though the treatment reads most naturally on monochrome work.
Textile Print
A pigment print on woven textile, wrapped on a wooden stretcher frame with mirror-edge treatment on the sides. Different from standard canvas: the surface is finer, the print holds detail better, the presentation is more sophisticated. Lightweight compared to acrylic or paper-under-acrylic, easier to hang, and the price point stays accessible while still feeling serious. Best for larger sizes and rooms where reduced weight and reflection matter.
Giclée on Alu-Dibond
For those who want to select their own framing and/or glass/acrylic cover. A giclée fine art print on Hahnemühle Fine Art Pearl paper, mounted on Alu-Dibond backing, no glass, no frame. The paper texture is visible; there are no reflections; the print itself is what the viewer sees. This is what a curated gallery show hangs. Best for viewers who want the print to speak without any surface between it and them.
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