Photographing Yosemite Digital Field Guide

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PHOTOGRAPHY/Techniques/Digital

$19.99 US/$23.99 CAN

Full Color!

Capture Postcard-Quality Photos

Lewis Kemper

Kemper

Half Dome. Bridalveil Fall. El Capitan. The stunning photos you’ve seen may be what inspired you to visit Yosemite in the first place. Now learn how those spectacular shots were taken and start capturing your own amazing images. Here are the camera settings, best time of day, ideal vantage points, tips for handling the weather, and more—for 29 of the most famous sites in Yosemite National Park. Don’t even think of visiting Yosemite without this book.

• Discover why each site is worthy of a photograph and what lenses and equipment to take along • Experiment with the recommended camera settings and filters • Explore low-light and night options and ways to work around weather conditions • Get creative with different angles, lighting effects, and techniques Lewis Kemper has been photographing the natural beauty of North America and its parklands for more than 30 years. He has worked for The Ansel Adams Gallery and been named a Canon Explorer of Light. His work has been exhibited nationally in galleries and museums and published in magazines, books, and calendars worldwide.

GGet et the iPhone app! CCool Co ol apps help you choose sites to photograph, tell you how to get spectacular ssho and even help you get there. There’s one for this book—go to shots, ht ht http://lp.wileypub.com/DestinationDFGiPhoneApp and follow the iTunes SSt Store link!

Visit our Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks

Photographing Yosemite

Capture Yosemite’s breathtaking beauty—here’s how

Photographing

Yosemite

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Photographing Yosemite Digital Field Guide

Lewis Kemper

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Photographing Yosemite Digital Field Guide Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 10475 Crosspoint Boulevard Indianapolis, IN 46256 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada ISBN: 978-0-470-58686-0 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEB SITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OF WEB SITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEB SITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ.

For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at (877) 762-2974, outside the U.S. at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Control Number: 2009943651 Trademarks: Wiley and the Wiley Publishing logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

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About the Author Lewis Kemper has been photographing the natural beauty of North America and its parklands for more than 30 years. During his extensive travels, he has been to 47 states from Alaska to Florida. His photographs are in many private collections as well as in the permanent collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art and Kaiser Permanente. His work has been shown nationally in galleries and museums, including the Frederick S. Wight Gallery, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Cornell Museum, the Princeton Gallery of Fine Art, the Popular Photography Gallery, the Ansel Adams Gallery, Photographer’s Gallery, and the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center. His work has been published in numerous books including publications by The Sierra Club, The National Geographic Society, Little and Brown, APA Insight Guides, Prentice Hall, and Hyperion Books. His pictures have appeared in calendars published by Audubon, The Sierra Club, The Mono Lake Coalition, Self Realization Foundation, Golden Turtle Press, The Sierra Press, Day Dream Calendars, Avalanche Publishing, Browntrout, The Nature Conservancy, Tide-Mark Press, and others. His work has appeared in magazines that include Backpacker, Women’s Sports and Fitness, The Walking Magazine, Sierra, Motorland, Terre Sauvage, Environmental Protection Magazine, National Wildlife, National Geographic Traveler, American Photographer, View Camera, PC Photo, Camera Arts, Shutterbug, and Outdoor Photographer. He is the author of The Yosemite Photographer’s Handbook and The Yellowstone Photographer’s Handbook, and he was the photographer for Ancient Ancestors of the Southwest, published by Graphic Arts Center Publishing. He teaches photography for many organizations including Palm Beach Photographic Centre, Santa Fe Workshops, Light Photographic Workshops, Aspen Workshops and Betterphoto.com. He produces the acclaimed Photoshop training DVDs “The Photographer’s Toolbox for Photoshop®”, and he is a contributing editor to Outdoor Photographer and PC Photo magazines. His Web site is www.LewisKemper.com.

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Credits Senior Acquisitions Editor Stephanie McComb

Project Coordinator Patrick Redmond

Project Editor Jama Carter

Graphics and Production Specialists Andrea Hornberger Jennifer Mayberry Ronald G. Terry

Technical Editor Mike Hagen Copy Editor Beth Taylor Editorial Director Robyn Siesky

Quality Control Technician Lindsay Littrell Proofreading and Indexing Valerie Haynes Perry Penny L. Stuart

Editorial Manager Cricket Krengel Business Manager Amy Knies Senior Marketing Manager Sandy Smith Vice President and Executive Group Publisher Richard Swadley Vice President and Executive Publisher Barry Pruett

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Light… I know not a singular word fine enough for Light. Holy, beamless, bodiless inaudible floods of Light. —John Muir

For all the Yosemite photographers before me, with me and after me. . . Ride the Light!

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Acknowledgments Yosemite has always held a special place in my heart. I became a photographer in Yosemite and made some great friends in my years spent living there. I want to thank all of those people that were part of my experience in Yosemite, because I cannot separate my experiences from the place itself. Together they are the spirit of Yosemite that has been so fulfilling in my life. I would not have been a part of this project if it wasn’t for my friends Deborah Sandidge and Josh Anon for recommending me to the staff at Wiley to write this book. Thank you both. A special thank you goes to Stephanie McComb, senior acquisitions editor, and Jama Carter, project editor, for being so helpful and supportive during the project. A heartfelt thanks goes to my family, my wife Heidi, and my son Logan, for putting up with me and my constant trips and my late hours in the office. If it wasn't for their patience and understanding, I would never be able to have my career as a photographer. I also want to thank my parents Sydney and Isobel for all the support and encouragement they have given me over the years. I would like to thank all my friends at Canon, past and present, who have supported my photography for the past six years including Dave Metz, Steve Inglima, Peter Tvarkunas, Erik Allin, Barbara Ellison, and Jim Rose. It has been an honor to be associated with such a wonderful organization. And last I would also like to thank all those that make the Yosemite experience so wonderful including all the employees of the National Park Service, the two concessionaires that have been part of the park during my time in Yosemite, The Yosemite Park and Curry Company, and Delaware North Companies, and special thanks to the folks at The Ansel Adams Gallery.

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Contents 1

Ahwahnee Hotel . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . . 4 Hotel interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Hotel exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

How Can I Get the Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Ahwahnee Hotel

2

Bridalveil Fall . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 14 Bridalveil Fall parking lot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Bridalveil Fall viewpoint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Southside Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Northside Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Gates of the Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Tunnel View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

How Can I Get the Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . . . 18 Bridalveil Fall

Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

3

Cathedral Peak . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 26 How Can I Get the Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . . . 27 Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Cathedral Peak

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4

Cathedral Rocks . . . . . . . . . . 33

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 34 El Capitan Meadow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Merced River at marker V17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

How Can I Get the Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . . . 36 Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Cathedral Rocks

5

Dog Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Where Can I Get The Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . 42 How Can I Get the Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . . . 43 Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Dog Lake

6

El Capitan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 48 Southside Drive across from Bridalveil Fall . . . . .49 Merced River across from Bridalveil Fall . . . . . . .49 Southside Drive across from El Capitan Meadow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 El Capitan Meadow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Turnout at valley marker V17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Gates of the Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Tunnel View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53


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El Capitan

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7

Fern Springs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59


Fern Springs

8

Half Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 66 Ahwahnee Meadow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Sentinel Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Mirror Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Columbia Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Cook’s Meadow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Tunnel View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Washburn and Glacier Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Big Oak Flat Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Olmsted Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

Half Dome


9

Happy Isles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79


Happy Isles

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10

Horsetail Fall. . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 88 Northside Drive picnic area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 Merced River near Four Mile Trailhead . . . . . . . . .89


Horsetail Fall

11

Indian Village . . . . . . . . . . . . 95


Indian Village

12

Lembert Dome . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 102 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 102 Tuolumne Meadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 South side of Tioga Pass Road. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

How Can I Get the Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . . 104 Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Lembert Dome

13

Mariposa Grove . . . . . . . . . . 109

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 110 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 110 Bachelor and Three Graces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Grizzly Giant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 California Tunnel Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112


Mariposa Grove

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14

Merced Grove . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 118 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 118 How Can I Get the Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . . 118 Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Merced Grove

15

Merced River. . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 126 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 126 Footbridge in Cook’s Meadow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Swinging Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Gates of the Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 From Pohono Bridge to Big Oak Flat Road . . . . . 128


Merced River

16

Mount Dana/Mount Gibbs . . . 135

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 136 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 136 Dana Fork at marker T36. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Reflecting Pond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138


Mount Dana/Mount Gibbs

17

Nevada Fall . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 144 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 144 Mist Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Washburn Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145


Nevada Fall

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18

Pioneer Yosemite History Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151


Pioneer Yosemite History Center

19

Sentinel Rock . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 162 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 162 Cook’s Meadow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 El Capitan Meadow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163


Sentinel Rock

20

Siesta Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169


Siesta Lake

21

Tenaya Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 178 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 178 Western shore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Eastern shore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Olmsted Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180


Tenaya Lake

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22

Three Brothers. . . . . . . . . . . 187

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 188 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 188 Cathedral Beach Picnic Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Merced River near valley marker V17 . . . . . . . . . 189


Three Brothers

23

Tuolumne Grove. . . . . . . . . . 195


Tuolumne Grove

24

Tuolumne Meadows and River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 204 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 204 How Can I Get the Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . . 205 Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207 Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207 Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208

Tuolumne Meadows and River

25

Unicorn Peak . . . . . . . . . . . 211


Unicorn Peak

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26

Vernal Fall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 220 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 220 Mist Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221 Washburn Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222

How Can I Get the Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . . 222 Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223 Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224 Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225

Vernal Fall

27

Wawona Hotel . . . . . . . . . . . 229

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 230 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 230 Hotel exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231 Hotel interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231


Wawona Hotel

28

Yosemite Chapel . . . . . . . . . 237

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 238 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 238 How Can I Get the Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . . 239 Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239 Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240 Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241

Yosemite Chapel

29

Yosemite Falls . . . . . . . . . . . 245

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 246 Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 246 Lower Yosemite Fall Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247 Cook’s Meadow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248 Swinging Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249 Southside Drive near Yosemite Chapel . . . . . . . .249 Glacier Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251 Upper Yosemite Fall Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251


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Yosemite Falls

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Introduction I am excited to share my photographic knowledge of Yosemite National Park with all who seek it. In this book, I guide you to 29 of Yosemite’s most photogenic locations in alphabetical order. For each location, I tell you where the landmark is located, where to get the best image, when to get the best image, and what equipment will be most useful. You can use this information and the maps included with each landmark when planning your trip to Yosemite, and it will help you come home with great photos. While the book serves as your guide to photographing in the park and allows you to find all the classic images, I want to encourage every budding photographer to use it as a starting place. Take the images outlined in the book, add your own personal touch to the classic views, but also go beyond what I describe and find some unique angles and perspectives when you visit Yosemite. Create your own vision and portfolio of Yosemite images. If you get a great one, please share it with me at www.LewisKemper.com

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The Ahwahnee Hotel photographed from the southeastern side at dusk on a summer evening. Taken at ISO 500, f/11, 1/8 second with a 17mm lens.

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1

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Ahwahnee Hotel 2/3/10 6:03 PM

Why It’s Worth a Photograph Since its opening in 1927, the Ahwahnee Hotel has marveled visitors including several presidents, actors, and international dignitaries. With its unique architecture and Native American motif, the hotel offers a glimpse of the past mixed with the modern. The Ahwahnee Hotel was originally designed to bring tourists to Yosemite Valley and is now a National Historic Landmark. Built from stone, wood, and concrete, the hotel took almost two years to build and used 5,000 tons of stone, 1,000 tons of steel, and 30,000 feet of timber. The “wood” you see on the exterior is actually poured concrete textured and stained to look like redwood! All the material had to come from outside the park because the park’s resources are protected. The hotel features the Great Lounge with its elaborate stained-glass windows and fireplaces so big you could walk inside them! The fireplaces are made from cut sandstone. The whole building is decorated with Native American art, most of which is of Miwok origin, in keeping with the original inhabitants of Yosemite Valley. As you wander through the hotel, you see themed rooms such as the Winter Club room that houses historical photos on winter sports in Yosemite, the California Room, the Writing Room, and the solarium with views of Glacier Point. The Ahwahnee Hotel is a luxury hotel and may be beyond the means of most park visitors, but it is open to the public. Anyone is welcome to visit and they even offer tours of the hotel. The Great Lounge with its Persian rugs and massive wooden furniture is a great photographic subject as well as a great place to sit and relax. There are many angles to photograph the hotel’s exterior, each giving a different perspective of the Y-shaped building.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? The Ahwahnee Hotel is very photogenic both inside and out. If you are interested in architecture and history, you could spend hours photographing here (see A and B on map).

4


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Ahwahnee Hotel

The best locations from which to photograph the Ahwahnee Hotel: (A) hotel interior, (B) hotel exterior. Other photo ops: (9) Happy Isles, (11) Indian Village, (28) Yosemite Chapel, (29) Yosemite Falls.

Hotel interior The Ahwahnee Hotel is known for its beautiful surroundings and unique architecture. The hotel’s interior features many grand spaces (see A on the map). A few of the most notable are the Great Lounge, known for its enormous stone fireplaces and beautiful stained-glass panels (see figure 1.1), the solarium with a fabulous view of Glacier Point, and the Ahwahnee Dining Room with its impressive 34-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling stained-glass framed windows, all making for great photographic subjects.

Hotel exterior The most photographed view of the hotel’s exterior is from the southern meadow looking north, as shown in figure 1.2. The entrance to the hotel is a bit more difficult to photograph; however, if you walk to the far side of the pond located at the front of the hotel, you can get a nice shot.

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1.1 The Great Lounge features period furniture and massive fireplaces at each end. Taken at 500 ISO, f/16, 2 seconds with a 17mm lens.

1.2 The Ahwahnee Hotel as seen from the south meadow (see B on the map) at sunset on a summer evening. Taken at 100 ISO, f/11, 0.6 second with a 17mm lens.

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The Ahwahnee Hotel is photographer friendly; just be sure not to make a nuisance of yourself. Set up your tripod so that other visitors can easily get around you. Plan to photograph the interior of the Ahwahnee in midday when most guests are out in the park, to avoid people walking through your images, and to be less of a hindrance to other guests.

Ahwahnee Hotel

How Can I Get the Best Shot?

The exterior that appears through the windows will be totally washed out when you expose for the interior. Many photographers choose to make one exposure for the interior lighting conditions and another for the exterior and combine the two images in an image-editing program. An advanced technique to try is High Dynamic Range photography, known as HDR, to get a full tonal range image.

Equipment When shooting architectural subjects, using a wide-angle lens and tripod are equipment essentials. Because you are photographing in tight quarters, you will have to tilt the camera upward to include the ceilings. Doing this causes some distortion, which you can correct during post-processing. If you are really into architectural photography, you may want to rent or buy a tilt-shift lens designed to reduce the distortion inherent in wide-angle photography.

Lenses As with most types of architectural photography, a wide-angle lens is the most effective when photographing the hotel. When photographing in the interior, a wider lens produces a better image. If you’re fortunate enough to have a tilt-shift lens, it will help you keep all your lines straight when working in the hotel. Lenses in the range of 14-24mm work the best. If you are photographing the details, a short telephoto in the 85-250mm range will allow you to isolate those details. When photographing the exterior, you can use lenses anywhere from 14-55mm.

Filters When photographing in the interior, no special filters are needed. A polarizing filter may be useful in eliminating glare from reflective surfaces. Star filters can add a unique quality to your images: All the light sources in the hotel will have star-like flares.

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Extras A flash is useful when photographing in the interior of the hotel. You want to use daylight as the main source of light, and the flash to fill in the shadows. A tripod, a cable release to ensure sharp images with no camera shake, and a bubble level to insure straight lines and vertical walls, are also useful tools when photographing the interior.

Camera settings The interior of the hotel has a mix of lighting sources. You will have daylight and tungsten light. Shooting on Auto White Balance or better yet, creating a custom white balance gives you the best color. Set the lens to a small aperture, called stopping down, to get greater depth of field, which will result in using slower shutter speeds. Adjust your ISO accordingly for the low-light conditions. You may be dealing with shutter speeds of several seconds to get enough light to see into all the corners of the interior.

Exposure You can successfully photograph the Ahwahnee Hotel at any time of day or night. However, if you follow the guidelines listed in the next section, you will have an easier time balancing the extreme contrast differences that can occur in this location.

Ideal time to shoot The best time to take your pictures of the interior of the hotel is on an overcast day or closer to dusk (see figure 1.3). These lighting conditions make it easier to balance both the interior and exterior light. The best time to capture exterior shots of the hotel is at sunset, or just after sunset, when the sky has just enough light present and the exterior hotel lights are coming on. The combination of the warm artificial lighting from the hotel and the cool light of dusk give a lovely mix of tonality as well as some dramatic lighting effects to your photos, as seen in figure 1.4.

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Ahwahnee Hotel 1.3 The Solarium photographed close to sunset. Taken at ISO 500, f/16, 2.5 seconds with a 17mm lens.

1.4 The south side of the Ahwahnee Hotel at dusk on a summer evening. Taken at ISO 100, f/11, 3 seconds with a 17mm lens.

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Working around the weather When the weather gets nasty, photograph the interior of the hotel. A bit less light will come in the windows, and your exposures will be longer, but at least you will be dry! However, if you choose to work outside in inclement weather, always be prepared by bringing plastic bags to cover and protect your camera, lens, and other photo equipment. Remember the hotel looks great year round. The Ahwahnee Hotel is absolutely beautiful to photograph in the wintertime.If you are able to go outdoors to shoot the hotel as snow gently falls, do it! It can add so much character and dimension to your photographs (see figure 1.5)

1.5 The south side of the Ahwahnee Hotel in winter in early afternoon. Taken at ISO 100, f/9, 1/20 second, 24-85mm zoom lens at 28mm.

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Most of your interior shots are taken in low-light conditions, whether that is on overcast days or at nighttime. If you photograph at night, you won’t need to worry about the contrast differences between the interior lighting and exterior lighting that can often make daylight images more challenging to capture. The key is to get the interior exposure correct and not worry about the exterior exposure. When photographing the inside of the hotel at night, use a tungsten white balance or custom white balance to get the best color.

Ahwahnee Hotel

Low-light and night options

Photographing the outside of the hotel at night is not ideal because it becomes more difficult to balance the bright exterior lights against the dark building. TIP

Getting creative One way of exploring your creativity is to try low angles when photographing both the exterior and interior of the hotel. Another example might be to take all your interior photos from a sitting position so that the viewer has the feeling of sitting in the hotel. You can try light painting the exterior with a flashlight or use HDR to capture the great range of contrast.

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Bridalveil Fall from the Tunnel View (see E on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/16, 1/200 second with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens at 150mm.

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Bridalveil Fall 2/3/10 6:04 PM

Why It’s Worth a Photograph Bridalveil Fall is one of the most prominent waterfalls in Yosemite National Park. You can see this fall easily from many vantage points along the roads and meadows at the western end of Yosemite Valley. Bridalveil Fall is the first waterfall you see when entering Yosemite Valley. As it plunges 620 feet to the valley floor, the fall is blown fiercely by a “Pohono Wind,” named after the Ahwahneechee Native American name for the fall, which means “Spirit of the Puffing Wind.” Pohono was a vengeful spirit said to inhabit the waterfall. Because of this wind, the shape of the falls is constantly changing and making the fall appear wider. This blowing curtain of mist is said to resemble a bridal veil, thus the fall’s name. Bridalveil Fall is the most known waterfall that runs year-round, although its flow does diminish in late summer and early fall.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? Bridalveil Fall can be photographed from numerous points in the western end of Yosemite Valley. Each vantage point gives a different view of the waterfall. Some of the best locations for photographing the waterfall are the Bridalveil Fall parking lot (see A on map), the Bridalveil Fall viewpoint (see B on map), the Southside Drive (see C on map), the Northside Drive (see D on map), Gates of the Valley (see E on map), and Tunnel View (see F on map).

Bridalveil Fall parking lot The Bridalveil Fall parking lot is located near the junction of the Southside Drive and Highway 41. Leaving the valley and heading south on 41, the parking lot is immediately to your left. From the parking lot you have a view of Bridalveil Fall descending from the cliff and disappearing into the treetops, as seen in figure 2.1. In the springtime you can feel the spray of the falls even from this distance!

2.1 Bridalveil Fall photographed from Bridalveil Fall parking lot (see A on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/20, 1/40 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 28mm.

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Bridalveil Fall The best locations from which to photograph Bridalveil Fall: (A) Bridalveil Fall parking lot, (B) Bridalveil Fall viewpoint, (C) Southside Drive, (D) Northside Drive, (E) Gates of the Valley, (F) Tunnel View. Other photo ops: (6) El Capitan, (7) Fern Springs.

Bridalveil Fall viewpoint To reach the Bridalveil Fall viewpoint, follow the trail that departs from the northeast end of the parking lot. The paved trail is approximately 1.2 miles round trip, running along the southwest side of Bridalveil Creek. Before the trail climbs up the steep section, you come to a split. If you go left, northwest, you can cross two bridges over Bridalveil Creek. The waterfall is mostly obscured from these bridges, but you can get nice images of the flowing creek. And as you walk around this area, you can find spaces between the trees where the fall is visible and can be framed against the oaks and broad-leaved maples found in this area.

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2.2 Bridalveil Fall viewpoint (see B on the map) is the closest point you can walk to and view the fall. Taken at 100 ISO, f/14, 1/60 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 70mm.

If you go straight, the trail climbs steadily with an elevation gain of about 200 feet and is a little bit steep for the last 30 yards. You cannot walk to a closer view of the fall anywhere else in the park. From this vantage point, Bridalveil Fall towers above you (see figure 2.2). In the peak of spring runoff, it is almost impossible to photograph from this point because of the intense spray that pelts you like a rainstorm!

Southside Drive To view the fall from Southside Drive, you can park on either the north or south side of the road shortly after the road becomes one way. From either side of the road, you have an excellent view of Bridalveil Fall and the surrounding cliffs (see figure 2.3). You can see much more of the waterfall from this vantage point than you can from the parking lot. From the south side of the road, you can use oak and maple trees as your foreground. From the north side of the road, you need to hike back toward the river if you want to obscure the cars on the road.

