The mid-March 2012 photos I took here showed a gold-brown ground but Spring is firmly here,
and water filled in a meadow area which now acts as a reflecting pond.

I was able to borrow the 4-stop graduated neutral density filter to get both top and bottom areas
exposed in a balanced way in one shot.  The light was so bright the cliffs were just white light
if the camera got a decent exposure of lower areas.  I was first able to use the filter at
the double Falls view at the Lower Yosemite Falls path about 1/2 hour earlier.
  The guided walk, showing us the mostly unseen pond etc., is free.