In Cathedral Snow, I wanted to capture a beautiful, ethereal autumn scene in Yosemite Valley. The first snow of the season is lying lightly on the dying meadow grass and will melt as soon as the sun comes up. The name of the image not only refers to the area of Yosemite called Cathedral Rocks and Cathedral Spires, but evokes a spiritual and sacred mood. The clouds and the light from above heighten the sacred feeling. The deer are a common sight in the valley. They help show the size and scale of the rocks and cliffs in the distance. The cliffs are about two thousand feet high, and the spires (which actually begin somewhere up the mountainside) are a few hundred feet high. Like many of my images, Cathedral Snow was inspired by a particular experience, yet it's also a symbol and the culmination of many of my experiences in Yosemite. - SL