2.3 Southside Drive provides an unobscured view of the waterfall and surrounding cliffs (see C on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/80 second, 24-105mm zoom lens at 82mm.

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Bridalveil Fall

Northside Drive From Northside Drive, a turnout is located on the left-hand side of the road directly opposite Bridalveil Fall. The view is similar to the view from Southside Drive except that you are farther away from the waterfall and can have the Merced River in the foreground if you choose (see figure 2.4). If there are too many cars parked in front of the fall, you will need to crop out the river in your composition in order to not photograph the cars too!

Gates of the Valley At Gates of the Valley, you have the Merced River in your foreground, El Capitan on your left, and Bridalveil Fall on your right. Gates of the Valley is the last turnout on Northside Drive before you either cross Pohono Bridge or go straight into the two-way traffic. Besides the Tunnel View, this vantage point offers one of the most majestic views in the whole park (see figure 2.5). Here you can use native bunch grasses that grow in the river, or the many rocks and downed trees to serve as your foreground elements. In early summer, look along the banks of the river (on the west side of the parking lot) for wild Western azaleas in bloom. The flowers make a great foreground for the waterfall!

2.4 Bridalveil Fall with the Merced River in the foreground shot from Northside Drive (see D on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/16, 1/50 second with a 100400mm telephoto zoom lens at 100mm.

2.5 Gates of the Valley is one of the most majestic views of the valley (see E on the map). For years it was a favorite spot for taking pictures of Bridalveil Fall. But as you can see, the trees are starting to obscure the view. Taken at ISO 100, f/14, 1/8 second with a 14mm lens.

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Tunnel View Tunnel View, which you find by heading south on Highway 41 just as you climb out of Yosemite Valley, is the large turnout before passing through the Wawona Tunnel. From here you see the most photographed view in all of Yosemite, the classic image of El Capitan on the left, Half Dome in the center, and Bridalveil Fall on the right (see figure 2.6).

How Can I Get the Best Shot? All of the Bridalveil Fall views are easily accessible, and each angle offers a unique image. Each vantage point calls for a different lens from very wideangle to telephoto depending on your location.

2.6 Bridalveil Fall as seen from Tunnel View on a spring afternoon (see F on the map). Taken at 100 ISO, f/11, 1/125 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 100mm.

Equipment Depending on your location, you can use a variety of lenses from wide-angle to telephoto to capture the beauty of Bridalveil Fall. Having the proper filters will also enhance and improve your photographic success rate.

Lenses You can use a wide variety of focal length lenses to photograph Bridalveil Fall depending upon your location.

Bridalveil parking lot When photographing from the parking lot, lenses from 28-200mm can be used. The 28mm lens enables you to anchor the bottom of your image with the trees in the foreground and still have plenty of room to capture the sky above the falls. As you extend your focal length, you crop the trees and the sky. By the time you get to 200mm, you will be filling the frame with just the fall as it leaps from the cliff and not even be able to photograph the bottom of the fall disappearing into the trees.

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From the Bridalveil Fall viewpoint, lenses in the 24-100mm range will allow you to create a variety of different images. You will need wide-angle lenses in the 20-28mm range to capture the entire fall. With the longer end of this range, you can zoom into the bottom of the fall as it crashes into the rocks below or look up and catch the fall as it cascades over the precipice.

Bridalveil Fall

Bridalveil Fall viewpoint

Southside Drive If you are photographing from Southside Drive, wide-angle to short telephoto lenses in the 28-85mm range are appropriate. With the wider-angle lenses, you can capture the oak trees in the foreground and the falls in the background. When using short telephoto range lenses, you can fill the frame with waterfall.

Northside Drive, Gates of the Valley, and Tunnel View From the Northside Drive, Gates of the Valley, and Tunnel View, telephoto lenses in the range of 100-300mm are most useful. Lenses of this focal length enable you to isolate the fall in the grand landscape.

Filters The most useful filters for this location are the polarizing, UV or skylight, and the graduated neutral density. X

Polarizing filter. The most useful filters for photographing Bridalveil Fall are polarizing filters. These filters reduce glare on the cliffs and make the waterfall stand out more. The polarizing filter also darkens the sky, which brings out more detail in the waterfall and accentuates any clouds that may be in your photograph. The polarizer is also useful for reducing the glare and reflections off the leaves of the trees, giving you more saturated foliage.

X

UV or skylight filter. These filters are used to protect your lens from spray if you photograph from the parking lot or the viewpoint during high water.

X

Graduated neutral density filter. A graduated neutral density filter has a gradient of density that reduces light at one end of the filter and tapers down to clear, having no effect at the other end of the filter. If the sky is much brighter than the foreground, you can use this filter to even out the lighting ratios between the bright sky and the darker foreground. Because the filter is dark at one end and clear at the other, you place the dark end over the sky or waterfall to reduce the brightness of that area and to even out the light so that the bright sky or waterfall and the darker foreground can both be exposed properly in one exposure. This filter can be useful at Gates of the Valley and Tunnel View.

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Extras Using a tripod and a cable release allows you to be more flexible in your choice of shutter speeds when photographing the waterfall. A bubble level ensures a straight horizon and keeps the waterfall vertical. Plastic bags and an umbrella are useful to keep your equipment dry if you’re photographing from the parking lot or the viewpoint during the springtime.

Camera settings The main concern when photographing waterfalls is your shutter speed. If you’re close to Bridalveil Fall in the springtime, you will need fast shutter speeds to stop the motion of the water. Shutter speeds of 1/60 to 1/250 second render the fall the way your eyes see it. If you want to blur the water, you need shutter speeds between 1/8 and 1/30 second. Slower speeds wash out all the detail in the waterfall but can result in a nice creamy-smooth effect. Using very long speeds, over a second, will totally obliterate all detail in the water because the water will be falling so fast, unless you are photographing the fall late in the summer when the flow is very diminished. Fast shutter speeds of 1/500 to 1/2000 second freeze the water and give it a more icelike appearance. As you get farther from the waterfall, at the other locations, you can stop the action of the water by using slower shutter speeds. Shutter speeds from 1/30 to 1/125 second are sufficient to stop the water and render it as your eyes see from these distances. I recommend that you try a variety of shutter speeds to see which effect you like best.

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X

ISO. Using the native ISO of your camera always gives you the best image. If you are using a tripod, it will not be difficult to use this native ISO. If you are handholding the camera, you may want to boost the ISO to 400 or higher so that you can stop the lens down to a smaller aperture and still have a fast enough shutter speed to be steady.

X

Exposure mode. Since shutter speed is your primary concern, using Shutter Priority mode will allow you to select the proper shutter speed.

X

Exposure compensation. If you are filling the frame with the waterfalls, your camera will tend to underexpose the bright waters, so using an exposure compensation between +1/2 to +1 stop will help keep the water white and not underexpose the surrounding areas of the picture.

X

White balance. Daylight white balance should work well for most images taken in this area.


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Knowing when to be at a location and how to work with (or around) the weather are key elements in capturing a great landscape image.

Bridalveil Fall

Exposure

Ideal time to shoot The best time to photograph Bridalveil Fall from all the locations described is in the afternoon when the sun is hitting the water. From the parking lot and from Tunnel View, you can see a rainbow in the waterfall in late afternoon on clear days. From midafternoon until sunset, the light is nice on the waterfall from all these angles. If you are fortunate enough to capture a rainbow, you can use your polarizing filter to accentuate the colors of it. But be careful; if you rotate the filter too far, you can make the rainbow disappear!

Working around the weather Clearing storms, ones in which the clouds roll and drift through the valley, present a good time to photograph a waterfall. During a storm, the waterfall may be totally obscured. But if you’re patient, there will always be a break allowing you to see the waterfall. Having the right rain gear and using an umbrella allows you and your equipment to remain dry. Because the water flowing in Bridalveil Fall fluctuates during the seasons, the most dramatic times of year to photograph are from spring to early summer and again in the winter. Bridalveil does not get much sunlight in the wintertime and ice forms along the cliffs that remains throughout the day. Sometimes the icicles can be 15 to 30 feet long and add a lot of drama to an image of a waterfall. In the autumn season, you find a lot of color in this area as the oaks and maples change color. This is also a good time to photograph the waterfall because the trees are not as dense and the color adds nice contrast.

Low-light and night options During nights of a full moon, as the moon gets closer to setting and farther west, there will be a lot of light on Bridalveil Fall. But because the waterfall faces northwest, a moonbow will not appear. Depending on the moon cycle, I would start with a 30-second exposure at your widest aperture at ISO 400 and check your results on the LCD. Full moon images may be good at this exposure and smaller moon phases may require longer exposures or higher ISOs.

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Getting creative One way to get creative with Bridalveil Fall is to shoot a vertical panoramic image of the fall by using a short telephoto lens and stitching together several images in your favorite image-editing program to get the full length of the waterfall. Some point-and-shoot cameras have a Panoramic mode that will allow you to do this all in camera.

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A view of the top of Cathedral Peak from Tuolumne Meadows. Taken at ISO 100, f/36, 1/15 second with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens at 330mm.

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Cathedral Peak 2/3/10 6:05 PM

Why It’s Worth a Photograph John Muir, the famed naturalist and founder of the Sierra Club wrote “…the wonderful mountain called Cathedral Peak is in sight. From every point of view it shows marked individuality. It is a majestic temple of one stone, hewn from living rock, and adorned with spires and pinnacles in regular cathedral style….” Cathedral Peak surely is a majestic peak with its pinnacle sharp point. It is one of the most prominent landmarks in Tuolumne Meadows.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? For those of us not willing to hike to the base of the mountain, Cathedral Peak can best be photographed from the banks of the Tuolumne River in Tuolumne Meadows (see A on the map). Near Soda Springs, a footbridge crosses the river. Hiking either east or west along the river at this point rewards you with excellent views of Cathedral Peak reflecting in the river (see figure 3.1).

3.1 Cathedral Peak is best photographed on the banks of the Tuolumne River in Tuolumne Meadows. Taken at 100 ISO, f/14, 1/100 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 40mm.

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Cathedral Peak The best location from which to photograph Cathedral Peak: (A) along the Tuolumne River in Tuolumne Meadows. Other photo ops: (5) Dog Lake, (12) Lembert Dome, (21) Tenaya Lake, (24) Tuolumne Meadows, (25) Unicorn Peak.

How Can I Get the Best Shot? By taking a short walk out into Tuolumne Meadows along the river you can — with the proper gear — get a great shot.

Equipment One or two lenses and filters are all you need to get a good picture of Cathedral Peak.

Lenses From anywhere in Tuolumne Meadows, lenses in the range from 28-400mm enable you to photograph the mountain and give you several perspectives. With the wider lenses from 28-50mm, you can frame the mountain and include the river in the foreground. With lenses in the 85-105mm range, you can frame the mountain and the meadows. With lenses from 150-400mm, you can fill your viewfinder with the peak.

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Filters The most useful filters you can use when photographing Cathedral Peak are a polarizing filter and a graduated neutral density filter. X

Polarizing filter. This filter can be used to separate the rock formation from the sky, to reduce glare and reflections off the surface of the water and rocks, and to darken the sky and enhance any clouds you may happen to have in the scene.

X

Graduated neutral density filter. The graduated neutral density filter is useful to even out the exposure between the peak and the trees in the foreground. It is useful for balancing your lighting ratios, especially when photographing with a foreground and background that vary greatly in brightness. A graduated neutral density filter has a gradient of density that reduces light at one end of the filter and tapers to clear at the other end of the filter. If the sky is much brighter than the foreground, you can use this filter to even out the lighting ratios between the bright sky and the darker foreground. Since the filter is dark at one end and clear at the other, you place the dark end over the sky or cliff face, and this will reduce the brightness of that area and even out the light so that the bright sky or cliff and the darker foreground can both be exposed properly in one exposure.

TIP

Be careful with the polarizing filter because at this altitude the sky is already a deep blue, and if you over-polarize, you can make the sky turn black.

Extras Aside from a tripod and cable release, consider using a bubble level to ensure a straight horizon as well as a lens shade to reduce glare.

Camera settings When photographing Cathedral Peak, the biggest concern is the depth of field. Proper depth of field is especially important if you are including the river or any of the trees in the foreground. To ensure good depth of field, you need to set your lens to a small aperture, called stopping down the lens. Using Aperture Priority mode and then setting the camera to f/16 or f/22 and letting the camera pick the shutter speed is a good method for photographing in this area. X

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ISO. Using the native ISO of your camera always gives you the best image. If you are using a tripod, it will not be difficult to use this native ISO. If you are handholding the camera, you may want to boost the ISO to 400 or higher so that you can stop down the lens to a smaller aperture and still have a fast enough shutter speed to be steady.


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Exposure mode. Since depth of field is the foremost concern, using Aperture Priority mode, where you set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed, would be the best choice. Choosing apertures in the f/11 to f/22 range will give you good depth of field and allow you to have sharp images.

X

Exposure compensation. If you use an evaluative metering mode that reads from throughout your image on your camera, you should not need any exposure compensation at this location.

X

White balance. Daylight white balance should work well for most images taken of this subject.

Cathedral Peak

X

Exposure Knowing when to be at a location and working with the weather are key elements in capturing a great landscape image. Scout your locations and walk up and down the river and around the meadows. Each area gives you a slightly different perspective.

Ideal time to shoot Early morning is the best time to photograph from this location. As the sun rises in the east, it illuminates the western side of Cathedral Peak. On a clear day, there is a nice golden glow on the top of the mountain that gradually works its way down the slopes. Position yourself low to the water, and you should be able to pick up this reflection in the river due to your lower vantage point. In the summer, this means photographing between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m.

Working around the weather Dramatic clouds and building afternoon thunderstorms can produce some dramatic light on Cathedral Peak. Just be careful. If there are any signs of thunder and lightning, I do not recommend standing in the middle of Tuolumne Meadows.

Low-light and night options On nights with a full moon, plenty of light is available to photograph Cathedral Peak with the stars in the background. On nights with a full or quarter moon, you should be able to see and photograph the Milky Way streaming above Cathedral Peak. If you want to photograph the Milky Way and keep the stars as pinpoints similar to what you see, use a wide-angle lens wide open and expose to 20 to 30 seconds. The ISO you will need depends on your lens speed. An f/2.8 or faster lens will require ISOs around 800-1000, while a slower lens such as an f/4.5, will require ISOs nearer to 3200.

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Getting creative Photograph a panoramic image by shooting a series of vertical images with approximately a 50mm lens from the riverside with Cathedral Peak as the centerpiece of your image. Then stitch these images together in an image-editing program to create a large panoramic image. This gives you the feeling of standing in the immense meadow and viewing its surroundings. Some point-and-shoot cameras have builtin panoramic modes to assist you in stitching your images in camera.

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A view of Cathedral Rocks from the Merced River near valley marker V17 on a sunny summer morning. Taken at ISO 100, f/16, 1/30 second with a 17mm lens.

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Cathedral Rocks 2/3/10 6:05 PM

Why It’s Worth a Photograph Cathedral Rocks is a massive granite formation at the west end of Yosemite Valley. Even though the formation is usually called Cathedral Rock, it is actually made up of several summits. They are named the Higher, Middle, and Lower Cathedral Rocks. Also amongst this group are the Cathedral Spires, two tall columns of granite just to the east of the main rocks. Bridalveil Fall flows between the Cathedral Rocks and the Leaning Tower. The multilayered rock formation of Cathedral Rocks takes on a different appearance from every angle. The enormous rock formation makes a wonderful photographic subject from several locations in the west end of the valley. The Middle Cathedral Rock is also a favorite destination of Yosemite National Park rock climbers.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? El Capitan Meadow provides numerous spots to photograph Cathedral Rocks. For an added element of water, you can photograph from the Merced River.

The best locations from which to photograph Cathedral Rocks: (A) El Capitan Meadow, (B) Merced River at marker V17. Other photo ops: (2) Bridalveil Fall, (6) El Capitan, (10) Horsetail Fall, (22) Three Brothers.

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In El Capitan Meadow (see A on the map), you have great views of Cathedral Rocks anywhere you walk. Both small and large pine trees and oak trees are scattered throughout the meadow. Walk around and find some of these trees to use as foreground elements (see figure 4.1). In June, you can also find wild azaleas blooming in the meadow. Those flowers make a very nice foreground when photographing Cathedral Rocks.

Cathedral Rocks

El Capitan Meadow

4.1 Cathedral Rocks from El Capitan Meadow. Taken at ISO 100, f /14, 1/30 second with a 17mm lens.

Merced River at marker V17 To photograph from the river, park in the parking area on the north side of the road at valley marker V17. This parking lot is easy to distinguish due to the two cedar trees that grow out of the asphalt. Park on the west side of the lot and walk down the trail to the river (see B on map). Although the trail is very short, just about 20 to 30 yards, the downhill portion is steep. Once down the hill, the walk to the river is flat and easy. If you look west, downriver, you see Cathedral Rocks and Cathedral Spires. The shape of the bank differs depending upon the time of year. But if you walk along the bank, you should be able to find a location that will give you a nice reflection of Cathedral Rocks, as shown in figure 4.2.

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4.2 Cathedral Rocks from the Merced River on a sunny summer morning. Taken at ISO 100, f/16, 1/25 second with a 17mm lens.

How Can I Get the Best Shot? By taking a morning walk either in El Capitan Meadow or along the Merced River, you can find many views in which to capture Cathedral Rocks. The right equipment and settings can help you get the best images.

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Wide-angle lenses, a polarizing filter, and your tripod work best for this subject.

Lenses In El Capitan Meadow, you are fairly close to Middle Cathedral Rock, which rises nearly 3,000 feet above the valley floor. Therefore, if you want to photograph the whole formation, you will need a wide-angle lens. Lenses in the 14-24mm range allow you to frame the whole rock formation and the trees in the foreground. If you use longer lenses, you will not be able to photograph the entire rock formation. With a long telephoto lens, you may be able to photograph rock climbers on the face of Cathedral Rocks.

Cathedral Rocks

Equipment

From along the Merced River you are a bit farther away, but you still need a wideangle lens to photograph the top of the formation and its entire reflection in the river. Again, lenses in the 14-24mm range allow you to get this shot. Lenses in the 28-50mm range allow you to get the rock formation and a partial reflection. In almost all cases, you are going to be pointing your lens upward causing distortion problems, which will result in bending trees and out-of-proportion rock formations. If you are fortunate enough to own a tilt-shift lens, these are ideal locations to use it. Otherwise you may plan on straightening your image using image-editing software later.

Filters At midday a polarizing filter can darken the sky above Cathedral Rocks from both locations. When photographing from the river location, make sure you don’t overpolarize and eliminate the reflection. You may also want to use a graduated filter if the trees and subjects in your foreground are much darker than the sky and the rock formations. This filter helps you balance out the lighting ratios.

Extras Using a tripod, a cable release, and a bubble level help you get sharp pictures and level horizons.

Camera settings As in the case with most landscape images, depth of field is your top priority, especially if you’re using trees or flowers or the river as a foreground element. You want to ensure that both the foreground and background are in focus. Using a small aperture of f/16 or f/22 gives you the depth of field that you require. Aperture Priority mode on your camera makes this task easier.

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Using the native ISO of your camera gives you the best images, but if the light is exceptionally low, you can raise your ISO. Using a preset white balance such as the Daylight setting will give you nice rich colors and keep any natural color shifts that may appear due to warm light.

Exposure Rising early and enjoying the solitude will get you the best images of Cathedral Rocks. Use a low ISO to get clean images. And pick a white balance preset such as Daylight, if you are not too early in the morning, to get rich color. If you do go out very early before sunrise, the light may tend to be very blue, so a preset such as Cloudy or Shade may give you better color.

Ideal time to shoot The best time to photograph Cathedral Rock is between the hours of approximately 7:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. You want the sun to be high enough to light up the rocks, but not so high in the sky you lose the definition of the shadows. In the time between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., the light will be fairly warm on the face of the cliffs.

Working around the weather From either location, Cathedral Rocks can be an interesting subject no matter what the weather. If you’re photographing from either of these locations during a rainstorm, you’ll want to have plastic bags and an umbrella to protect your equipment. Cathedral Rocks is a good subject to photograph year-round. In El Capitan Meadow and along the Merced River, there are many trees that change color in autumn that you can use for foreground to add color to your image. Both of these locations are easily accessible in the winter as well. If you are photographing during snow, you’ll also need winter boots in order to walk out in the meadows or down to the river.

Low-light and night options Because these cliffs are on the south side of the valley, they will not be lit as well by a full moon as the north side cliffs (see figure 4.3). But even on nights of a partial moon, you should be able to get nice photographs showing the silhouetted shape of Cathedral Rocks with the stars above. The best view for this is from El Capitan Meadow, but you need to be aware of car headlights; they could pass through the image from traffic on Southside Drive.

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Cathedral Rocks 4.3 Dawn in El Capitan Meadow with the moon over Cathedral Rocks. Taken at ISO 100, f/8, 2 seconds with a 14mm lens.

Getting creative You can get creative by framing the Cathedral Rocks using the tall oak trees in El Capitan Meadow. Many of these trees have arching branches that you can use as a frame for the photograph. You can also try getting low next to the azalea bushes in June and have them large and looming in your foreground with the Cathedral Rocks in your background.

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Dog Lake from the south shore in late summer. Taken at ISO 100, f/10, 1/200 second with a 17mm lens.

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Dog Lake 2/3/10 6:06 PM

Why It’s Worth a Photograph Dog Lake is a very picturesque sub-alpine lake located just above Tuolumne Meadows. Besides Tenaya and Siesta Lakes, which are both roadside lakes, it is one of the most accessible lakes outside Yosemite Valley. With its curving peninsula as a foreground, Dog Lake is postcard perfect for photography.

