Taft Point, where this shot was taken, is a popular place for highlining as there are several options—from short spans to much longer, more challenging ones—with sweeping views of Yosemite Valley.

Via Instagram, I met Dakota Snider, a naturalist and park guide, who then connected me to Tyler Meester, an avid climber and slackliner who was planning to try highlining for the first time. When I heard these guys were heading out to Taft Point a day after I arrived in Yosemite, I rushed up the hill to find them and document the scene. I was hoping to capture a moment of danger that defines the more extreme users of the parks. The most experienced of the bunch, Michael Blackwill, set