The famed Yosemite Firefall (previously) is a rare phenomenon when the setting sun hits Horsetail Fall with its dying light. Rogelio Bernal Andreo just took it to next level, capturing the even more rare moonlight firefall.
He describes the laborious process for PetaPixel:
So, what does it take to capture the Moonlit Firefalls? You need to find a night when the moon is in the right place near moonset and is bright enough—more on that later. As I mentioned, there’s only a handful of such events per year, maybe 1-2 nights only, some years none… and the fall must still be pouring water, of course. Since the fall usually dries mid-late spring or early summer at best, anytime after June is probably wishful thinking. June itself is a stretch.
Of course, the sky needs to be clear near the west, so the moonlight isn’t blocked by clouds. It’s good if it’s also clear to the northwest, unless you’re okay with the sky being cloudy (you’d miss the starry skies).
He shares lots of great information about the better-documented sunset Firefall, too. Click through for his full-size image, as it’s worth it.
• Capturing the Incredibly Rare Moonlit Firefall at Yosemite (PetaPixel)