Where Can I Get The Best Shot? Dog Lake can be reached by walking a short trail that leaves the Lembert Dome parking lot at Tuolumne Meadows (see A on the map). The short 1.5-mile trail starts off flat but quickly climbs steadily up to the southwest edge of the lake. The elevation gain on the trail is 750 feet. Directly in front of you is the most picturesque view. Located on the shore just to your right is a little inlet with reeds, grasses, and occasional logs to use as foreground elements; and if you aim your camera slightly northwest, the sweeping lines of a natural peninsula will appear in the middle ground of the picture, with the mountains and forest in the background.

The best location from which to photograph Dog Lake: (A) the southwest edge of the lake. Other photo ops: (12) Lembert Dome, (24) Tuolumne Meadows.

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By taking your time on the hike and then exploring the shoreline, you can get some interesting views of Dog Lake. Bringing along the right equipment as well as adjusting your settings for the location will enable you to get the images you want.

Dog Lake


Equipment You have to make the hike to Dog Lake carrying your equipment uphill, so to keep your load light, just carry your wide-angle lens, some filters, and your tripod.

Lenses From the southwest shore, a wide-angle lens in the 16-28mm range will work the best to give you a strong foreground element using the grasses or logs in the left foreground and showing the curve of the lake in the background. If you want to use the peninsula as the foreground element, use a midrange zoom of 35-105mm.

Filters A polarizing filter reduces the glare off the surface of the lake, allowing you to see below the surface of the water and to use the grasses as a stronger foreground element. If you go early in the morning or later in the afternoon, the polarizing filter will also darken the sky and emphasize any clouds that may appear. Using the filter also helps add some contrast and gives more depth to your image.

Extras As always, besides a lens, a tripod is the accessory that helps to improve your images more than any other. In this case, if you want to have everything sharp from the foreground grasses to the distant mountains, you need to use a small aperture to ensure the greatest amount of depth of field. Because you are using a small aperture in this image, you will have slower shutter speeds, so the tripod will ensure a nice sharp image (see figure 5.1).

5.1 Getting low in the grasses along the shore of Dog Lake on a summer morning. Taken at ISO 100, f/13, 1/125 second with a 17mm lens.

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Camera settings For this image, getting an extreme amount of depth of field to ensure sharpness from your foreground to your background is the most important factor to consider when deciding on exposure settings. X

ISO. Using the native ISO of your camera always gives you the best image. If you are using a tripod, it will not be difficult to use this native ISO. If you are handholding the camera, you may want to boost the ISO to 400 or higher so that you use a smaller aperture to ensure enough depth of field and still have a fast enough shutter speed to be steady.

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Exposure mode. Since depth of field is the foremost concern, using Aperture Priority mode, where you set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed, would be the best choice. Choosing apertures in the f/11 to f/22 range will give you good depth of field and allow you to have sharp images throughout. To maximize depth of field, focus about one-third of the way into the scene and allow the small aperture to extend the focus from front to back.

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Exposure compensation. If your camera light meter reads the whole scene, you should not need any exposure compensation.

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White balance. Daylight white balance should work well for most images taken of this subject. But you are at a high elevation, and there can be an excess of blue light. If your images look too blue on the LCD, use a white balance of Cloudy or Shade to warm up your image.

Exposure Dog Lake is a forgiving subject. You can photograph here under lots of conditions.

Ideal time to shoot Dog Lake is one location that you can photograph at any time of day. I recommend either photographing from approximately 9:30 a.m. to 11: 30 a.m. or 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. At these times, the sun is off center, which allows you to have better contrast throughout the image. Also, shadows appear in the forested areas adding some depth to the image.

Working around the weather The great photographer, Ansel Adams, called skies that were completely clear of clouds “bald-headed skies.” Summers in the Sierras can often produce such skies, which can make for a dull and uninteresting shot, because you can’t take advantage

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Dog Lake

of capturing the clouds’ reflections off the lake. However, if you are photographing on a particularly clear and cloudless day, you may want to try using a polarizing filter that will help darken the sky and add some contrast and interest to your photos.

Low-light and night options With today’s digital cameras, taking photographs in a very low-light situation is easy. If you want to photograph the night stars reflected in Dog Lake, you need a tripod, a cable release, and a camera with ISO settings of 1000 or higher. Open your wide-angle lens as wide as it goes (f/2.8, f/3.5, and so on) and set the shutter speed to 30 seconds, if you want to shoot the stars as points of light, and adjust the ISO to give you the correct exposure. If you want to shoot star trails reflected in the lake, then you want to set the camera to a Bulb setting (on the shutter speed) and use exposures of 5 to 30 minutes (or longer if you want very long streaks). Because you will be exposing so much, longer ISOs of 100 to 400 will work. And because you are facing mostly north at this location, you can locate the North Star — the star trails will all create circles around this star!

Getting creative Using a wide-angle lens and getting low and close to either some grasses or logs as a foreground element and really emphasizing this element is one way to get creative in this location. Another idea would be to use a focal length, such as 65-80mm, and take a series of vertical images that you can stitch together into a panoramic view of the lake. Most cameras come with software for creating panoramic images and some cameras even have a Panoramic mode built in. If you do this technique, make sure you overlap your images by one-third so that the software has an easier time stitching them together. The reason that you want to use the longer lens in a vertical mode for panoramic images is to keep the subject from getting too small in the picture and to look more like the way your eye sees the scene.

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El Capitan looming over the trees in El Capitan Meadow. Taken at ISO 100, f/8, 1/100 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 24mm.

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El Capitan 2/3/10 6:08 PM

Why It’s Worth a Photograph El Capitan is the largest granite monolith in the world. It arises over 3,000 vertical feet from the Yosemite Valley floor. El Capitan dominates the western end of Yosemite Valley and has been one of the icons of the park since the park’s creation. The rock formation is compelling in its sheer size and unique shape. El Capitan is the birthplace of big wall climbing in the United States. From Carlton Watkins to Ansel Adams, El Capitan has been a favorite subject for photography throughout history.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? You can photograph El Capitan from several good vantage points including Southside Drive cross from Bridalveil Fall, the Merced River across from Bridalveil

The best locations from which to photograph El Capitan: (A) Southside Drive across from Bridalveil Fall, (B) Merced River across from Bridalveil Fall, (C) Southside Drive across from El Capitan Meadow, (D) El Capitan Meadow, (E) the turnout at valley marker V17, (F) Gates of the Valley, (G) Tunnel View. Other photo ops: (2) Bridalveil Fall, (4) Cathedral Rock, (7) Fern Springs, (10) Horsetail Fall.

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El Capitan

Fall, Southside Drive opposite El Capitan Meadow, El Capitan Meadow, the turnout at valley marker V17, Gates of the Valley, and Tunnel View.

Southside Drive across from Bridalveil Fall Immediately after Highway 41 branches off to the south as you proceed east into Yosemite Valley, you see parking on both sides of the road directly opposite Bridalveil Fall (see A on the map). On the north side of the road is an area full of oak trees. From among these oaks you can frame El Capitan as it towers in front of you, as shown in figure 6.1.

6.1 El Capitan and oaks on an autumn afternoon. Taken at ISO 100, f/16, 1/100 second with a 17mm lens.

Merced River across from Bridalveil Fall If you continue walking south through these oaks, you will come to the Merced River (see B on the map). The riverbank is steep here. If you look east, you can see a bend in the river, and the water flows down a small series of rapids with El Capitan looming in the background, as shown in figure 6.2.

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6.2 El Capitan towering above the Merced River (see B on the map) taken on a spring afternoon. Taken at ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 32mm.

Southside Drive across from El Capitan Meadow Directly opposite El Capitan Meadow on the left-hand side of the road is a turnout (see C on the map). From here, you can have the river in your foreground and the massive wall of El Capitan in the background, as shown in figure 6.3.

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El Capitan

6.3 Reflection of El Capitan in the Merced River in autumn. Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/6 second with a 17mm lens.

El Capitan Meadow El Capitan Meadow is a large meadow adjacent to El Capitan. The meadow has many pine and oak trees growing throughout. You can walk around the meadow and use these trees as foreground elements or frames for your pictures of El Capitan. In June wild azaleas grow in the meadow, and you can use these bushes as foreground elements (see figure 6.4). This area is also great for watching rock climbers as they attempt El Capitan.

Turnout at valley marker V17 On the Southside Drive just past Cathedral picnic area, you find a turnout on the left with valley marker V17 (see E on the map). This turnout is distinguishable because of the two cedar

6.4 Wild azaleas growing in El Capitan Meadow in spring (see D on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/14, 1/20 second with a 14mm lens and a graduated neutral density filter.

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6.5 El Capitan and the Merced River on a late summer morning. Taken at ISO 100, f/14, 1/40 second with a 17mm lens.

trees that grow from the asphalt! Park on the left side of the turnout and walk down the trail to the Merced River. The trail is short but steep in the beginning. At the end of the trail, the river is wide and the water slows down giving you a good reflection of the rock face of El Capitan, as shown in figure 6.5.

Gates of the Valley The last turnout on Northside Drive before either looping around and returning to the valley or heading down to Highway 140 is Gates of the Valley. It is a large turnout on the southwest side of the road. When standing at Gates of the Valley, you are at river level looking out at El Capitan on your left as shown in figure 6.6. It is one of the most iconic views in the park.

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6.6 El Capitan from Gates of the Valley on a cold winter morning (see F on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/6 second with a 14mm lens.


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El Capitan

Tunnel View Capturing this classic view of Yosemite Valley is a must. Located on Highway 41 shortly after it leaves Yosemite Valley, you can see a large turnout on the south side of the road before you enter the Wawona Tunnel. From here, you are above the valley floor looking out and seeing El Capitan on the left (see figure 6.7), Clouds Rest and Half Dome in the middle, and Bridalveil Fall on the right. This view is the most photographed view in Yosemite.


6.7 El Capitan from Tunnel View on a

To get the very best pictures of El May afternoon (see G on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/16, 1/200 second Capitan, you really need to pay atten- with a 100-400mm at 120mm. tion to the quality of the light and the weather. Morning or afternoon light work best depending on your location, and having clouds makes the picture more interesting than clear blue skies.

Equipment When photographing El Capitan from the various vista points, you’ll be using lenses from as wide as 14mm to as long as 200mm. There are several filters you can use, and of course your tripod and cable release yield the best results.

Lenses Highlighted below are the lenses that are most optimal to use when photographing from the various locations.

Southside Drive across from Bridalveil Fall For best results, use a wide-angle lens in the 20-28mm range. This range allows you to use a small object in the foreground while still capturing the full height of El Capitan.

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Using lenses wider than the 20-28mm range to capture El Capitan will diminish it in size within your frame, and longer lenses will not capture the full height of the monolith. TIP

Merced River across from Bridalveil Fall From this location it is recommended that you use a very wide-angle lens in the 14-24mm range, which is necessary to capture both the Merced River and El Capitan. In fact, you’re probably going to need to turn your camera vertically to capture all of it.

Southside Drive across from El Capitan Meadow In order to photograph both the river and the rock face, you need an extremely wide-angled lens in the range of 14-24mm. Additionally, you can try using a longer lens (28-45mm range), which allows you to photograph the oak trees in the foreground with El Capitan in the background.

El Capitan Meadow This location allows you to use the greatest variety of lenses. X

Use a wide-angle lens (14-24mm range), which allows you to frame your image of El Capitan with the meadow in the foreground.

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Use a longer lens in the 28-50mm range to use the tree branches against portions of El Capitan in the background; however, you will not be able to fit the entire rock face in your photo.

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Use a midrange telephoto lens (85-200mm) if you want to compress the pattern of the tree branches against the pattern of the granite rock face.

Turnout at valley marker V17 This location requires using a wide-angle lens. Anything in the 14-28mm range works best. The wider the lens you use, the more reflection you’ll be able to capture in your image. To get a full reflection of El Capitan from top to bottom, you need a 20mm or wider lens (see figure 6.8).

Gates of the Valley If you want to photograph El Capitan without any surrounding landscape in your frame, then you’ll want to use a 35-75mm range lens as well as vertically position your camera before taking the shot.

Tunnel View A midrange telephoto lens (75-200mm) is really essential from this location in order to isolate El Capitan. I recommend taking a vertical image of El Capitan from this location.

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El Capitan

Filters The most useful filters you can use when photographing El Capitan are a polarizing filter and a graduated neutral density filter. X

Polarizing filter. Useful for darkening skies as well as reducing glare.

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Graduated neutral density filter. Useful for balancing your lighting ratios, especially when you are photographing with a darker foreground and lighter background. A graduated neutral density filter has a gradient of density that reduces light at the top of the filter and tapers to clear, having no effect at the bottom of 6.8 Photographing the full reflection of the filter. If the sky is much El Capitan with a wide-angle lens on a brighter than the foreground, you summer morning. Taken at ISO 100, can use this filter to even out the f/16, 1/30 second with a 17mm lens. lighting ratios between the bright sky and the darker foreground. Because the filter is dark at one end and clear at the other, you place the dark end over the sky or cliff face to reduce the brightness of that area and even out the light so that the bright sky or cliff and the darker foreground can both be exposed properly in one exposure. This filter is really useful when shooting at the Merced River, Gates of the Valley, and Tunnel View locations.

Camera settings When you are photographing El Capitan, your biggest concern is often depth of field. In order to get a lot of depth of field, use a smaller aperture on your lens such as f/16 and f/22. Doing this is important in those locations where you have strong foreground elements and El Capitan in the background. X

ISO. Using the native ISO of your camera always gives you the best image. If you are using a tripod, it will not be difficult to use this native ISO. If you are handholding the camera, you may want to boost the ISO to 400 or higher so that you set the lens to a smaller aperture to ensure enough depth of field and still have a fast enough shutter speed to be steady.

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Exposure mode. Since depth of field is the foremost concern, using Aperture Priority mode, where you set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed, would be the best choice. Choosing apertures in the f/11 to f/22 range will give you good depth of field and allow you to have sharp images throughout.

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Exposure compensation. From any of these locations you have to be careful because the camera may be reading most of the light from the darker foliage in the foreground and thus overexposing El Capitan in the background. If this happens, you will need to use your exposure compensation with a starting point of –2/3 stop to darken the image. Check the LCD screen to see if you are maintaining detail in the highlights. If not, use even more exposure compensation until the highlights look good.

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Exposure Working with the best light and finding a good location for the lighting conditions will help you get a great photo of El Capitan. Try all the locations and see what they look like at different times of the day.

Ideal time to shoot Because most of these locations are west of the formation, the ideal time to photograph is late afternoon and early evening. This is when the warmer light is striking the west face of El Capitan. From the turnout at valley marker V17, your better photographs come in the early morning after the sun has cleared the cliffs in the east. From El Capitan Meadow, you can photograph all day long. In the morning, the sun hits the east face and in the afternoon and evening the sun hits the west face; you can position yourself accordingly in the meadow.

Working around the weather El Capitan is beautiful any time of the year. From all these locations, with the exception of Tunnel View, you have deciduous trees in your foregrounds that add nice autumn color. The same trees also hold snow in the winter and add to the impact of your images. If you’re photographing along the river, you may also have snow mounds on the rocks to use as compositional elements. Some of the most dramatic images I have seen in El Capitan are during clearing storms as the clouds billow through the valley and add atmosphere to your photographs.

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Because El Capitan is on the north side of the valley, it catches a lot of moonlight. The best place to photograph El Capitan at night is from El Capitan Meadow. Here you can get the monolith either lit up by moonlight or as a silhouette against the night sky, if there is no moon.

El Capitan


Getting creative One way to get creative when photographing El Capitan is to shoot vertical panoramas instead of using wide-angle lenses. This way you can use a more standard lens and make many photographs capturing parts of El Capitan and then stitch them together in the digital darkroom. Some point-and-shoot cameras have a Panoramic mode built in. This can also work for horizontal images, but instead of shooting as a panoramic image, you use your standard lens and shoot a grid of images and put those together in the digital darkroom. A more traditional way of getting creative is to use low angles and overemphasize the height of El Capitan. You can also try using some of the trees to create frames when photographing the rock face.

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Fern Springs and dogwood blossom on a spring afternoon. Taken at ISO 100, f/22, 1/4 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 105mm.

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Fern Springs 2/3/10 6:08 PM

Why It’s Worth a Photograph Fern Springs may be the smallest named waterfall in Yosemite National Park, but it is also one of the most photogenic. This is a two-tiered waterfall emanating from a natural spring, with a total drop of approximately 18 inches! Well-known photographers, such as Ansel Adams, John Sexton, and William Neill have all made beautiful photographs from this location. Fern Springs is surrounded by broad-leaved maples and dogwood trees.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? Fern Springs is marked by valley marker V12, and is located on the south side of the road just after you cross Pohono Bridge. The area is very small, and you can easily photograph it from both sides of the spring (see A on the map).

The best location from which to photograph Fern Springs: (A) the area around the springs. Other photo ops: (2) Bridalveil Fall, (6) El Capitan.

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Fern Springs

How Can I Get the Best Shot? To get the best shots of Fern Springs, get down low and close to the water.

Equipment Fern Springs is one location in Yosemite you can photograph quite well with a normal to short telephoto lens. A longer telephoto will allow you to get close and photograph details of the fall. A polarizing filter and a tripod are also useful.

Lenses If you’re going to photograph the entire springs and its waterfalls, you need a wide-angle lens in the 20-28mm range. Normal to short telephoto lenses in the 50-150mm range work best for doing the close-up details of the tiny waterfalls. And longer lenses from 200300mm allow you to photograph the abstract patterns on the surface of the water (see figure 7.1).

Filters The most useful filters used at this location are the polarizing filter and a neutral density filter. X

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Polarizing filter. The polarizing filter allows you to reduce the surface glare from the water and see into the crystal-clear spring. This filter also reduces the light entering your camera by up to 2 stops, which can come in handy when trying to blur the water.

7.1 Fern Springs is Yosemite’s smallest waterfall. Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/3 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 105mm.

Neutral density filter. The neutral density filter reduces the amount of light entering your camera and allows you to photograph at very slow shutter speeds. Using neutral density filters of 2 to 5 stops is useful in this location. It differs from a graduated neutral density filter in that the whole filter reduces light.

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Extras A tripod that can get low to the ground is very useful in this location. Because Fern Springs looks the best when you slow shutter speeds down to several seconds in length, you definitely want your camera to be on a tripod. When using a tripod, I recommend that you use a cable release and a bubble level.

Camera settings When photographing Fern Springs, you want to use slow shutter speeds to achieve the look of soft flowing water. Shutter speeds from a half of a second to several seconds usually give the best results. You also want to make sure that you have enough depth of field to have the front and the back of the spring in focus. Using a small aperture to get the correct depth of field necessitates a slow shutter speed. Using a low ISO also helps to make sure that the shutter speed remains slow. If using a low ISO and a small aperture still does not give you slow enough shutter speeds, the neutral density filter will help. X


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Exposure mode. Since shutter speed is the foremost concern, using Shutter Priority mode, where you set the shutter speed and the camera sets the aperture, would be the best choice. Choosing shutter speeds of 1/2 second to several seconds will allow you to render the falls as soft flowing water.

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White balance. Daylight white balance should work well for most images taken of this subject. Check your results, as this is a very shady area and the light tends to be blue. If your Auto White Balance is not correcting enough to eliminate the blue cast, then you’ll want to use your Shade or Cloudy white balance preset.

Exposure Paying attention to the light and trying to avoid uneven areas of brightness and darkness can help you get the best images of Fern Springs.

Ideal time to shoot Because trees surround Fern Springs, the light on the springs can be quite spotty. The ideal time to photograph in this location is early morning before the sun gets high enough to hit the springs or late afternoon when the sun gets low again.

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Fern Springs can be photographed year-round; the water never stops running. In winter, ice can form along the edges of the spring, which makes a nice photographic subject. In spring, the dogwood blossoms add an extra accent to this area. And in autumn, maple and dogwood leaves fall into the springs and add an extra element of color to a fairly monochromatic scene.

Fern Springs

Working around the weather

Low-light and night options Overcast days with low light are an ideal time to photograph Fern Springs because you eliminate the problems with contrast. This area is not good for nighttime photography.

Getting creative You can get creative with your Fern Springs images in a couple of ways. One way is to photograph the abstract patterns that are made by the reflections on the surface of the water (see figure 7.2). Another way to get creative here would be to experiment with specialty filters. Two filters worth experimenting with are the yellow/blue polarizing filter and a star filter. The yellow/blue polarizing filter makes some interesting colors in the water, and the star filter makes star patterns in the highlights reflecting off the water.

7.2 Working with the abstract patterns created by the reflections. Taken at ISO 100, f/29, 1/2 second with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom at 400mm.

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Half Dome as seen from Glacier Point on a summer evening. Taken at 100 ISO, f/11, 1/200 second with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens at 100mm.

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Half Dome 2/3/10 6:09 PM

Why It’s Worth a Photograph If there is one rock formation that represents Yosemite National Park, it is Half Dome. Half Dome is so recognizable that its likeness is used on the California state quarter, on the logo of the Sierra Club, and by many businesses. Half Dome rises 5,000 feet above the valley floor. It is North America’s sheerest cliff, being only 7 degrees from true vertical! Half Dome is one of the most photographed rocks in the world. The rock face dominates the eastern end of the valley and can be seen from many vantage points throughout the park.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? You can photograph Half Dome from many locations; each one of them gives you a different angle and a different view. Some of the most common locations for photographing Half Dome include the Ahwahnee Meadow, Sentinel Bridge,

The best locations from which to photograph Half Dome: (A) Ahwahnee Meadow, (B) Sentinel Bridge, (C) Mirror Lake, (D) Columbia Point, (E) Cook’s Meadow, (F) Tunnel View, (G) Washburn Point and Glacier Point, (H) Big Oak Flat Road, (I) Olmstead Point. Other photo ops: (9) Happy Isles, (17) Nevada Fall, (26) Vernal Fall.

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Half Dome

Mirror Lake, Columbia Point, Cook’s Meadow, Tunnel View, Washburn Point, Glacier Point, Big Oak Flat Road, and Olmsted Point (see A–I on map).

