Upper Yosemite Fall Roaring Down Sheer Granite Face (1927)

A direct vertical view of Upper Yosemite Fall roaring down a sheer fractured granite cliff into a billowing cloud of spray. — Upper Yosemite Fall Roaring Down Sheer Granite Face (1927) · Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

Backpacking along the steep canyon trails of Yosemite National Park, Donald A. Hall Sr. documented this direct vertical perspective of Upper Yosemite Fall. The torrent of water plunges from a narrow granite lip, cascading 1,430 feet down the vertical joints of the cliff face into billowing spray clouds above the middle basins. Hall's precise exposure freezes the motion of the airborne water ribbons against the dark, textured stone, highlighting his study of fluid motion in natural environments.