Majestic Morning
Alabama Hills, CA
MAJESTIC MORNING
A BRIEF SUMMARY OF MAJESTIC MORNING
The Alabama Hills are some of the most unusual rock formations found in the American Southwest. Set at the base of Mt. Whitney and the Eastern Sierra’s, they can provide a perfect backdrop for stunning landscapes and truly memorable moments.
In the 2007 movie “The Bucket List”, Morgan Freeman writes out a list of things he wanted to see/do before he dies. First on his list was to “witness something truly majestic”. I can say without hesitation - that standing at this location, on this day, in the moments leading up to sunrise - I was able to do just that. I invite you to visit this place and experience your own Majestic Morning.
Images and location summary by Tim Wier
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I would rate the difficulty of this trail as a 2 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult). The hike to this location is a fairly easy 250 yd walk up a modest slope. In my opinion, the higher you climb up the slope, the better shot you will get.
There are hundreds of locations around the Alabama Hills to photograph sunrise with Mt. Whitney in the background. However, I felt that I wanted the view of Mt. Whitney to appear as level as possible (not shooting up), so I hiked up the slope of one of the hills for my composition (the location is just 120 yds or so from the “Eye of Alabama Arch” seen in many great images). You can hike a little higher up the rocks if you choose to get an even higher view.
The image above was taken on the 2nd day we (my friend Don Metz and I) visited this spot in Alabama Hills. After shooting the first day, I realized this early morning scene is more beautiful than a single photograph can capture - as the change from twilight to sunrise provides different moods, hues, and illumination. So, we returned for the second day and I decided to composite multiple images to try to capture the moment.
The image above was a …
Standing in this location, facing Mt. Whitney and the eastern Sierra’s you will be tempted to shoot a wide-angle or do an ultra-wide panoramic. However, I found the composition I liked the most was using a standard to short telephoto lens.
This image above was taken with a 60mm equivalent lens.
4,775 Ft. Elevation
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Best Time of Year to Shoot
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Permits Required
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LOCATION SUMMARIES WRITTEN BY PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