Ahwahnee Meadow Located just west of the Ahwahnee Hotel, the Ahwahnee Meadow is the location from which Ansel Adams made his famous image “Moon and Half Dome.” This meadow stretches from the Ahwahnee Road to Northside Drive, and any location in the meadow is a great vantage point for photographing Half Dome (see figure 8.1).

8.1 Half Dome from the Ahwahnee Meadow (see A on the map) at sunset on a fall evening. Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/50 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 70mm.

Sentinel Bridge Standing on Sentinel Bridge and photographing Half Dome at sunrise or sunset (see figure 8.2) gives you one of the classic Yosemite images. Be careful on the bridge and stay off the roadway.

Mirror Lake From Mirror Lake you are so close to Half Dome that when you look up, it does not have the iconic shape you are used to seeing (see figure 8.3). The rock face looks a lot wider, and the curve at the top is difficult to see. It is truly a different perspective.

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8.2 A view of Half Dome from Sentinel Bridge (see B on the map) during a winter sunrise. Taken at ISO 100, f/5.0, 1/8 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 24mm.

8.3 A view of Half Dome from Mirror Lake (see C on the map) on a fall afternoon. Taken at ISO 100, f/9, 1/100 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 65mm.

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Half Dome

Columbia Point Although Columbia Point is a threemile, steep, round-trip hike, the views of Half Dome and the valley are simply amazing. You get a whole different perspective of how tall and sheer Half Dome appears (see figure 8.4).

Cook’s Meadow Cook’s Meadow is the big meadow situated between Yosemite Village and Yosemite Lodge, opposite Yosemite Falls. This spot is a classic location for photographing Half Dome. A large elm tree in the west end of the meadow makes a great foreground element to use in your frame. A small pond, covered in lily pads in the summer, looks great as a foreground, and if you get low to the ground, you can pick up a reflection of Half Dome. In early summer, large umbel flowers called cow parsnip also make great foreground elements in an image, as shown in figure 8.5.

8.4 Half Dome from Columbia Point (see D on the map) on an autumn afternoon. Taken at ISO 100, f/11, 1/160 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 84mm.

8.5 Half Dome and cow parsnip in Cook’s Meadow (see E on the map) on a summer morning. Taken at 100 ISO, f/14, 1/200 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 32mm.

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Tunnel View This is the classic view of Yosemite Valley that is the most photographed view in the park (see figure 8.6). From here you can isolate Half Dome from its surroundings by zooming in with a telephoto lens.

Washburn and Glacier Points Half Dome takes on a completely different look from these two vantage points as you view the granite dome from the south. It appears as a thin ridge of rock, giving you a whole new perspective on its shape (see figure 8.7). 8.6 Half Dome from Tunnel View (see F on the map) on a spring afternoon. Taken at ISO 100 f/16, 1/200 second with a 100400mm telephoto zoom lens at 220mm.

8.7 Half Dome from Glacier Point (see G on the map) at sunset on a summer evening. Taken at ISO 100, f/10, 1/25 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 24mm.

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Located approximately 3.1 miles up the Big Oak Flat Road from the junction of Big Oak Flat Road and Highway 140, you find a turnout that provides a great view of Half Dome. From this turnout, you have Half Dome directly behind the face of El Capitan, and the juxtaposition of the two icons in one photograph is quite impressive (see figure 8.8).

Half Dome

Big Oak Flat Road

8.8 Half Dome and El Capitan compressed in one view on a fall afternoon from the Big Oak Flat turnout (see H on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/11, 1/30 second with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens at 400mm.

Olmsted Point From this vantage point, you are looking from the northeast down to Half Dome, giving you yet another totally different perspective of the rock face as it looms over the granite ridge before you (see figure 8.9).

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8.9 At sunset from Olmsted Point (see I on the map) on a fall evening, Half Dome takes on a whole new look! Taken at ISO 100, f/10, 0.6 seconds, with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom at 235mm.

How Can I Get the Best Shot? As you can see, Half Dome can be seen from many different locations in the park. Choose the view closest to your location and prepare for an afternoon-to-sunset photographic experience.

Equipment Because you can see Half Dome from so many vantage points, you can use every lens you own when photographing this landmark! Having your polarizing filter, tripod, and cable release handy improves your images.

Lenses What lens you use depends on the specific location.

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From both of these locations, lenses in the 24-35mm range are sufficient to frame Half Dome and still fit a foreground element in your frame. In the meadow, you can find small trees to use as a foreground. From the bridge, you want to frame the image to capture the reflection of the rock face in the Merced River below. You can use longer lenses if you want to zoom into the face of Half Dome and compress the distant trees as your foreground.

Half Dome

The Ahwahnee Meadow and Sentinel Bridge

Mirror Lake At Mirror Lake, Half Dome towers over you so high that you have to lift your head to see the top. You must point your camera up at this location; wide-angle to normal lenses are necessary to frame the dome. If you have a tilt-shift lens, this is the place to use it!

Columbia Point Columbia Point is located approximately 1.5 miles from the start of the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail. It is a steep climb up a series of switchbacks to a rewarding view overlooking Yosemite Valley facing east toward Half Dome. Columbia Point is one of the best views in the park! This hike has an approximate 1,000-foot elevation gain, so allow several hours to complete it. You can also use a wide variety of lenses depending on how you want to compose the image. A wide-angle lens in the 24-35mm range diminishes the size of Half Dome and emphasizes its distance from where you are standing. Using lenses in the normal range from 50-85mm will fill the frame from the valley floor to the top of the peak. When using telephoto lenses, you can zoom in and fill the frame with a head-on shot of Half Dome.

Cook’s Meadow In Cook’s Meadow, you can use lenses of many different focal lengths. The most useful will be in the 24-65mm range. With these lenses, you can frame Half Dome and incorporate a variety of foreground elements and still have Half Dome be prominent in your scene. With lenses in the 85-135mm range, you can use trees that are farther in the background as your foreground and compress them with the face of the rock. And if you want to fill your frame with just the rock face, then lenses in the 200-400mm range will do the trick.

Tunnel View If you want to isolate Half Dome from the grand landscape before you, you need to use lenses in the 85-400mm range, depending on whether you want to include any of the foreground. If you use wider lenses, you will be able to include several other well known Yosemite icons in your image, including El Capitan and Bridalveil Fall.

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Washburn and Glacier Points Your distance to Half Dome is basically the same from these two viewpoints; only your angle of view differs. Using a wide-angle lens in the 20-35mm range, you can take a vertical image of Half Dome that includes the base of the formation to the top and includes a little of both the Tenaya Canyon on the left and the Merced Canyon on the right, with Half Dome towering in the middle. If you want to fill the frame more, then lenses in the 45-85mm range will do, and if you want to eliminate the sky and fill your frame with the rock face, then lenses in the 100-200mm range will accomplish your goal.

Big Oak Flat Road From Big Oak Flat Road, you can photograph Half Dome with El Capitan in the foreground, and using a telephoto lens in the 100-400mm range, you can isolate and compress the two features into a stunning composition.

Olmsted Point Olmsted Point offers a unique view of Half Dome; many visitors do not recognize this most famous feature from this vantage point. If you hike from the parking lot to the slope of granite just in front of you and use a wide-angle lens, you can use the fractures in the granite as a foreground that will lead your eye to Half Dome in the background. With a wide-angle lens, Half Dome is small, and the main subject is the fractures in the granite. Using midrange focal lengths from 50-105mm, you can still use these fractures as foreground elements and Half Dome appears much larger in the scene. If you want to use the distant ridges as your foreground and fill the frame to a larger extent with the dome, then lenses in the 135-250mm range work well. Using lenses in the 300-400mm range fills your entire frame with the face of Half Dome.

Filters For all these locations, the most useful filters will be polarizing and graduated neutral density filters.

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Polarizing filter. This filter darkens the sky at 90 degrees to the sun and accentuates clouds as well as removes glare from foliage and reflections from water.

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Graduated neutral density filter. Useful for balancing your lighting ratios, especially when you photograph with a foreground and background that vary greatly in brightness. A graduated neutral density filter has a gradient of density that reduces light at one end of the filter and tapers to clear at the other end of the filter. If the sky is much brighter than the foreground, you can use


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Half Dome

this filter to even out the lighting ratios between the bright sky and the darker foreground. Because the filter is dark at one end and clear at the other, you place the dark end over the sky or cliff face; this will reduce the brightness of that area and even out the light so that the bright sky or cliff and the darker foreground can both be exposed properly in one exposure.

Extras A tripod, cable release, and bubble level improve your scenic images to help you hold the camera steady and use slower shutter speeds and smaller apertures to get more depth of field and to keep your camera level.

Camera settings In locations such as The Ahwahnee Meadow, Sentinel Bridge, Cook’s Meadow, and Olmsted Point, you will be working with multidimensional scenes where having a large amount of depth of field is important. From these locations, I suggest using Aperture Priority mode and small f-stops in the 16-22mm range. From some of the lookouts, such as Columbia Point, Tunnel View, Big Oak Flat Road, and Washburn, Glacier, and Olmsted Points, you do not have foreground elements, and the closest subject you can focus on is at infinity. From here, you want to make sure you are using a fast enough shutter speed to stop motion blur if you are not using a tripod. X


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White balance. The higher you go in elevation, the bluer the light. Sometimes Auto White Balance does not compensate enough for this, so you need to use a preset white balance of Shade or Cloudy to compensate. Also, because Half Dome is a favorite sunset subject, remember that the goal of Auto White Balance is to remove colorcasts and make everything neutral. By using a preset of Daylight, you can preserve the natural warm tones, and using a preset of Cloudy or Shade adds extra warmth to your scenes.

Exposure Half Dome will change appearance due to the lighting conditions. As you travel through the park, see how the light changes the look of Half Dome.

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Ideal time to shoot The ideal time to photograph Half Dome is at sunset. The west face of Half Dome takes on a warm glow as the sun sets. From each of the locations I mention earlier, you will be in a great position to take advantage of the sunset. If you can’t be there for sunset, then late afternoon also works well for each of these locations. The one location that also lends itself to sunrise images is Cook’s Meadow, especially if there are good clouds in the east.

Working around the weather There is no such thing as bad weather when it comes to photographing Half Dome, but some weather is more challenging to shoot in than others. You may want to avoid shooting on a really cloudy day — one so cloudy that you cannot see Half Dome at all — or if there is lightning and you are at one of the viewpoints. But on a typical stormy day, photographing Half Dome can be quite rewarding as the clouds drift around the rock face, changing its appearance with every breeze. Some of the best pictures of Half Dome have been made as a storm was breaking and the sun was just peaking through the clouds, sending its rays onto the face of the formation.

Low-light and night options Half Dome has been the subject for many night and low-light images. It is one of the favorite icons to use as a foreground when doing star trail images. One of the best locations for this is from Glacier Point.

Getting creative Half Dome has been photographed so many times from all the classic locations that one of the best ways to get creative is to deviate from the normal path! One of those paths could be the old Big Oak Flat Road trail that climbs the north slope of the valley through an old rock slide just west of El Capitan. Hike into the woods and find a small clearing or an interesting group of trees to use as a frame for your photography. Follow the river and see if you can find an interesting view. Try vertical panoramas, or just shoot the reflection of Half Dome in the Merced River or the pond in Cook’s Meadow.

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A view of the Merced River, reflecting sunset light, from one of the footbridges at Happy Isles (see A on the map) on a summer evening. Taken at ISO 100, f/22, 4 seconds with a 24-105mm lens at 24mm.

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Happy Isles 2/3/10 6:10 PM

Why It’s Worth a Photograph Happy Isles is located just below the confluence of the Merced River and Illilouette Creek. An island with some footbridges connects to the “mainland.” The area has dense forest, flowing water, and abundant birdlife. This area takes on different personalities during the different seasons. In winter, Happy Isles is a quiet place to view the rivers flowing with snow-covered boulders and rocks and ice forming in the slower pools. In springtime, it is awash with blooming dogwood and raging water. In summer, the area is intensely green, and the water flows at a gentle pace. In fall, Happy Isles is one of the most colorful areas in the valley with oak, dogwood, and broad-leaved maple trees all a splendor in autumn’s glory.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? Wander the trails in Happy Isles (see A on the map), and image-taking opportunities will appear around every bend. Standing on the footbridges over the water or getting down lower on the banks of the Merced River offers some of the best views.

The best location from which to photograph Happy Isles: (A) the area around the Nature Center at Happy Isles. Other photo ops: (1) Ahwahnee Hotel, (26) Vernal Fall.

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If you come to Happy Isles when the light is even, use your tripod, and take the time to investigate the area; you will get the best results in this location.

Happy Isles

How Can I Get the Best Shot? Equipment Happy Isles offers many opportunities for nice images, whether you have a standard lens or a wide variety of lenses. Take your time to look for the best compositions. Using your tripod allows you to get flowing water images and really helps make your images more interesting by showing motion.

Lenses Because you can photograph everything from the broad landscape to the intimate details of the creeks and rocks, this is one place where you can use your whole arsenal of lenses. To photograph the broad scene of the rivers and creeks, your wide-angle lenses from 14-35mm work well. To get in close to the rivulet flowing over smooth granite rocks, your short telephotos from 85-200mm will work well from the bridges and riverbanks (see figure 9.1). If you want to photograph the birdlife, such as Steller’s Jays, flickers, and Brewer’s Blackbirds, then your 200400mm lenses will come in handy.

9.1 An intimate detail of the Merced River cascading over a series of rocks from Happy Isles on a summer evening. Taken at ISO 100, f/16, 2 seconds with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 35mm.

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Filters Depending on time of year, you may want to slow the water down to get nice flowing, milky looking water. You can use either a polarizing filter, which will cut 2 stops of light or a neutral density filter that can be even stronger. In spring, you may see some spray in the area as the rivers collide with the many boulders in the area, so a UV or a skylight filter will help keep the water off your lens. The most useful filters you can use when photographing Happy Isles are a polarizing filter, a neutral density filter, and a protective filter such as a UV or skylight filter. X

Polarizing filter. Useful for reducing glare and reflections off the surface of the water and rocks.

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Neutral density filter. A neutral density filter is a filter that appears gray due to a neutral coating. This filter applies density and blocks light from entering the lens. Use this filter when you want to slow down the shutter speed more than just stopping down your lens will allow. The filters come in different densities blocking 1, 2, 3 stops or more of light. Also, a variable neutral density filter blocks different amounts of light as you rotate the outer ring to lighten or darken the effect.

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UV or skylight filters. These filters protect your lens from water spray.

Extras If you are going to be slowing down your shutter speeds to capture flowing water, you are going to need a tripod and a cable release. When using a tripod, a bubble level is a handy tool to ensure you have level horizons.

Camera settings If you want to slow down the water to get the flowing, milky effect (see figure 9.2), you will be working with shutter speeds in the 1 second to 1/30 second range, depending on how fast the water is flowing and how long of a lens you are using. If you go much longer than 1 second, you will wash out all detail in your water and not hold any texture or detail. The following settings should be helpful: X

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ISO. Using the native ISO of your camera always gives you the best image. In most cases when photographing at Happy Isles, this lower ISO is ideal because it allows you to blur the water to give it a feeling of motion. If you are trying to freeze the action of the water and require a fast shutter speed, you may need to raise your ISO accordingly.


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Happy Isles 9.2 The Merced River raging in spring from Happy Isles (see A on the map) on a bright spring afternoon. Taken at ISO 100, f/22, 1/10 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 50mm.

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Exposure mode. Because maintaining the proper shutter speed is the highest priority when photographing the river, Shutter Priority mode allows you to pick the shutter speed. If you use a different mode, be sure to keep a watchful eye on your shutter speeds.

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Exposure compensation. One element to consider when photographing water is underexposure. Your camera is trying to expose everything as middle gray, so if you point it at white water, it has a tendency to underexpose. Using the exposure compensation dial, you can set the camera from +1 to +1 1/2 to lighten the exposure and render the water as white.

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White balance. Using a Daylight white balance allows you to capture the colors at Happy Isles during the middle of the day. But if you are photographing early in the morning or late in the evening, the area will be in shade. These shady areas can have bluer light. Using a white balance setting of Shade or Cloudy reduces the blue colorcast.

Exposure You can make good images at Happy Isles under many different lighting conditions. Try to avoid very contrasty lighting situations.

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Ideal time to shoot Every season is ideal for this location, and each season gives you totally different subject matter. But no matter what the season, it is always easiest to photograph Happy Isles when there is no direct sunlight — early in the morning or late afternoon. That translates to before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. in the summer. If there is direct sunlight, you will be fighting contrast problems everywhere you photograph. If you do have to shoot in the middle of the day, then try to photograph details that are evenly lit instead of larger scenic views.

Working around the weather Inclement weather is a good time to photograph at Happy Isles. Overcast days eliminate the exposure and contrast problems by producing even light. Rain and snow can make interesting lighting conditions. The wet leaves of a rainstorm look very saturated, and falling snow among the flowing water and bare trees can add a mood and intensity to the images.

Low-light and night options If you photograph at the ideal times of the day, early morning and late afternoon, the light will be fairly low in this area. Using a tripod or image-stabilized lenses is helpful. This area is dark at night, so unless a full moon is overhead, avoid trying to photograph here.

Getting creative One idea you could use to get creative in Happy Isles is to use a yellow/blue polarizing filter to color the water and make some interesting abstract images. Another idea is to switch your camera to Black and White mode and try making some dramatic grayscale images. Also, you can photograph some of the lichen patterns or the interesting curving tree trunks and eliminate all reference of scale.

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A view of Horsetail Fall from along the Merced River in the area of the Four Mile Trail (see B on map). Taken at ISO 100, f/10, 1/15 second with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens at 400mm.

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Horsetail Fall 2/3/10 6:10 PM

Why It’s Worth a Photograph Once a year for a period of approximately two weeks, an interesting phenomenon occurs that attracts photographers from around the world. The phenomenon is known as the “natural firefall” and occurs when the setting sun lights Horsetail Fall and turns it a bright orange so that it resembles the old firefall that used to take place at Glacier Point. For many years, every night of the summer there would be a giant bonfire lit on Glacier Point. People would gather at Curry Village and throughout the east end of the valley to hear the caller shout “Let the firefall begin!” and then the burning embers of the fire would be pushed over the edge of Glacier Point and fall down the cliff toward the valley floor. The National Park service discontinued this activity in 1968. So today, the closest thing is the “natural firefall.” Horsetail Fall takes on the appearance of fire being pushed over the rim of El Capitan as the sun is setting. It takes all the right conditions to make this happen. Sufficient water has to be flowing in Horsetail Fall, the setting sun needs to be at the correct angle, and the sky has to be clear to the west. All these variables take place only the last two weeks in February, with the third week being the most optimal, and hundreds of photographers flock to Yosemite Valley to wait for the light!

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? Several locations around the valley work well for capturing this image. The two most popular are a picnic area on the Northside Drive (see A on the map) and along the Merced River near the Four Mile Trailhead (see B on the map).

Northside Drive picnic area The most popular spot is from the picnic area (see A on the map) located on the Northside Drive 2.5 miles west, where the Northside Drive turns one way heading west. At this location, you are only seeing the upper portion of the fall as it leaps over the cliff edge (see figure 10.1). The famous adventure photographer, Galen Rowell, popularized this view. When I was at this location in 2009, there were so many people trying to park that the park service had to send a ranger out for traffic control. There were over 200 photographers there! And to top it off, it clouded up at the last moment that day, so the natural firefall never even occurred.

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Horsetail Fall The best locations from which to photograph Horsetail Fall: (A) Northside Drive picnic area, (B) Merced River near Four Mile Trailhead. Other photo ops: (2) Bridalveil Fall, (4) Cathedral Rock, (6) El Capitan, (22) Three Brothers.

Merced River near Four Mile Trailhead A favorite location of mine is along the Merced River on the Southside Drive between Cathedral Beach and Sentinel Beach picnic areas, near the Four Mile Trailhead (see B on the map). This view shows the Horsetail Fall from top to bottom as it descends down the face of El Capitan (see figure 10.2). You can also get reflections of the fall from this location.

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10.1 Horsetail Fall as seen from the picnic area on the Northside Drive (see A on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/60 second with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens at 180mm.

10.2 Horsetail Fall as seen from the shores of the Merced River (see B on map). Taken at ISO 100, f/10, 1/30 second with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens at 320mm.

How Can I Get the Best Shot? In order to photograph the firefall, the key is position, so plan to get to your location as early as 2:30 p.m. before the crowds gather. Bring an insulated pad or folding camping chair because you will be waiting a while. If you are coming at a different time of the year and just want to photograph the waterfall, you have more flexibility. Spend some time scouting in the two areas on the map and look for the clearest views. With any luck, you will have first rights to any spot you desire!

Equipment As with most locations in Yosemite, Horsetail Fall can be photographed with a variety of lenses. If you are going after the firefall, using a tripod is necessary because the event takes place as the sun is setting and your exposures will be getting longer. Remember, you will be carrying your gear through snow, so proper snow gear and a good camera bag that will not throw you off balance is important.

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You can use a variety of lenses to photograph Horsetail Fall depending on your location.

Northside Drive picnic area

Horsetail Fall

Lenses

At this location, you are closer to the fall and are looking over the treetops. Longer lenses in the 100-400mm range work best. You cannot get the whole falls in from this location, so you will be zooming in to get the waterfall as it leaps over the cliff face.

Merced River near Four Mile Trailhead From the river you can use a whole array of lenses going from wide-angle to telephoto. Capturing the whole fall from top to bottom requires lenses in the 50-100mm range. If you want to also try and capture the reflection in the river, then lenses in the 20-28mm range will be necessary. Longer lenses allow you to zoom in and just capture the red/orange water without the surrounding cliffs behind. A 100-400mm lens allows you to crop to images that just contain the falling water and cliffs.

Filters You do not need any special filters for this image but if you do want to experiment, a warming filter will even make the water redder and accent the colors. A Tiffen 812 is a good choice for this.

Extras Having a tripod for this shot really helps. The light is low, and you want to capture the movement of the water, so fairly slow shutter speeds are necessary. And whenever you use a tripod, a cable release and bubble level help keep you from shaking the camera and will aid in keeping the waterfall vertical. It will be getting colder as the sun sets, so cold-weather gear is necessary. A plastic bag or tarp to set your camera on would also be useful. Padding for your tripod legs is also recommended for winter photography.

Camera settings In this situation, the shutter speed is the most important factor in capturing the picture. You do not want to remove the colorcast of sunset in this situation. Photographing with a white balance of Sunny retains the actual colors you are seeing. If you want to warm them up even more, you can select a white balance of Cloudy or Shade. Here are some guidelines to help you.

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X

ISO. When photographing the firefall, the light will be getting low. Using higher ISOs in the range of 400 to 1000 will help you get a fast enough shutter speed to photograph the water at around 1/15 second to give it some flow but also have some detail in the water.

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Exposure mode. Using Shutter Priority mode allows you to set a shutter speed in the 1/4 to 1/30 second range, which will show the movement of the water and still hold detail in it.

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Exposure compensation. Underexposing 1/2 to 1 stop will darken the cliffs behind the falls and allow the glowing water to stand out even more. Bracket your exposures and see which one makes the fall look the most dramatic.

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White balance. Using a Daylight/Sunny preset on your camera allows you to capture the rich warm colors of the waterfall and still have the cliff face the correct color.

Exposure As with most of the falls in Yosemite, Horsetail Fall is seasonal. If you want to capture the fall, you will need to visit the park from November to June when there is a greater chance of having water flowing.

Ideal time to shoot While you can photograph Horsetail Fall at any time of day from late morning until sunset, the ideal time — and the only time if you want to photograph the firefall — is the third week of February at sunset on a clear day. Besides the firefall time, the fall does look best in late afternoon.

Working around the weather If you are trying to photograph the “firefall,” the whole event is weather permitting! It will be cold. Remember you need clear conditions to the west. If it is cloudy in that direction, the falls will not turn orange. If you are here at another time of year, remember this fall is very seasonal and only flows in winter and early spring. In early spring, the wind whips the falls off the cliff face and can add drama to your images.

Low-light and night options This is not an ideal location for night and low-light photography.

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One way to get creative is to go to the south side of the Merced River and photograph the reflection of the waterfall in the river instead of the waterfall itself. Another way is to leave the crowds and head out into the woods. Find a clearing and shoot the waterfall from a different location. Just remember you will be traveling over snow, so good boots and maybe even snowshoes will be necessary.

Horsetail Fall

Getting creative

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Some of the many structures located in the Indian Village behind the Visitor Center and Museum Gallery. Taken at ISO 400, f/16, 1/8 second with a 17mm lens.

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Why It’s Worth a Photograph Located behind the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center is the replica Indian Village of Ahwahnee. In this village, you see a ceremonial roundhouse, houses, umuchas (conical homes made of bark), and food storage areas. The replica buildings transport you back in time and give you an insight to the time before European settlers discovered Yosemite Valley. If you frame your images carefully, you can eliminate modern structures and capture a glimpse into Yosemite’s past.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? The village area is not very large. Following the paths through the village takes you to many locations for good photographs (see A on the map). From the perimeter path, you can get an overall view of the structures, and by taking the interior paths, you can get close and isolate individual structures and their details.

The best location from which to photograph Indian Village: (A) the grounds behind the Visitor Center and Yosemite Museum Gallery. Other photo ops: (1) Ahwahnee Hotel, (22) Three Brothers, (28) Yosemite Chapel, (29) Yosemite Falls.

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It is a matter of isolating the structures or points of interest that you find most interesting when wandering the Indian Village. Remember that many other visitors are likely to be in the area, so if you go earlier in the morning or later in the evening, you will have a better chance of being alone.

Indian Village


Equipment Using wide-angle lenses and getting close to the structures is one approach. Alternatively, you can use longer lenses and isolate those structures from afar.

Lenses If you take the approach of getting close and using a wide-angle lens, then you want to use lenses in the 14-28mm range. If you want to use longer lenses and isolate structures from afar, then lenses in the 100-300mm range work best. If you plan to photograph the interiors of any of the buildings (see figure 11.1), you need wide-angle lenses in the same range mentioned above.

11.1 The interior of the entrance to the ceremonial roundhouse located in the Indian Village. Taken at ISO 400, f/11, 8 seconds with a 17mm lens.

Filters The only filter you may need here is a polarizing filter to remove the reflections off the foliage.

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Extras The most useful accessories you can have in this location are a tripod, cable release, and bubble level.

Camera settings When photographing in the Indian Village, having the proper depth of field to get all the structures in focus is your most important consideration. The following information should be helpful: X

ISO. If you want to photograph when the light is the most consistent, which in this case means photographing when the village is in shade, then using higher ISOs allows you to have smaller apertures to get the best depth of field. If you are on a tripod, you may still need ISOs of 400 or greater if you photograph the interiors of the structures.

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Exposure mode. As with all landscape images, controlling depth of field to ensure proper focus of foreground and background elements is most important. Using Aperture Priority mode allows you to control your f-stops, which in turn controls your depth of field.

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White balance. If you are photographing when the village is in the shade, the light is very blue. Sometimes Auto White Balance does not compensate enough for this and your images appear slightly cool. First, try using the Daylight/Sunny preset. If this does not look warm enough, try using a warmer white balance setting, such as Shade or Cloudy.

Exposure Getting a good image of Indian Village is dependent on even light. Go when the village is in the shade and not when it is in direct sunlight.

Ideal time to shoot The best time to photograph the Indian Village is either early in the morning or later in the afternoon when the village is in shade. Because the village is located in an area with lots of trees, if you go during bright sunshine, your image will be very contrasty with deep shadows and very light highlights. Areas of your pictures will look either under- or overexposed. If you go when the village is in shade, the light will be even and eliminate this obstacle.

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Overcast days are also a good time to photograph in the Indian Village. The typical bright, sunny day presents more of a photographic challenge.

Indian Village


Low-light and night options No low-light or night options are available because it gets too dark!

Getting creative Try lying down and photographing the buildings from ground level or at least a low perspective. You may try lighting the interiors with a flashlight or an off-camera flash.

Using Fill Flash Fill flash is a technique of adding light to a scene to fill in shadows with an electronic flash. To use fill flash, you need to have a flash that allows you to control its output. The goal is not to overpower the scene with the light from the flash but just to send out a little light to open up the shadows so that you can see into them. Set your flash to a lower output than normal; this is usually designated by a minus (–) setting on the flash. A good starting point would be –1 1/2 stops of light. Now check the LCD to see your results and adjust the output accordingly. It helps if you can fire your flash off-camera by using a remote cable or wireless transmitter. It also helps to have a diffuser over the flash to soften the light. If you do not have a flash that has adjustable output, you can try placing tissue or a handkerchief over your flash to lessen its output. This works well for cameras with built-in flashes.

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Lembert Dome at sunset, reflected in the Tuolumne River in Tuolumne Meadows. Taken at ISO 100, f/13, .4 seconds with a 17mm lens.

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Lembert Dome

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Why It’s Worth a Photograph Lembert Dome dominates the east end of Tuolumne Meadows. Rising 900 feet above the meadows, its graceful curving slope is a nice contrast to the sharp peaks in the area. Lembert Dome looks good in both morning and afternoon light.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? Two locations are best for photographing Lembert Dome: Tuolumne Meadows and the south side of the Tioga Pass Road (see A and B on the map).

Tuolumne Meadows At many locations throughout Tuolumne Meadows, you can capture nice views of Lembert Dome. As you walk along the Tuolumne River in Tuolumne Meadows, you are rewarded with many picturesque views of Lembert Dome (see figure 12.1). I find that the north bank of the river provides the best views. If you head to the footbridge near Soda Springs and walk either east or west from there, you can

12.1 Lembert Dome from the banks of the Tuolumne River in Tuolumne Meadows (see A on the map) at sunrise on a summer morning. Taken at ISO 100, f/11, 1/60 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 35mm.

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Lembert Dome The best locations from which to photograph Lembert Dome: (A) Tuolumne Meadows, (B) south side of Tioga Pass Road. Other photo ops: (3) Cathedral Peak, (5) Dog Lake, (24) Tuolumne Meadows, (25) Unicorn Peak.

find many good bends in the river to use as foregrounds for your photographs. Some of these bends are large, slow areas in the river where you can get good reflections; others have rocks and mini rapids where you can use flowing water as your foreground. The far western edge of the meadow near Pothole Dome is another good area of the meadows from which to capture a good image. This location is ideal in midJuly when the wildflowers are in full bloom.

South side of Tioga Pass Road A big bend in the river is located on the south side of the Tioga Pass Road, just east of the campground entrance and west of the bridge that crosses the river. This bend creates a large “reflecting pond” in the river, which makes it an excellent place from which to photograph Lembert Dome (see figure 12.2).

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12.2 Sunset at Lembert Dome from the banks of the Tuolumne River near the campground entrance (see B on the map) on an autumn day. Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/6 second with a 17mm lens.

How Can I Get the Best Shot? Finding the best light and having the proper gear can assist you in getting the best picture of Lembert Dome. Scouting out which location best suits you prior to the light being at an optimal point is useful. Nothing is worse for a photographer than seeing good light and not being able to get to a good location in time. So scouting and preparing are as important as carrying the proper lenses and filters.

Equipment Depending on whether you are trying to get reflections or filling your frame with just the granite dome, a variety of lenses can be helpful at this location.

Lenses For the reflection images in the river, wide-angle to normal lenses work best. From 17 to 60mm gives you the reflection and the dome within your frame. To photograph the dome and its immediate surroundings, lenses in the 80-135mm range work well. To fill the frame with just the dome itself, you need lenses in the 200300mm range from these distances. Of course if you walk right up to the dome, these choices differ.

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The two most useful filters for this image are the polarizing filter and the graduated neutral density filter. X

Polarizing filter. The polarizing filter darkens the sky and accentuates the clouds as well as removes unwanted glare from the foliage, saturating their colors. This filter can be especially useful in the afternoon as the clouds build up. Be careful with your polarizer. You are at a very high elevation here, and the air is very clear. Avoid overpolarizing a scene. Doing so turns the sky an unnatural blue or sometimes black!

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Graduated neutral density filter. This filter is useful for balancing your lighting ratios, especially when you are photographing with a darker foreground and lighter background. A graduated neutral density filter has a gradient of density that reduces light at the top of the filter and tapers to clear, having no effect at the bottom of the filter. If the sky is much brighter than the foreground, you can use this filter to even out the lighting ratios between the bright sky and the darker foreground. Because the filter is dark at one end and clear at the other, you place the dark end over the sky or cliff face. Doing this reduces the brightness of that area and evens out the light so that the bright sky or cliff and the darker foreground can both be exposed properly in one exposure.

Lembert Dome

Filters

Extras The most useful accessories you can have in this location are a tripod, cable release, and bubble level.

Camera settings As in the case of most landscape images, having the proper depth of field to ensure that both your foreground and your background are in focus is the highest priority when photographing Lembert Dome. X

ISO. Using the native ISO of your camera (the ISO your camera manufacturer suggests you use) always gives you the best image. On a typical day in the high country (and if you use your tripod) this setting is fine. If you are handholding the camera and are shooting at sunrise or sunset, you can raise your ISO to give you a shutter speed of at least 1/60 second to help ensure sharp images.

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Exposure mode. As with all landscape images, controlling depth of field to ensure proper focus of foreground and background elements is most important. Using Aperture Priority allows you to control your f-stops, which in turn controls your depth of field.

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X

White balance. You are over 9,000 feet in elevation in this area, and the light is very blue. Sometimes Auto White Balance does not compensate enough for this, and your images appear slightly cool. First, try using the Daylight/ Sunny preset. If this does not look warm enough, try using a warmer white balance setting, such as Shade or Cloudy to warm this up. Sometimes these settings are too warm, so most dSLR cameras have a White Balance Shift feature, where you can add a color tint, based on a grid that appears on the LCD on your camera. Moving the point to a slightly warmer tone removes this blue cast. Another technique you can try is creating a custom white balance for this elevation. See your camera manual on how to perform a custom white balance; the process varies from camera to camera.

Exposure Getting a good image of Lembert Dome is relatively easy. You can work this subject most any time of day.

Ideal time to shoot Lembert Dome makes a good subject from sunrise to sunset. At sunset when you face the dome from the points on the river to the west, the sun will be rising behind the dome. If there are good clouds in the east, you can capture a great sunrise photograph. If there are no clouds, you may want to position yourself in a way to block the sun from your frame by placing it behind a tree. As the sun gets higher in the sky, the light slowly moves around the dome and illuminates the west facing side. And as you get closer and closer to sunset, the light on the dome gets warmer and warmer. At sunset, the dome takes on a very warm yelloworange color.

Working around the weather In the summer, when you have access to this area, the biggest weather concerns are afternoon thunderstorms. As the clouds build, the dome is a great photographic subject, but if the clouds start getting dark and you hear the distant roar of thunder, I recommend packing it up and heading to shelter. You don’t want to be out in this open area during a lightning storm!

Low-light and night options On nights of a full moon, Lembert Dome will glow against the darkness of the trees and the meadow making a nice photographic subject. Without the moon, you can silhouette the dome against the night sky (see figure 12.3). You are taking exposures of several seconds to several minutes under these conditions, so be prepared with tripod and cable release.

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Lembert Dome

12.3 Stars over Lembert Dome from the banks of the Tuolumne River near the campground entrance. Taken at ISO 3200, f/2.8, 30 seconds with a 14mm lens.

Getting creative You can get creative by photographing just the reflections of Lembert Dome in the river and eliminating the dome itself. You can also try new locations and walk up close to the dome to see if you can find unique angles.

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The Bachelor and Three Graces in the Mariposa Grove of the Giant Sequoias. Taken at ISO 100, f/16, 1/6 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 47mm.

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13

Mariposa Grove

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Why It’s Worth a Photograph The Mariposa Grove of the Giant Sequoias is the largest Giant Sequoia grove in Yosemite. There are about 500 mature sequoia trees in the grove. Sequoia trees are some of the oldest living things on Earth. Although giant sequoias do not get as tall as their relatives, the Coast Redwoods, they are more massive. The grove is actually divided into two groves — the upper grove and the lower grove. Some of the most famous Giant Sequoia trees in Yosemite National Park are found in the lower grove. Here, you find The Grizzly Giant, one of the oldest and most massive sequoia trees in the grove. Also located here are The Bachelor and Three Graces, The California Tunnel Tree, and the Fallen Monarch.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? There are many locations in the Mariposa Grove for making good images. Most visitors want to get images of the best-known trees. I recommend that you walk the trails in the grove to get to all the good locations. You can take a tram tour, but it does not stop at all the locations. Before walking the grove, pick up a trail map at the store/information center near the parking area. One piece of information that may come in handy is that in the summer, parking usually fills up early, and free shuttle buses run from the South Entrance and Wawona. So get here early or be prepared to ride the shuttles. You can take many great images in this area. Here are three of the most famous landmark sites in the grove.

Bachelor and Three Graces 13.1 A slight hill just opposite the fence gives you a little elevation gain to use when photographing the Bachelor and Three Graces (see A on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/11, 1/125 second with a 17mm lens.

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This is a group of four closely situated trees (see figure 13.1). Three of them, The Graces, are in a row, and the fourth, The Bachelor, stands proudly in front. This area is fenced to protect the trees, but if you go to the edge of the fence


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Mariposa Grove The best locations from which to photograph in the Mariposa Grove: (A) Bachelor and Three Graces, (B) Grizzly Giant, (C) California Tunnel Tree. Other photo ops: (18) Pioneer Yosemite History Center, (27) Wawona Hotel.

where the trail is closest to the road, you can see a tiny hill behind you. If you climb this hill, you can look over the fence and get a little elevation for your image so that you don’t have to tilt the camera so high up to capture the grandeur of the group. I recommend walking along the trail along the fence to see if you find any other angles you like.

Grizzly Giant Continuing up the trail from the Bachelor and Three Graces, you come upon the Grizzly Giant (see figure 13.2). This is one massive tree, and the best way to capture the whole tree from top to bottom is at the start of the paved path leading to the tree. Your natural instinct is to keep going to get close, but if you pause here to photograph, you have a better chance of fitting the whole tree in your picture without too much distortion from tilting your camera. Now that you have that out of your system, get close! From up close, you will be tilting your camera almost straight up to photograph the tree. Take the time to walk around the tree. As you do, you can see that it is leaning heavily to one side. Look up and notice the giant tree branch. (You can’t miss it.) It’s thicker around than any non-sequoia tree in the woods around you.

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13.2 The Grizzly Giant (see B on the map) as seen from the paved trail leading up to the tree. Taken at ISO 100, f/11, 1/90 second with 17mm lens.

California Tunnel Tree Just beyond the Grizzly Giant is the California Tunnel Tree (see figure 13.3). This was the second tunnel tree carved in the grove. The first, The Wawona Tree, fell in 1969. The tunnel trees were created as a means to draw tourists to this remote area of the park (not a problem today), and you could originally drive your coach through. Now you can only walk through the tree. From the large paved area, coming from the Grizzly Giant, you have a great view of this tree. People standing under the tree will give you a good perspective of it. To capture it all, you must tilt your camera up. One way to give the essence of the tunnel is to photograph from inside the tunnel looking out, using the tunnel as a frame.

How Can I Get the Best Shot? It will take wide–angle lenses and flat light to get the best photographs of the sequoia trees. You must also realize that if you go in the height of the tourist season, people will be in your pictures, so use these people to add scale and grandeur to your images. After all, without this reference to scale, your viewer will not be able to determine the size and mass of these giant trees. 13.3 The California Tunnel Tree is one of the few sequoia trees in the world that you can walk through. Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/20 second with a 17mm lens.

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The sequoia trees are difficult to photograph on bright sunny days. The contrast of the deep shadows and the


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Equipment Wide-angle to normal lenses work well in the sequoia grove, as well as a tripod and a bubble level.

Mariposa Grove

bright highlights are too much to capture on your sensor. So look for cloudy days or get there early when the sun is lower.

Lenses The wider the better! These trees are very tall, so you need lenses in the 14-28mm range to have any chance of getting a whole tree in your image unless you stand far away. The longer normal lenses are good for photographing the trees and cropping the tops, placing people against the massive trunks to give a scale to their mass and not being concerned too much about their height. Most of the time you are going to be pointing your camera upward. Expect a lot of distortion where the trees “bend” inward. You can use this to emphasize their height. If you want to have straight trees, you need to fix them later in an imageediting program or use a tilt-shift lens. These are lenses designed for architectural work, where the front of the lens actually rises, so you don’t have to tilt the camera. Tilt-shift lenses are specialty lenses and expensive to purchase. These lenses can be rented at camera stores in cities that cater to professional TIP photographers.

Filters There is not a strong need for filters when photographing the sequoia trees. If you are including the sky in your image, a polarizing filter may come in handy to darken the sky and bring out the clouds if there are any. The only other filter that may be useful is a warming filter. A Tiffen 812 warming filter makes the red bark of the tree stand out a bit more without overpowering the rest of the colors in your image.

Extras A tripod, cable release, and bubble level are useful in the sequoia grove. The bubble level may be the most useful accessory, enabling you to make sure your trees are straight and vertical.

Camera settings When photographing the big trees, you want to make sure you have the proper depth of field so that the forest appears sharp from the closest trees to the most distant trees.

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ISO. Using the native ISO of your camera (the ISO your camera manufacturer suggests you use) always gives you the best image. In the sequoia trees, it will usually be bright enough that using the native ISO will not be a problem. If you are lucky enough to have cloud cover that evens out the light, then raising the ISO to the 400 to 800 range can be useful.

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Exposure mode. Using f-stops in the f/11 to f/22 range helps you maintain the proper depth of field. Using Aperture Priority mode on your camera lets you be in control of the depth of field, and the camera will select the proper shutter speed. Of course, if the shutter speeds get too slow, you will either need your tripod or need to raise the ISO.

X

Exposure compensation. Because the light will likely be very contrasty, you may find your shadows blocking up and becoming too dark. If you expose for the highlights, the shadows may become too dark and lose all detail. If this happens, use your exposure compensation dial to let in 1/2 to 2/3 stop more light to get detail in the shadows while being careful to not blow out your highlights.

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White balance. Using a Daylight/Sunny preset on your camera enables you to capture the rich red colors of the tree bark.

Exposure Getting a good image of the sequoia trees is not easy. Harsh light and deep shadows make this a challenge. Finding weather or time when the light is not too harsh is critical when photographing the trees. If you really want to take images in the sequoia grove on sunny days, you need an advanced digital technique called HDR or High Dynamic Range imagery. With this technique, you take a series of frames at different exposures capturing details in both the highlights and the shadows and then use software to combine these images into one picture that has the full tonal range.

Ideal time to shoot Early morning or from sunset to dusk when the sun is not too high and creating too much contrast is the ideal time to photograph in the grove. Check with the park service to see what hours the grove will be available before making your plans because hours vary seasonally.

Working around the weather The ideal weather to photograph the trees is high overcast, when there are high thin clouds, because you have bright enough light without direct sunlight, which will cause harsh shadows. Another good time would be during the winter, because the sunlight reflecting off the snow fills in dark shadows. If you plan a winter visit, you will need snowshoes or skis.

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You cannot access the grove at night.

Getting creative One way to get creative in the grove is to try different angles. Get low and shoot straight up or get close to a tree and shoot up its trunk. Try some extreme wideangle or fisheye lenses to really push the envelope (see figure 13.4).

Mariposa Grove


13.4 Using a fisheye lens to photograph the sequoia trees. Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/10 second with a 15mm fisheye lens.

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The first group of sequoias you encounter in the Merced Grove is this stately group of five. Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1.6 seconds with a 17mm lens.

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Merced Grove

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Why It’s Worth a Photograph The Merced Grove of the Giant Sequoias is the smallest of the three giant sequoia groves in Yosemite. There are about twenty mature sequoia trees in the grove. Sequoia trees are some of the oldest living things on the Earth. Although Giant Sequoias do not get as tall as their relatives, the Coast Redwoods, they are more massive. What makes this grove so special is its seclusion. Being the smallest grove with the smallest parking lot means you will likely not have too many other tourists in the grove with you. In the other groves, the Mariposa and the Tuolumne, the park service has had to fence off the trees from all the foot traffic, making it difficult to get close to a sequoia tree. That is not the case in the Merced Grove. All the trees grow fence free (at the time of this writing).

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? The Merced Grove is located off the Big Oak Flat Road about 4.25 miles east of the park entrance and 3.75 miles west of the junction to the Tioga Pass Road in Crane Flat. The whole grove is not very large. You can follow the trail and see many mature trees. The most photogenic group of trees is the first group you encounter when approaching the grove (see A on the map). It is a 3-mile round-trip hike with an elevation change of approximately 600 feet.

How Can I Get the Best Shot? The Giant Sequoias are difficult to photograph on bright sunny days. The strong contrast of the deep shadows and the bright highlights are too much to capture on your sensor. I prefer days with flat light; so look for cloudy days or get to the grove when the sun is low in the sky. With the correct light and your wide-angle lenses, you will be able to capture great photographs.

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Merced Grove The best location from which to photograph Merced Grove: (A) the area around the grove. Other photo ops: (7) Fern Springs, (23) Tuolumne Grove.

Equipment Wide-angle to normal lenses work well in the sequoia grove, as well as a tripod and a bubble level.

Lenses When photographing Giant Sequoia trees, the wider angle your lens, the better off you will be! These trees are massive and very tall. Lenses in the 14-28mm range are needed if you want any chance of capturing a whole tree in your image unless you plan to photograph the trees from a long distance away. You can use your normal lenses to crop the tops of the trees, emphasizing their mass. Using people against the massive trunks will add scale to your images and showcase the trees’ girth.

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When photographing these huge trees, you will most likely be pointing your camera upward. This will cause distortion with wide-angle lenses that you can correct later in an image-editing program. If you want to the trees to be straight in your images, you can use a tilt-shift lens. These lenses are designed for architectural photography, and the front of the lens actually rises so you don’t have to tilt the camera. Tilt-shift lenses are specialty lenses and are expensive to buy. They are available for rent in larger cities from camera stores that cater to professional photographers. TIP

Filters There is not a strong need for filters when photographing the Giant Sequoia trees. If you include the sky in your image, you may want to use a polarizing filter to darken the sky and emphasize any clouds. Another filter option would be a slight warming filter to accentuate the red bark of the trees. I recommend a Tiffen 812 filter for this.

Extras A tripod, cable release, and bubble level will be useful in the sequoia grove. The bubble level may be the most useful accessory enabling you to make sure your trees are straight and vertical.

Camera settings Having the proper amount of depth of field is a major consideration when photographing the Giant Sequoia trees. You want to make sure you have the proper depth of field so that the forest appears sharp from the closest trees to the most distant trees.

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ISO. Using the native ISO of your camera (the ISO your camera manufacturer suggests you use) always gives you the best image. When you are in the sequoia groves, it is usually very sunny, so using the native ISO should not be difficult. If you are lucky enough to have cloud cover that evens out the light, then raising the ISO to the 400 to 800 range can be useful.

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Exposure mode. You get the best depth of field and sharpness using apertures in the f/11 to f/22 range. Using Aperture Priority mode on your camera allows you to be in control of the depth of field, and the camera will select the proper shutter speed. Of course if the shutter speeds get too slow, you will need your tripod or need to raise the ISO.


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Exposure compensation. When the light is contrasty, the shadows in your image tend to go very black if you get the proper exposure for your highlights. If you use your exposure compensation dial to let in 1/2 to 2/3 stop more light to get detail in the shadows while being careful to not blow out your highlights, your images will look better.

X

White balance. Using a Daylight/Sunny preset on your camera allows you to capture the rich red colors of the tree bark. If it is a cloudy day, you may need to adjust your setting to Cloudy or Shade to warm up the image.

Merced Grove

X

Exposure Photographing in the Giant Sequoia groves is not an easy task! The bright highlights and deep shadows make this a real challenge. The best way to get good images is to photograph under softer light. But if you do not have the luxury of waiting for more ideal light and you need to photograph on a bright sunny day, you need to use the advanced technique of High Dynamic Range imagery, or HDR for short. When using this technique, you take a series of images at different exposures, capturing detail in both the shadows and the highlights. Then you use special software to combine all these images into one picture that includes the full tonal range.

Ideal time to shoot Early morning or from sunset to dusk when the sun is not too high and creating too much contrast is the ideal time to photograph in the grove. Fortunately, there are no restrictions getting into this grove, and you can hike in whenever you want, allowing you to get here early or to stay late.

Working around the weather The best weather conditions you can have for photographing the Giant Sequoias is called high overcast. This is when you have thin, high clouds that soften the light and eliminate the harsh contrast found on a sunny day. You can also use the snows of winter to act as a natural reflector and bounce the bright light back up into the shadows, making the exposures more even and better suited for your sensor. If you plan a winter visit, you will need snowshoes or skis.

Low-light and night options Although you can access the grove at night, your photographic opportunities are very limited and not recommended.

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Getting Creative One way to get creative in the grove is to try different angles. Get low and shoot straight up or get close to a tree and shoot up its trunk. You may also want to use other sequoia trees as a frame for your image (see figure 14.1).

14.1 Framing one sequoia tree between two others in the Merced Grove. Taken at ISO 100, f/20, 3.5 seconds with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 67mm.

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Dogwoods in bloom along the Merced River (see D on map) in the springtime. Taken at ISO 100, f/16, 1/2 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 47mm.

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15

Merced River

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Why It’s Worth a Photograph The Merced River is the main watershed for Yosemite Valley. The river divides the valley and is one of the scenic and recreational highlights in the valley. As the river descends from the High Country flowing as Nevada Falls and Vernal Fall, it then winds its way through the valley floor. Along its banks are dogwood, oak, and cottonwood trees that turn beautiful shades of gold, yellow, and red in the autumn. In the spring, dogwood flowers and fresh budding leaves radiate with beauty. From the slow meander of summer, through the colors of autumn, with ice-filled banks of winter and torrents of raging water in spring, the Merced River is the lifeblood of Yosemite Valley. Its ever changing character creates many varied photographic opportunities.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? You can photograph the Merced River from many locations. Some of the best shots are from the footbridge in Cook’s Meadow, Swinging Bridge, Gates of the

The best locations from which to photograph Merced River: (A) Footbridge in Cook’s Meadow, (B) Swinging Bridge, (C) Gates of the Valley, (D) from Pohono Bridge to Big Oak Flat Road. Other photo ops: (2) Bridalveil Fall, (4) Cathedral Rock, (6) El Capitan, (7) Fern Springs, (10) Horsetail Fall, (22) Three Brothers, (28) Yosemite Chapel, (29) Yosemite Falls.

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Merced River

Valley, and the section between Pohono Bridge and the Big Oak Flat Road (see A–D on map). But go out on your own and discover your personal location along the river.

Footbridge in Cook’s Meadow Standing on the footbridge in Cook’s Meadow (see A on the map) and looking west, you can frame your image with small rapids at the bottom of the frame and Sentinel Rock at the upper portion of your frame. Here, the river flows toward the open west end of the valley with the steep cliffs in the foreground and the wider spaces in the background. A second option is to photograph the river as it flows to this open end of the valley (see figure 15.1).

15.1 The Merced River flowing west from the footbridge in Cook’s Meadow (see A on the map) on a winter morning. Taken at ISO 100, f/10, 1/25 second with a 24-105mm lens at 24mm.

Swinging Bridge When you stand on Swinging Bridge (see B on the map) in the springtime, water surrounds you. Looking west, you can see reflections of the cliffs, and looking northeast you will see reflections of Yosemite Falls. As you wander this area near the bridge, many photographic possibilities are available. One of my favorites is photographing the abstract reflections of the falls and the trees in the river (see figure 15.2).

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15.2 Reflections of trees in the Merced River when it is swollen with spring runoff photographed in the morning. Taken at ISO 100, f/5, 1/125 second with a 100400mm telephoto zoom lens at 160mm.

Gates of the Valley The Merced River flows directly in front of you going from east to west when you are standing at Gates of the Valley. You can use the river as a foreground when photographing the great view of the cliffs of Yosemite before you. If you turn to your right (west), you can take some great photographs of the river itself as it flows over a small series of ripples before taking a hard bend to the right (see figure 15.3). Many deciduous trees in the area are lush green in the spring or lovely colors in autumn. Some tufts of native bunch grasses grow in the river at this location, which make great foreground elements.

From Pohono Bridge to Big Oak Flat Road Heading west out of Yosemite Valley on the road toward El Portal, you find many turnouts on the south side of the road, which provide many locations for photographing the river. The Merced River descends at a steeper pace than inside the valley and flows over several areas with rapids and large boulders. Oaks and dogwood trees line the river, and in the spring and fall the dogwoods will either have flowers or be in red with autumn color (see figure 15.4). The oaks turn gold and yellow in the autumn, and you can use these trees as either foreground or background elements depending on which side of the river they are found.

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Merced River 15.3 Merced River from Gates of the Valley (see C on the map) in spring just after sunrise. Taken at ISO 100, f/11, 1.3 seconds with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 28mm.

15.4 Merced River and dogwoods in spring just after sunrise. Taken at ISO 100, f/22, 2 seconds with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 55mm.

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How Can I Get the Best Shot? You can photograph the river numerous ways. You can take large scenics with the river in the foreground and the cliffs and landmarks in the background, or you can zoom in and take an intimate detail of the river flowing over rocks or boulders as it flows west. Looking for the best lighting and taking advantage of the best times of the day when the light is the most even on the water give you the best pictures. You want to avoid contrasty light when photographing the river.

Equipment You can use any lens you have to photograph the river. If you plan on doing longer exposures to get the feeling of movement through the water, your tripod will be a big help. And several filters are useful when photographing the river.

Lenses Wide-angle lenses give you broad views and put the river in the surrounding landscape. This way you can put the river in context with the cliffs and domes of Yosemite Valley. Telephoto lenses enable you to isolate little cascades, ripples, and pools, letting you get close and intimate with the subject. So many variations are applicable here.

Filters The most useful filters you can use when photographing the Merced River are a polarizing filter, a graduated neutral density filter, and a neutral density filter.

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X


X

Graduated neutral density filter. Useful for balancing your lighting ratios, especially when you are photographing with a darker foreground and lighter background. A graduated neutral density filter has a gradient of density that reduces light at the top of the filter and tapers to clear, having no effect at the bottom of the filter. If the sky is much brighter than the foreground, you can use this filter to even out the lighting ratios between the bright sky and the darker foreground. Because the filter is dark at one end and clear at the other, you place the dark end over the sky or cliff face to reduce the brightness of that area and even out the light so that the bright sky or cliff and the darker foreground (river) can both be exposed properly in one exposure.


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Neutral density filter. A neutral density filter is a filter that appears gray due to a neutral coating that applies density and blocks light from entering the lens. Use this filter when you want to slow down the shutter speed more than just stopping down your lens to its smallest aperture will allow. The filters come in different densities. The most commonly used densities are 1, 2, or 3 stops. A variable neutral density filter blocks different amounts of light as you rotate the outer ring to lighten or darken the effect.

Merced River

X

Extras A tripod and electronic cable release allow you to keep the camera steady when working with longer exposures. A bubble level allows you to keep the horizon level. I suggest that you carry plastic bags to keep your equipment dry and a plastic garbage bag to place on the ground so you have a dry place to put your camera bag. Carrying a towel to dry your gear from any splashes is also a good idea!

Camera settings When I photograph water, my biggest concern is the shutter speed. I make the decision on whether I want to make the water soft and flowing or hard and sharp. Try experimenting with the following settings: X

ISO. Using the native ISO of your camera (the ISO recommended by your camera manufacturer) always gives you the best image. In most cases when photographing the river, this lower ISO is ideal because it will allow you to blur the water and give it a feeling of motion. If you are trying to freeze the action of the water and require a fast shutter speed, you may need to raise your ISO accordingly.

X

Exposure mode. Because maintaining the proper shutter speed is the highest priority when photographing the river, using Shutter Priority mode enables you to pick the shutter speed. If you use a different mode, be sure to keep a watchful eye on your shutter speeds.

X

Exposure compensation. One element to consider when photographing water is underexposure. Your camera is trying to expose everything as middle gray, so if you point it at white water, it has a tendency to underexpose. Using the exposure compensation dial, you can set the camera from +1 to +1 1/2 to brighten the image and render the water as white.

X

White balance. In many locations you are in the shade of the canyon or valley when photographing the river. These shady areas can have bluer light. Using a white balance setting of Shade or Cloudy reduces the blue shadows.

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Exposure Whether it is sunny, raining, or snowing, you can always get good pictures of the river. In fact, when the weather stops me from shooting other subjects in the park, I always know I can follow the river and make some nice images.

Ideal time to shoot The ideal time to shoot will vary for each location. Here are some suggestions.

Footbridge in Cook’s Meadow From early morning until midafternoon and then again at the time from sunset to dark are good times to photograph from the footbridge. In the morning, looking west, the sun will be behind your back and lighting the east face of Sentinel Rock and the cliffs on the south side of the valley. Around sunset, the sun will be behind the cliffs on the north side of the valley, and the warm light will be lighting the west edges of the south-facing cliff.

Swinging Bridge Mid-morning to early afternoon is a good time to photograph from Swinging Bridge. As the sun comes around and lights the cliff faces in the area, you can use the reflections to add color to the river as it flows under the bridge.

Gates of the Valley Early morning and late evening are the best times to photograph from this location. In the early morning, the sunlight does not hit the water directly, but the area is lit up enough to take images and have the water evenly lit. With this lighting, you can bring out the details in the river as well as in the trees surrounding the river banks without having to worry about harsh contrast and extreme lighting ratios. In the late afternoon, the area is again in shadow, giving you ideal photographic conditions.

From Pohono Bridge to Big Oak Flat Road From early to midmorning is the best time to photograph in the narrow canyon at this section of the river. At this time, the water is more evenly lit and you can photograph across the river and include the water flowing in the rapids or around the boulders and still hold detail in the forest on the opposite shore.

Working around the weather Bright sunny days are the most difficult days for photographing the river. The lighting ratios are too high, and you will not be able to hold detail in both the shadows

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Merced River

and the highlights. Overcast days are the best conditions, so cloudy, rainy, and snowy days are the ideal time to photograph the river.

On full-moon nights, you can photograph the river and get some detail in the water and the surrounding vegetation. With no full moon in the sky, you do not have much opportunity to take pictures of this subject.

Getting creative Try using a variety of shutter speeds when photographing the water. Get close to your subject and down to water level to gain new perspectives on the water (see figure 15.5). If you want to try for some really interesting water colors, try using a yellow/blue polarizing filter and altering reality!

15.5 A close-up of the Merced River flowing over a boulder late in the afternoon on a spring day. Taken at ISO 100, f/32, 1/2 second, with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens at 160mm.

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Mount Dana and Mount Gibbs with the Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River in the foreground from marker T36 (see A on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/13, 1/80 second with a 17mm lens.

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Why It’s Worth a Photograph As you head east on the Tioga Pass Road past Tuolumne Meadows, two peaks dominate your view. These are Mount Dana and Mount Gibbs, which stand side by side along the eastern border of the park. Mount Dana is the second tallest peak in the park with an elevation of 13,061 feet. Mount Gibbs, to the south (right), is 12,773 feet in elevation. Mount Dana is made up mostly of metamorphic rock and is reddish in color, while Mount Gibbs has the more typical gray color of the igneous rock of the Sierra Nevada. When photographed together under the right light, their contrast is striking. These two peaks make a majestic background to images made along the eastern edge of the park.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? There are two main locations where you can photograph these peaks. The first location is along the Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River as it parallels the Tioga Pass Road; look for marker T36 (see A on the map). The second location is in a reflecting pond about 1 mile east of T36 (see B on the map).

The best locations from which to photograph Mount Dana and Mount Gibbs: (A) Dana Fork at marker T36, (B) reflecting pond.

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From this marker, you can see both peaks and use the Dana Fork as a foreground element in your image (see figure 16.1). The Dana Fork offers a strong leading line that draws your eye back to the grand peaks. This location gives you a strong overall image that captures many of the qualities of the High Country showing meandering rivers and looming peaks.


Dana Fork at marker T36

16.1 Mount Dana and Mount Gibbs with the Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River in the foreground (see A on the map) in the early afternoon on a summer day. Taken at ISO 100, f/13, 1/80 second with a 17mm lens.

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Reflecting pond Just about 1 mile east of marker T36, a small reflecting pond is on the south side of the road (see B on the map). From here you get a great view of Mount Gibbs and if you walk around the pond, you can see Mount Dana too (see figure 16.2).

16.2 Reflections of Mount Gibbs and the rising moon at sunset taken on a fall evening. Taken at ISO 100, f/16 at 1/8 second with a 24-105mm lens at 85mm.

How Can I Get the Best Shot? You can either use the mountain peaks as backdrops for large scenic images or use a longer lens to zoom in and isolate the peaks.

Equipment Using a wide-angle to moderate telephoto lens works best for this scene. Adding a tripod and bubble level helps you get good depth of field and have level images.

Lenses Wide-angle lenses in the 14-35mm range are the most effective when trying to photograph the peaks as part of the larger landscape. With this focal length, you can use either the river or the reflecting pond as a strong foreground element or be able to emphasize the sky if you have good clouds.

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Filters The most useful filters you can use when photographing Mount Dana and Mount Gibbs are a polarizing filter and a graduated neutral density filter. X


X

Graduated neutral density filter. This filter is useful for balancing your lighting ratios, especially when you are photographing with a darker foreground and lighter background. A graduated neutral density filter has a gradient of density that reduces light at the top of the filter and tapers to clear, having no effect at the bottom of the filter. If the sky is much brighter than the foreground, you can use this filter to even out the lighting ratios between the bright sky and the darker foreground. Because the filter is dark at one end and clear at the other, you place the dark end over the sky to reduce the brightness of that area and even out the light so that the bright sky and the darker foreground, which in these locations would include the Dana Fork or the reflecting pond, can both be exposed properly in one exposure.


Using short telephoto lenses makes the mountains more prominent and the foregrounds less imposing, and using longer telephoto lenses enables you to fill the frame with the peaks themselves.

Extras A tripod and electronic cable release help you keep the camera steady when working with longer exposures. A bubble level helps you keep the horizon level.

Camera settings When photographing these peaks, I like to put them in context with their surroundings, so having the proper depth of field to ensure sharp foregrounds and backgrounds is my main concern. X

ISO. Using the native ISO of your camera (the ISO recommended by your camera manufacturer) always gives you the best image. If you are handholding the camera, you may want to use ISOs around 400 to 800 so that you can get good depth of field and have a fast enough shutter speed to hold your camera steady.

X

Exposure mode. To ensure proper depth of field, you want to control your aperture, so using Aperture Priority mode is the best choice. If you are using a tripod, the shutter speed is not a great concern.

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X

Exposure compensation. If you are including a lot of foreground, you may end up overexposing the clouds or sky. This happens if the meter is picking up a lot of the ground and using that value to determine exposure. If that is the case, use an exposure compensation of -1/2 to 1 stop to correct for this and get properly exposed skies and clouds.

X

White balance. Daylight white balance should work well, but if your images are too blue due to the high elevation, try using a setting of Shade or Cloudy to compensate for that.

Exposure Getting a good exposure for this image is fairly easy, especially if the sun is in the west!

Ideal time to shoot The ideal time to photograph these peaks is in the afternoon when the sun is lighting their faces. Anytime from 1:00 p.m. until sunset should be fine. The mountains take on a red glow at sunset.

Working around the weather Good clouds are a big help when photographing the peaks because they add drama and interest to the image, but any weather is good. Because you only have access to the peaks in the summer to fall when the Tioga Pass Road is open, the weather is usually good. One element that can add a lot of drama to a picture of the peaks is an early snowstorm in the fall.

Low-light and night options The peaks are not ideal subjects for night photography.

Getting creative Reflecting the peaks in the pond is one way to get creative. You could photograph the reflection only and not include the peak if you want to try something different.

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Nevada Fall as seen from the Mist Trail, before you start to climb the steep part of the trail, on a late summer day. Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/100 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 100mm.

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17

Nevada Fall

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Why It’s Worth a Photograph Nevada Fall is one of the major waterfalls in Yosemite National Park. With its 594foot drop, it is almost twice as tall as nearby Vernal Fall. Because Nevada Fall is also fed by the Merced River, it flows year-round and in the spring contains a huge volume of water. Many of Yosemite’s waterfalls dry up in late summer but not Vernal and Nevada Falls. You can always count on a good show from Nevada Fall no matter what time of year. The waterfall starts off fairly narrow at the top but spreads out to a wide curtain of water as it descends the cliff face.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? You can photograph Nevada Fall from two main locations: from the Mist Trail (see A on the map) and from Washburn Point (see B on the map).

The best locations from which to photograph Nevada Fall: (A) Mist Trail, (B) Washburn Point. Other photo ops: (1) Ahwahnee Hotel, (8) Half Dome, (9) Happy Isles, (26) Vernal Fall.

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Hiking the Mist Trail is the best way to see Nevada Fall. From the trailhead at Happy Isles it is a 5.8-mile round-trip hike to the top with an elevation gain of almost 1,900 feet. Allow 5 to 6 hours to complete the hike. You pass Vernal Fall and then pass Emerald Pool and Silver Apron (a small cascade) and continue on the Mist Trail across a footbridge, meandering through the forest until you start to climb. The last section, climbing the switchbacks on the left side of the fall, is quite strenuous. Make sure you carry plenty of water! The top of Nevada Fall is 1.5 miles from Vernal Fall. You can see many good views of the fall as you start the climb on the left side (see figure 17.1). At the beginning of the climb, you can veer 17.1 Nevada Fall as seen from the Mist Trail (see A on the map) as you start to slightly off trail and get a more direct, climb the left side. Taken at ISO 100, head-on view of the fall. After you start f/22, 1/60 second with a 24-105mm ascending the left slope, you will be zoom lens at 82mm. looking at the fall in a profile view on up to the top. You cannot see the falls from the whole trail going up as you can at Vernal Fall. There are railings at the top of the fall, and you can get some good views as the water plunges over the cliff face.

Nevada Fall

Mist Trail

See Chapter 26 for more information on Vernal Fall. CROSS REF

Washburn Point High above Yosemite Valley along Glacier Point Road, you come to Washburn Point, named after the two brothers who started the Wawona Hotel. Although not as famous as Glacier Point, because you cannot see into the west end of the valley, Washburn Point does reward you with some spectacular views. From here, you have an excellent view looking down on the Giant Staircase that encompasses Vernal and Nevada Falls. It is only from this vantage point that you can get an aerial view of Nevada Fall as it plunges over its precipice (see figure 17.2). Washburn Point is at an elevation of 7,500 feet, over 3,000 feet above Yosemite Valley!

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17.2 Nevada Fall plunges over its precipice during full springtime glory! Taken at ISO 100, f/9, 1/160 second with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens at 260mm.

See Chapter 27 for more information on Wawona Hotel. CROSS REF

How Can I Get the Best Shot? You can either do a 6-mile strenuous hike carrying your camera, lenses, and tripod, or drive to Washburn Point with all your gear.

Equipment If you plan to do the hike, then you need to think about how much equipment you are capable of carrying. I recommend leaving your longer zoom lens behind. If you drive to Washburn Point, then you can take everything you own because your walk will only be a few yards.

Lenses The lenses you use to photograph Nevada Fall will depend on which view you choose to photograph.

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When hiking the Mist Trail, I recommend keeping your pack light and only carrying a good midrange zoom. The 24-105mm lens is perfect for this hike. You can get the wide-angle shots that show the large fall as well as zoom in for more of the details as you climb the trail to the left of the fall.

Nevada Fall

Mist Trail

Washburn Point From Washburn Point, lenses in the 100-400mm range allow you to get close to the fall even though it is a great distance away. You can also use your 24-105mm range lens to photograph the entire Giant Staircase and show Nevada Fall in relationship to the cliffs and domes that surround it.

Filters The most useful filters you can use when photographing the Nevada Fall are a polarizing filter and a graduated neutral density filter. You may also want to use a protective filter if you go on the Mist Trail during high water. X


X

Graduated neutral density filter. Useful for balancing your lighting ratios, especially when you photograph with a darker foreground and lighter background. A graduated neutral density filter has a gradient of density being dark at one end and clear on the other. That reduces the light at the top of the filter but has no effect on the light at the bottom of the filter. If the sky is much brighter than the foreground, you can use this filter to even out the lighting differences between the bright sky and the darker foreground. Because the filter is dark at one end and clear at the other, you place the dark end over the sky or cliff face to reduce the brightness of that area and even out the light so that the bright sky or cliff and the darker foreground (waterfall) can both be exposed properly in one exposure.

X

UV or skylight filter. Using a UV or skylight filter protects your lens from the spray of the waterfall if you are on the Mist Trail. The spray from the waterfall can be felt a long way from the fall itself.

Extras A tripod and electronic cable release will allow you to keep the camera steady when working with longer exposures. A bubble level allows you to keep the horizon level. If you are hiking the Mist Trail during high water, you need plastic bags to protect your gear from the spray of the waterfall. Carrying a towel to dry your camera if it does get wet is a good idea. And don’t forget a raincoat or poncho for you, too!

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Camera settings When photographing the waterfall, the biggest concern is getting the proper shutter speed to capture the flow of the water. X

ISO. Using the native ISO of your camera (the ISO your camera manufacturer recommends) always gives you the best image. Because the falls are usually well lit, this native ISO should allow you to get a fast enough shutter speed to allow you to capture the flowing water without exposing too long and washing out the detail of the water.

X

Exposure mode. To ensure the proper shutter speed, use Shutter Priority mode on your camera. The proper shutter speed to freeze the water but still give it a feel of motion will vary with your lens and your distance to the waterfall. Usually shutter speeds in the 1/30 to 1/200 second range give the best results. I recommend you try several to see which works best.

X

Exposure compensation. If you fill the frame with bright water, your camera will want to underexpose the image and make the water gray. Using an exposure compensation of between +2/3 to +1 1/2 lightens the water. Try several shots using exposure compensation and see how much you will need for your situation.

X

White balance. Daylight white balance should work well, but if you think that your images are too blue due to the high elevation, try using a setting of Shade or Cloudy to compensate for that.

Exposure Getting a good image will depend on the light. You need to photograph the fall when it is lit and not when it is in shadow.

Ideal time to shoot The sun lights the fall most of the day, but the ideal time to photograph the fall is when the sun has crested the cliffs and lights the fall — typically midmorning. You won’t have to worry about the fall going into shade until about an hour before sunset.

Working around the weather Bright sunny days are the norm during the months of high spring runoff, but if you are lucky enough to have a day with low-hanging clouds, you may get some dramatic images of the waterfall drifting in and out of cloud cover.

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The waterfall will be lit whenever there is a full moon. I don’t recommend doing the Mist Trail hike in the dark, but if you are up at Washburn Point, you could get some night images of Nevada Fall.

Nevada Fall


Getting creative Experimenting with different shutter speeds, using the polarizing filter to reduce glare, and looking for different angles are the best ways to get creative when photographing Nevada Fall.

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Interior of the Wells Fargo and Company Express building, Pioneer Yosemite History Center (see A on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/11, 1/30 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 24mm.

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Why It’s Worth a Photograph The Pioneer Yosemite History Center is made up of a collection of historic structures from different eras of Yosemite’s history and commemorates the people and stories of those early pioneers. These buildings came from various locations in the park and each represents a different time and story in Yosemite’s past. Some of the structures include a covered bridge, pioneer cabins, a Wells Fargo office, a blacksmith shop, and a ranger patrol cabin, to name a few. A working stagecoach gives tours in the area and makes an interesting photographic subject. You can find many great photographic opportunities within the History Center, from the structures, wagons, and horses to the docents that perform demonstrations.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? The Pioneer Yosemite History Center covers several acres (see A on the map). Don’t pass up the collection of old wagons and coaches before you cross the covered bridge. Once across the bridge, which is a great photo subject, spend time

The best location from which to photograph the Pioneer Yosemite History Center: (A) the grounds around the History Center. Other photo ops: (13) Mariposa Grove, (27) Wawona Hotel.

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How Can I Get the Best Shot? Walking around the History Center and looking at the buildings and artifacts from various angles gives you the best picture-taking opportunities in this area.


photographing the interior and exterior of the many buildings. The artist cabin, the Wells Fargo building, and the ranger cabin all offer very interesting interiors. The blacksmith shop is quite interesting, especially for demonstrations of blacksmithing techniques.

Equipment You can use a wide variety of equipment when photographing this area. From wide-angle to telephoto and with macro lenses, flash, and various filters, you can use almost any piece of equipment you carry into this interesting location.

Lenses All of your lenses are useful here. Wide-angle lenses in the 14-24mm range can be used to capture the big scene and the exteriors and interiors of most buildings. You can also use your midrange focal length lenses in the 45-100mm range to photograph the details found in many of the interiors. If you have time, you can even use macro lenses to get close to some of the artifacts, especially in the artist cabin and the blacksmith shop. Your telephoto lenses from 100-300mm may be useful for capturing the stagecoach at a distance to compress the scale of the buildings and their backgrounds.

Filters The most useful filters you can use when photographing the Pioneer Yosemite History Center are a polarizing filter and a graduated neutral density filter. X

Polarizing filter. This filter is useful for reducing glare and reflections off the surface of the windows on the cabins; you can even remove the glare if you need to photograph through the windows. It’s also used for darkening the sky and emphasizing the clouds.

X

Graduated neutral density filter. This filter is useful for balancing your lighting ratios, especially when you are photographing a darker foreground and lighter background. If you are shooting overall scenes of the Yosemite Pioneer History Center, it is easy to have the buildings in the shade and the bright sky above. A graduated neutral density filter has a gradient of density (dark at the top, light on the bottom) that reduces light at the top of the filter and tapers to clear, having no effect at the bottom of the filter. If the sky is much brighter than the foreground, you can use this filter to even out the

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lighting ratios (brightness range) between the bright sky and the darker foreground. Because the filter is dark at one end and clear at the other, you place the dark end over the sky to reduce the brightness of that area and even out the light so that the bright sky and the darker foreground (cabins) can both be exposed properly in one exposure.

Extras A tripod and electronic cable release can really help when photographing in the interiors of the buildings. Be careful with your tripod indoors and be considerate of other visitors. A bubble level can help you keep the floors, ceiling, and walls square and level. You may also want to try using a flash for fill light in the interiors to help balance the outdoor light coming in through the windows with the dimmer interior light.

Camera settings Depending on your subject, you will have to decide what the most important consideration is in your image. When photographing the buildings, you may want a lot of depth of field to render the whole scene in focus, but if you are photographing the stagecoach or a blacksmith demonstration, then having the proper shutter speed to stop the action is your main concern. For interior shots, using flash to fill in shadows will be important to consider. The following should be helpful in getting the shot you want.

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X

ISO. Using the native ISO of your camera (the ISO recommended by your camera manufacturer) always gives you the best image. If you are using a tripod, using this native ISO will not be difficult. If you are handholding the camera, you may want to boost the ISO to 400 or higher so that you can set the lens to a smaller aperture and still have a fast enough shutter speed to be steady. When photographing interiors, you may need higher ISOs in the 8001000 range to get enough light.

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Exposure mode. If depth of field is your foremost concern, using Aperture Priority mode, in which you set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed, is the best choice. Choosing apertures in the f/11 to f/22 range gives you good depth of field and enables you to have sharp images throughout. If you are more concerned about getting the correct shutter speed to stop the action, then you will be better off working in Shutter Priority mode, where you pick the shutter speed and the camera sets the aperture. If you want to stop the action of the stagecoach or the working blacksmith, then you will want a shutter speed faster than 1/250 second. If you want to blur the stagecoach while panning the camera (see figure 18.1) or the motion of the blacksmith’s arm as it swings the hammer (see figure 18.2), then shutter speeds from 1/8 to 1/60 second will work best.


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Pioneer Yosemite History Center 18.1 The stagecoach as it passes by the Wells Fargo building. Taken at ISO 200, f/9 at 1/50 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 24mm.

You may also want to consider taking several exposures of the same subject, such as the covered bridge in figure 18.3, and combine them all into one High Dynamic Range (HDR) image with image-editing software. This gives you the best of all the exposures in one.

18.2 A blacksmithing demonstration at the Pioneer Yosemite History Center. Taken at ISO 640, f/5.6, 1/60 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 50mm.

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18.3 Interior of the covered bridge at the Pioneer Yosemite History Center. This is a High Dynamic Range (HDR) image taken at ISO 500, f/14, made of seven exposures at 1.6 seconds, 1 second, 1/2 second, 1/4 second, 1/8 second, 1/15 second, and 1/30 second with a 17mm lens.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) Images High Dynamic Range (HDR) is a technique that allows you to capture the full dynamic range (brightness range) of a scene that has too much contrast to be exposed properly on your digital sensor. In simple terms, you take a series of exposures capturing detail in the shadows and in the highlights by varying your exposure settings. When shooting for HDR, it really helps to use a tripod to keep the images aligned properly. You also want to change the shutter speed and leave the aperture fixed so the depth of field does not change in the picture. It is also a good idea to turn off autofocus and Auto White Balance to maintain consistency. Once you capture enough images to have all the exposure information you need, you then process the images through special software that takes the best parts of the exposures from each individual frame and combines them all into one image, giving you a picture similar to what your eye sees and not the restricted version that a camera sees.

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Exposure compensation. You may need to use exposure compensation while at the Pioneer Yosemite History Center. I have found that I need to compensate in both directions depending on the subject. If you photograph a blacksmith against the dark shadow of the interior of the shop, you need to use minus compensation to keep the shadow dark and not overexpose the blacksmith. In some of the interiors, you may need a plus compensation to bring out the details in the shadow areas of the rooms.

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White balance. Daylight white balance works well in the Pioneer Yosemite History Center.

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Flash. When photographing in the interiors of the buildings, it will help to use your flash. The technique of fill flash is a method of using your flash to add to the ambient light exposure and not to use the flash as the main source of light. You need a flash with an adjustable output level to create fill flash in most cases, but I will also give you a trick you can use if you have a fixed output flash.


X

If you have a flash with adjustable light output, you will want to set the flash to –1 as a starting point so that you are adding light to the shadows and using the ambient light to make the main exposure. This will not work in Program mode on your camera; you need to be in Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, or Manual exposure modes. Check your LCD and see how the shadows look and adjust the flash output accordingly. If you have a fixed flash such as those built into a camera, you follow some of the same steps previously outlined. You need to take your camera out of Program mode and use one of the modes just mentioned. If you have a point-and-shoot camera, set the flash to always fire. Then take a piece of tissue paper and place it over the flash to soften the light and lower the flash output. Check the picture; if it is putting out too much light and overpowering the image, add layers of tissue until the flash is just sending out enough light to add detail into your shadows.

Exposure Working with the light and choosing subjects that are evenly lit will help when making pictures at the Pioneer Yosemite History Center.

Ideal time to shoot You need to check with the National Park Service to find the hours of operation for the Pioneer Yosemite History Center. They vary from season to season. But anytime the center is open is a good time. Try and get there early when it is less crowded. You will have more time and freedom to photograph.

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Working around the weather Overcast days are ideal to photograph at the center. The cloud cover removes the harsh shadows and makes photographing the interior and exteriors of the building much easier. On rainy days, you can always photograph the interiors and stay dry.

Low-light and night options This area is not available for night photography, but low-light conditions occur in some of the buildings. You may want to use the technique where you shoot two exposures for the interiors — one exposure to get detail in the building and one exposure to get detail in the windows — and then you combine the images later in your post-processing software. Otherwise, you need a fill flash to help balance out the light.

Getting creative You can get creative in many ways at this location. You can get down low and photograph from unusual angles. You can photograph through the wheels of wagons or through the windows of cabins. You can use shallow depth of field and just photograph individual artifacts inside the structures. Try using slow shutter speeds and panning with the motion of the stagecoach or let the arms of the blacksmith blur as he swings his hammer while keeping the rest of his body sharp. The photo opportunities are so vast here you are only limited by your imagination!

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A winter sunset view of Sentinel Rock from Cook’s Meadow. Taken at ISO 100, f/6.3, 1/250 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 24mm.

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19

Sentinel Rock

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Why It’s Worth a Photograph Sentinel Rock proudly stands above Yosemite Valley and beckons your attention. Sentinel Rock gets its name from its resemblance to a watchtower. When viewed from the western side, the tower-like appearance is most evident. The formation is one of the most dominating rock formations in the center of Yosemite Valley. Located opposite of Yosemite Falls, Sentinel Rock towers over 3,000 feet above the valley floor.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? Two of the best locations for photographing Sentinel Rock are Cook’s Meadow (see A on the map) and El Capitan Meadow (see B on the map).

The best locations from which to photograph Sentinel Rock: (A) Cook’s Meadow, (B) El Capitan Meadow. Other photo ops: (4) Cathedral Rock, (6) El Capitan, (10) Horsetail Fall, (22) Three Brothers, (28) Yosemite Chapel.

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Sentinel Rock

Cook’s Meadow You can find many good locations in Cook’s Meadow for photographing Sentinel Rock. As you wander the trails, you can see many different vantage points. I like to shoot from the footbridge that crosses the river because I can get both the river and the rock formation in the frame (see figure 19.1).

El Capitan Meadow To get a good view of Sentinel Rock from El Capitan Meadow, you need to hike out toward the center of the meadow. Several trails throughout the meadow can take you to its center. Then turn east and look down the valley and you will see the classic watchtower shape of Sentinel Rock on your right (see figure 19.2).

19.1 Sentinel Rock and the Merced River from the footbridge in Cook’s Meadow (see A on the map) on a summer morning. Taken at ISO 100, f/14, 1/15 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 24mm.

19.2 Sentinel Rock in late afternoon from El Capitan Meadow (see B on the map) on a summer afternoon. Note the tower-like shape of the rock formation from this vantage point. Taken at ISO 100, f/40, 1/13 second with a 100-400mm lens at 390mm.

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How Can I Get the Best Shot? Getting to the correct position in each meadow gives you the best views. Carrying the proper lenses and filters into the field will give you the best tools to make good images.

Equipment As with most locations in Yosemite Valley, Sentinel Rock can be photographed with a variety of lenses depending on your location and your desire to include the formation in the grand landscape. As always, a tripod, cable release, and bubble level can help you improve your images. Two filters are also useful for this subject.

Lenses Lenses for photographing Sentinel Rock range from wide-angle to telephoto, depending upon your shooting location.

Cook’s Meadow From Cook’s Meadow, you want to use wide-angle lenses so that you can include Sentinel Rock in context with the surrounding landscape. If you want to photograph the rock in the vertical orientation, it takes at least a 35mm lens to get it all in from top to bottom, and at least a 28mm lens if you are going to take a horizontal image. You can use a short telephoto lens if you want to fill the frame with just a portion of the rock face. If you are going to photograph the Sentinel Rock with the small rapids found under the footbridge, wide-angle lenses from 14-20mm are necessary.

El Capitan Meadow In El Capitan Meadow, you can use a telephoto lens in the 100-400mm range to fill the frame with Sentinel Rock, or a wide-angle lens in the 24-50mm range to photograph the rock in context with the meadow. When using the telephoto lens, you can frame Sentinel Rock with some treetops in the foreground and emphasize the tower-like structure of the rock formation. By using the wider lenses, you can include some of the meadow as a foreground with a mid-ground of trees and have Sentinel Rock in the background.

Filters The most useful filters you can use when photographing Sentinel Rock are a polarizing filter and a graduated neutral density filter. The polarizing filter is useful from both locations and helps separate the rock formation from the sky and enhances any clouds you may happen to have in the scene. The graduated neutral density filter is more useful from El Capitan Meadow and allows you to see detail in the foreground trees and not wash out the sky above the cliffs.

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Polarizing filter. Useful for reducing glare and reflections off the surface of the water and rocks, and for darkening the sky and emphasizing the clouds.

X

Graduated neutral density filter. Useful for balancing your lighting ratios, the lights and darks in a scene, especially when you are photographing with a darker foreground and lighter background. A graduated neutral density filter has a gradient of density, dark at the top and light on the bottom, that reduces light at the top of the filter and tapers to clear, having no effect at the bottom of the filter. If the sky is much brighter than the foreground, you can use this filter to even out the lighting ratios between the bright sky and the darker foreground. Because the filter is dark at one end and clear at the other, you place the dark end over the sky or cliff face to reduce the brightness of that area and even out the light so that the bright sky or cliff and the darker foreground (river or trees) can both be exposed properly in one exposure.

Sentinel Rock

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Extras As always, the use of a tripod and a cable release are the best accessories for improving any landscape image. I find that adding a bubble level to the mix helps me keep everything level. Sentinel Rock is a very tall landmark, and you are fairly close to it in Cook’s Meadow, which means that you will be pointing the camera upward to capture the whole rock. This causes distortion if you’re using wideangle lenses. Planning to fix this distortion in image-editing software means you need to allow extra space on each side of your image for cropping. Another alternative for correcting this problem is to use a perspective correcting tilt-shift lens. These lenses are designed for architectural work; the front of the lens actually rises so you don’t have to tilt the camera. These specialty lenses can be rented in some cities.

TIP

In most major cities, camera stores that cater to professionals rent specialty lenses including tilt-shift lenses.

Camera settings Getting the proper depth of field is the most important concern when photographing Sentinel Rock. X

ISO. Using the native ISO of your camera (the ISO your camera manufacturer recommends) always gives you the best image. If you are using a tripod, you can easily use this native ISO. If you are handholding the camera, you may want to boost the ISO to 400 or higher so that you can set the lens to a smaller aperture and still have a fast enough shutter speed to be steady.

X

Exposure mode. Because depth of field is the foremost concern, using Aperture Priority mode, where you set the aperture and the camera sets the

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shutter speed, is the best choice. Choosing apertures in the f/11-f/22 range gives you good depth of field and allows you to have sharp images throughout. X

Exposure compensation. You may need to use some exposure compensation to stop the sky from overexposing when photographing Sentinel Rock. The light meter in your camera has a tendency to expose for the rock formation, thus slightly overexposing the sky. Using an exposure compensation of –1/2 to 1 stop solves that problem.

Exposure You can get a great image of Sentinel Rock during any season and lighting condition.

Ideal time to shoot Sentinel Rock looks great in every season. In the spring through summer, you can use the green trees found in both meadows as foreground elements in the scene. As the leaves change in autumn, the yellow makes a nice contrast against the cold stone and blue skies. In winter, you can use the graphic design of the bare tree branches to frame the rock. Winter is especially nice as fresh fallen snow highlights all the ledges and ridges found on Sentinel Rock, giving a lot of dimension to the image. The best light on the rock is from late afternoon through sunset.

Working around the weather Winter is one of my favorite times for photographing Sentinel Rock. During a storm, clouds usually swirl around the rock and various sections are visible while others are obscured. This weather adds a lot of drama and atmosphere to the image. After a snowfall, the fresh fallen snow highlights all the cracks and ledges, adding definition to the rock face.

Low-light and night options Using Sentinel Rock as a foreground element while doing star images allows a real sense of place, and viewers can easily identify the location. If you photograph the stars and want them to look like points of light similar to the way your eyes see them, then use shutter speeds of under 30 seconds with a wide-angle lens at its widest aperture. You will need to set the ISO accordingly to give you the proper shutter speed. If you want to get streaks, also known as star trails, then you need to expose for at least several minutes up to hours if you have the patience! In this case, since your exposures will be longer, you can set the lens to a smaller aperture, around f/8, and use an ISO around 500.

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I suggest walking close to the trees found in each meadow and looking for interesting branches and shapes in which you can frame Sentinel Rock (see figure 19.3).

Sentinel Rock

Getting creative

19.3 Sentinel Rock framed by golden oaks in autumn in El Capitan Meadow (see B on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/22, 1/40 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 55mm.

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Siesta Lake in autumn (see A on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/80 second with a 17-40mm zoom lens at 17mm.

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20

Siesta Lake

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Why It’s Worth a Photograph When driving along the Tioga Pass Road you see a lot of outstanding scenery. Unfortunately, there are not a whole lot of turnouts in some of the scenic locations. Siesta Lake is one such exception. This small lake is located on the north side of Tioga Pass Road at marker T8. This little lake was created by a moraine on a cirque glacier that was located on a ridge above the lake. The moraine acted as a dam and created this picturesque lake.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? There is a turnout and parking area at Siesta Lake. From the parking area there is also a well-worn trail along the south side of the lake (see A on the map). Walking along the shoreline of this lake gives you different perspectives of the lake and many nice views. I usually look for an area with an interesting foreground, whether it is a fallen tree or a particular interesting group of reeds.

The best location from which to photograph Siesta Lake: (A) the southern shore of the lake.

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Walking the trail on the southern shore of the lake and looking for good foregrounds rewards you with the best images. Look for fallen trees, nice reeds, or picturesque rocks to use as foreground elements to enhance the scene. Shoot both the grand scenics as well as details of reeds and grasses to create more personal images. Also concentrate on the shoreline. There are some very pretty details of the bushes and shrubs that grow along the lake, especially in autumn, which comes early to the High Country (see figure 20.1).

Siesta Lake


20.1 Autumn color on the north shore of Siesta Lake in the early afternoon. Taken at ISO 100, f/11, 1/80 second with a 17-40mm zoom lens at 40mm.

Equipment Just a few lenses and filters are all you need to get good images of Siesta Lake.

Lenses I find working with wide-angle lenses in the 14-28mm range and getting close and low to a strong foreground element to emphasize the foreground gives the viewer a place to start in the image, and creates a more dramatic image. If you want to do more artistic and abstract images of the reeds and grasses, then a short telephoto lens in the 100-200mm range works really well here.

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Filters The most useful filters you can use when photographing the Siesta Lake are a polarizing filter and a graduated neutral density filter. X

Polarizing filter. This filter is useful for reducing glare and reflections off the surface of the water and rocks and for darkening the sky and emphasizing the clouds (see figure 20.2).

X

Graduated neutral density filter. This filter is useful for balancing your light in an image, when your photograph has a dark foreground and light background. A graduated neutral density filter has a gradient of density, dark at the top and light at the bottom, that reduces light at the top of the filter and tapers to clear, having no effect at the bottom of the filter. If the sky is much brighter than the foreground, you can use this filter to even out the brightness range between the bright sky and the darker foreground. Because the filter is dark at one end and clear at the other, you place the dark end over the sky to reduce the brightness of that area and even out the light so that the bright sky and the darker foreground (the lake) can both be exposed properly in one exposure.

20.2 Siesta Lake and clouds on a summer afternoon taken with a polarizing filter. Taken at ISO 100, f/16, 1/40 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 24mm.

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A tripod and electronic cable release allow you to keep the camera steady and allow you to use small apertures to get a larger depth of field. A bubble level will allow you to keep the horizon level.

Siesta Lake

Extras

Camera settings When photographing the Siesta Lake, the highest priority is depth of field. You want to have everything in focus from the close foreground to the distant background, especially if you choose to find strong foreground elements or choose to concentrate on the more intimate details. X

ISO. Using the native ISO of your camera (the ISO the camera manufacturer recommends) always gives you the best image. If you are using a tripod, it will not be difficult to use this native ISO. If you are handholding the camera, you may want to boost the ISO to 400 or higher so that you can set the lens to a smaller aperture and still have a fast enough shutter speed to be steady.

X

Exposure mode. Because depth of field is the foremost concern, using Aperture Priority mode, where you set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed, is the best choice. Choosing apertures in the f/11 to f/22 range gives you good depth of field and allows you to have sharp images throughout.

X

Exposure compensation. You may need to use exposure compensation if the sky is much brighter than the foreground. Your meter will probably get a false reading and want to overexposure the sky if the foreground is much darker, so you will need to set the camera at –1/2 to –1 stop exposure to make sure you don’t overexpose the sky if you are not using a graduated neutral density filter.

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White balance. Daylight white balance should work well for this area.

Exposure The chances of getting a good image are greatly enhanced if you pay attention to the direction and the quality of the light. You want to make sure there is not a large brightness difference between the foreground and sky.

Ideal time to shoot The ideal time to photograph Siesta Lake is late morning through late afternoon. Having good clouds that reflect into the lake is a bonus!

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Working around the weather Late afternoons have the best chance of clouds, which add drama to your images. Rainy and overcast days are good days to concentrate on the details in the lake such as leaves and grasses.

Low-light and night options This location is not good for shooting night images.

Getting creative You can either try to get creative by working with specialty filters such as a blue/ yellow polarizing filter, which will alter the colors of the water, and can intensify the scene, or you can try different perspectives. Try photographing from different vantage points. Instead of taking all your images from eye level, get down low and see how this changes the whole perspective of the scene. Also be on the lookout for abstract patterns of grasses and leaves that may make the viewer wonder about scale and distance.

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Tenaya Lake as seen from the western shore on a fall afternoon. Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/30 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 24mm.

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21

Tenaya Lake

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Why It’s Worth a Photograph Tenaya Lake is the largest natural lake that is easily accessible in Yosemite National Park. The lake is nestled between many spectacular granite domes and peaks. These domes and peaks reflect their magnificence into the lake waters, rewarding you with many beautiful views.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? Three of the best locations for photographing Tenaya Lake are from either its west or east shore (see A and B on the map) and from Olmsted Point (see C on the map).

The best locations from which to photograph Tenaya Lake: (A) western shore, (B) eastern shore, (C) Olmsted Point. Other photo ops: (3) Cathedral Peak, (24) Tuolumne Meadows and River, (25) Unicorn Peak.

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Each shore offers a glimpse into the different personalities of Tenaya Lake. The western shore has a wilder feel, with the large granite rocks and boulders on the shoreline. These rocks form interesting lines and shapes that you can use to enhance your compositions and add more interest to your images (see figure 21.1). You also have the outlet of Tenaya Creek to use as a compositional element from the west end. Walk the shoreline and look for these formations and determine how you can use them to add drama to your images. The shoreline varies through the summer as the lake level drops. Rocks that were submerged appear and other foreground elements recede from the water’s edge. Using wide-angle lenses and getting close to these foreground elements make them look more dramatic. Also, look for rocks and shapes that you can use as leading lines to draw the viewer’s eye into the image.

Tenaya Lake

Western shore

21.1 Interesting rocks make great foreground elements at Tenaya Lake from the western shore (see A on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/60 second with a 24-105mm lens at 24mm.

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Eastern shore On the eastern shore, you find the lake’s gentler side with its large sand beach. This area is a popular place for sunbathing, swimming, windsurfing, and enjoying the recreational values of the lake. You can find some scenic areas that include logs, rocks, or grasses for you to use as foreground elements in your images. This is also a great sunset location as you face west into the setting sun. At sunset you can use the trees on the northern shoreline as foreground elements to add depth to your image (see figure 21.2). Again using the wide-angle lens with a low perspective adds more drama and makes the lake look more imposing in your pictures. You may also want to include some of the people as scale to show the large size of the lake in the image.

21.2 Sunset and a crescent moon over Tenaya Lake from the east shore on a summer evening. Taken at ISO 400, f/13, .8 seconds with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 45mm.

Olmsted Point From Olmsted Point you can walk to the east end of the parking lot and get a good view of Tenaya Lake in its surroundings (see figure 21.3). If you are feeling a bit more adventurous, cross the road from the parking lot and walk a short distance up on the granite slope. You will be rewarded with an excellent view of Tenaya Lake and the surrounding peaks.

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Tenaya Lake

21.3 Tenaya Lake as seen from the east end of the Olmsted Point parking lot (see C on the map) on an autumn morning with Pywiak Dome in the background. Taken at ISO 100, f/13, 1/160 second with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens at 275mm.

Here you can even use some of the cracks and lines in the granite as foreground elements and leading lines to draw the viewer’s attention directly to the lake in your picture.

How Can I Get the Best Shot? Careful scouting and walking around a bit looking for good foregrounds rewards you with the best images of Tenaya Lake. You can use a variety of lenses and filters on this subject to enhance your images.

Equipment Tenaya Lake, as with most other locations, can be photographed with a variety of lenses ranging from wide-angle to telephoto, depending on your location.

Lenses You can use the same wider-angle lenses at either end of the lake, but from Olmsted Point you will want to use longer lenses.

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West and east shores As you walk along the shorelines of the lake, you will find your wide-angle lenses to be the most useful for making compositions that use the natural objects found in the area as foreground elements. Lenses in the 14-28mm range are the most useful here if you want to capture the grandeur and size of the lake. The wideangle lenses also allow you to place foreground elements in a prominent location to add depth to the image (see figure 21.4). If you want to capture the human element of the scene as someone enjoys the recreational values of the lake, a midrange telephoto such as a 70-200mm lens is useful.

21.4 Using large boulders as a foreground element at the west end of Tenaya Lake on an autumn afternoon. Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/50 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 24mm.

Olmsted Point From Olmsted Point, lenses in the 50-200mm range are more useful because you are much farther away from the lake and you will still want the lake to have some size in your image. To capture the lake and all the surrounding peaks and domes, the 50-75mm lens range works well. If you want the lake to be more dominant in the image but still show the granite surroundings, the longer focal lengths from 70-200mm work best.

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The most useful filters you can use when photographing Tenaya Lake are a polarizing filter and a graduated neutral density filter. X

Polarizing filter. This filter is useful for reducing glare and reflections off the surface of the water allowing you to see the rocks on the lake bottom and for darkening the sky and emphasizing the clouds.

X

Graduated neutral density filter. This filter is useful for balancing your lighting ratios, especially when you are photographing with a darker foreground and lighter background. A graduated neutral density filter is dark at the top of the filter where the density reduces the amount of light entering the lens and tapers to clear, having no effect on the light at the bottom of the filter. If the sky is much brighter than the foreground, you can use this filter to even out the brightness between the bright sky and the darker foreground. Because the filter is dark at one end and clear at the other, you place the dark end over the sky or cliff face to reduce the brightness of that area and even out the light so that the bright sky or cliff and the darker foreground (lake) can both be exposed properly in one exposure.

Tenaya Lake

Filters

Extras The most useful accessories for any landscape image are a tripod and a cable release. I find that adding a bubble level to the mix helps to keep everything level, which is important so that the water of the lake does not appear to spill out to one side! The shoreline of the lake can get quite wet, especially in early summer, so carrying some plastic bags to set your equipment on is a good idea.

Camera settings Getting the proper depth of field is the most important concern when photographing Tenaya Lake. X

ISO. Using the native ISO of your camera (the ISO recommended by the manufacturer), always gives you the best image. If you are using a tripod, using this native ISO will not be difficult. If you are handholding the camera, you may want to boost the ISO to 400 or higher so that you can set the lens to a smaller aperture and still have a fast enough shutter speed to be steady.

X

Exposure mode. Because depth of field is the foremost concern, using Aperture Priority mode, where you set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed, is the best choice. Choosing apertures in the f/11 to f/22 range gives you good depth of field and allows you to have sharp images.

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X

Exposure compensation. Your camera’s light meter may get some false readings because the light reflecting off the granite in this area is very intense. Cameras tend to underexpose the scene making the lake very dark and difficult to see. If you find that happening to you, then an exposure compensation of +2/3 of a stop is a good place to start.

Exposure Paying attention to time, light, and weather will allow you to get the best picture of Tenaya Lake.

Ideal time to shoot Depending on your location, Tenaya Lake can be photographed at all times of the day. In the early morning, the east shore is the best location for your photos — the sun comes up and lights the scene to the west. Midday is good from all locations. In late afternoon, I favor the west end of the lake or the view from Olmsted Point. Sunset can be good from all three locations depending on cloud cover. If it is a clear day, I favor being on the east end and photographing toward the glowing color in the west. If there are good clouds, then they light up and reflect back into the lake. Every view looks spectacular.

Working around the weather You have access to Tenaya Lake only from late spring or early summer (depending on the snow pack) to late autumn and the first significant snowfall. The lake can be photographed in all weather, and the typical weather pattern for the summer months is clear days with clouds building on some afternoons. These building clouds reflect into the lake and can add a lot of dimension to your images. Some summer afternoons these clouds build into strong thunder and lightning storms. Don’t be caught on the lakeshore in these conditions!

Low-light and night options Just after sunset, you can get some beautiful colors reflecting back into the lake. If you are bold enough, you can shoot star images at the lakeshore and get the reflections in the lake! On full-moon nights, you can capture the reflections of nearby granite domes and peaks in the lake.

Getting creative Trying different angles is the best way to get creative at Tenaya Lake. Walk or climb up a small boulder to raise your vantage point or set the camera down close to lake level to give a water’s edge view of the lake. Try and look at the lake from a different perspective than the average person is used to seeing.

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The Three Brothers from the Merced River near valley marker V17. Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/15 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 82mm.

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22

Three Brothers

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Why It’s Worth a Photograph The Three Brothers is one of the significant rock formations found just west of Yosemite Village. These three peaks make a majestic shape because they stairstep each other at a very sharp angle commanding your attention. The rock formation takes on different shapes as you view it from different angles. The Mariposa Battalion, following the capture of the three sons of Chief Tenaya near the formation, gave the name to these rocks.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? The two best locations for photographing the Three Brothers are Cathedral Beach Picnic Area (see A on the map) and the Merced River near valley marker V17 (see B on the map).

The best locations from which to photograph Three Brothers: (A) Cathedral Beach Picnic Area, (B) Merced River near valley marker V17. Other photo ops: (6) El Capitan, (10) Horsetail Fall.

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You can drive right down to a parking area close to the Merced River at Cathedral Beach Picnic Area and then walk to the river’s edge. I find heading to the east from the parking area gives you the best view (as shown in figure 22.1). The biggest challenge getting a photograph from this location is getting the clearest view. The trees in this area are getting taller and making it more difficult to get a clear view. You will need to wander around a bit and look for the clearest vantage point in the spring and summer. In the winter, this is obviously not an issue.

Three Brothers

Cathedral Beach Picnic Area

22.1 Three Brothers as seen from Cathedral Beach Picnic Area on an autumn morning. Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/3 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 47mm.

Merced River near valley marker V17 Park on the left (west) end of the turnout at valley marker V17 and walk down the little drainage trail to the river; here you have the most open view of the Three Brothers. I like looking for reflections of the Three Brothers in the Merced River from this location, so walking along the riverbank gives you the best views (as shown in figure 22.2). Where you find a still enough pool for a reflection will vary during the seasons, so be patient and scout the area.

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22.2 Three Brothers as seen from valley marker V17 on a summer morning. Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/15 second with a 17mm lens.

How Can I Get the Best Shot? Getting everything in focus from the foreground to the peaks in the background is your biggest concern, so using small apertures to get the most depth of field is your goal.

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Three Brothers

Equipment The equipment is the same for both locations.

Lenses I find wide-angle lenses to be most useful when photographing the Three Brothers. It is a tall rock formation and because a fair amount of vegetation is in your images, it works best to include a large scene when taking its picture. This is especially true if you are trying to capture the reflection of the peaks in the river. In fact, to get the whole reflection you need wide-angle lenses in the 14-24mm range. You can get partial reflections or use the trees in the foreground if your lenses are not that wide. Using a telephoto in the 70-300mm range allows you to zoom in and just photograph the three peaks and eliminate most of the foreground.

Filters The most useful filters for photographing the Three Brothers are the polarizing filter and the graduated neutral density filter. X

Polarizing filter. Useful for reducing glare and reflections off the surface of the water and rocks and for darkening the sky and emphasizing the clouds.

X

Graduated neutral density filter. Useful for balancing the brightness in your image, especially when you are photographing with a dark foreground and light background. A graduated neutral density filter is dark at one end and clear at the other end. The density at the dark end reduces the light entering the sensor, and the clear end has no effect on the light. If the sky is much brighter than the foreground, you can use this filter to even out the brightness between the bright sky and the darker foreground. Because the filter is dark at one end and clear at the other, you place the dark end over the sky or the rock face to reduce the brightness of that area and even out the light so that the bright sky or rock and the darker foreground (river) can both be exposed properly in one exposure.

Extras Using a tripod and a cable release allows you to keep the camera steady. Supporting your camera will be necessary if you are using small apertures and longer shutter speeds. A bubble level allows you to keep the horizon level.

Camera settings When photographing the Three Brothers, the highest priority is depth of field. You want to have everything in focus from the close foreground to the distant background.

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X

ISO. Using the native ISO (the ISO recommended by your camera manufacturer), always gives you the best image. If you are using a tripod, using this native ISO is not difficult. If you are handholding the camera, you may want to boost the ISO to 400 or higher so that you can set the lens to a smaller aperture and still have a fast enough shutter speed to be steady.

X

Exposure mode. Because depth of field is the foremost concern, using Aperture Priority mode, where you set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed, is the best choice. Choosing apertures in the f/11 to f/22 range gives you good depth of field and allows you to have sharp images throughout.

X

Exposure compensation. From these locations, you have to be careful because the camera may be reading most of the light from the darker foliage in the foreground and thus overexposing the peaks in the background. If this happens, you need to use your exposure compensation with a starting point of –2/3 stop to darken the image. Check the LCD screen to see if you are maintaining detail in the highlights. If not, use even more exposure compensation until the highlights look good.

X


Exposure The chances of getting a good image are greatly enhanced if you pay attention to the direction and the quality of the light.

Ideal time to shoot The ideal time to photograph the Three Brothers is in the afternoon when the sun is lighting the western faces of the peaks. This gives you the most even light and shows more of the detail on the rock formation. In the morning, you may be able to get rim lighting on the peaks depending on the time of the year.

Working around the weather The Three Brothers can be photographed in most every type of weather except for a solid cloud cover filling the valley. But if there are fog and clouds, the peaks can be very dramatic as they waver in and out of cover.

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Three Brothers

Low-light and night options This location or landmark is not good to photograph in low-light situations.

Getting creative If you want to get creative photographing the Three Brothers, you need to do some walking. Try and find your own vantage point that is off the beaten path and see the rock formation from a unique and unusual angle. Walk the river, try different meadows, and explore keeping the rock formation in sight and see what you can find!

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The Tunnel Tree in Tuolumne Grove of the Giant Sequoias on a late-summer morning. Taken at ISO 100, f/20, 1/2 second with a 17mm lens.

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23

Tuolumne Grove

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Why It’s Worth a Photograph There are only three sequoia groves in Yosemite National Park. Although the Mariposa Grove may be more famous, the Tuolumne Grove offers some magnificent specimens that are located in a smaller, more secluded grove. The Tuolumne Grove also has numerous dogwood trees that blossom with a beautiful white flower in the spring, which later turns a deep red in autumn, adding color to this grove. The contrast of the white delicate flowers against the cinnamon red sequoia tree bark is a very beautiful sight.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? You have to hike to get into the Tuolumne Grove (see A on the map). It is a 1.5-mile downhill hike going to the grove, which means it is all uphill coming out! You hike down an old road to enter the grove and are met with a large towering

The best location from which to photograph Tuolumne Grove: (A) near Crane Flat at the western edge of Highway 120. Other photo ops: (7) Fern Springs, (14) Merced Grove.

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Tuolumne Grove

tree on your left just around the corner from the sign announcing your entrance to the grove. From here, you can continue on the road or take the right-hand fork that leads you through the Tunnel Tree. As you come down through the Tunnel Tree and turn around, you get a great view of the tree in context with the surrounding forest; it is one of my favorite views in the grove. After passing through the Tunnel Tree, you see a trail to your right. This trail takes you through the upper portion of the grove where you can see more sequoia trees. There is a rather large fallen tree near the start of this trail. The unique thing about this tree is it has formed a tunnel, and you can actually walk or crawl your way through the interior of a sequoia tree. I like to get up close to this tree with a wideangle lens and emphasize its length as it recedes off into the distance.

How Can I Get the Best Shot? Sequioa trees are hard to capture! I like putting in some of the surrounding trees to give scale to the image and to show off the sequioa’s tremendous girth (see figure 23.1). Using the right equipment will help you get a great shot.

Equipment Because sequoia trees are so large, wide-angle lenses are needed in the grove.

Lenses Most of the trees in the Tuolumne Grove are so big and so close it is almost impossible to find a tree that you can capture in its entirety. I like to photograph the bases of the trees with wide-angle lenses in the 14-24mm range and include some of the other trees in the forest for scale. You can also try using short telephoto lenses in the 70-200mm range to compress some of the dogwood blossoms against the red tree bark of the sequoia trees (see figure 23.2).

23.1 One of the larger sequoia trees in the grove in context with some of the pines and firs on an autumn morning. Taken at ISO 100, f/20, 1/6 second with a 17mm lens.

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If you do try to capture a whole tree in this grove, you will definitely be pointing your camera upward. Doing this causes a lot of distortion and makes the trees appear to bend inward. You can use this to emphasize the height of the trees. If you want to have straight trees, you will need to fix them later in an image-editing program or use a tilt-shift lens. These lenses are designed for architectural work, where the front of the lens actually rises so you don’t have to tilt the camera. These specialty lenses can be rented from camera stores that cater to professionals in most major cities.

Filters 23.2 Dogwoods and sequoia in Tuolumne Grove of the Giant Sequoias on a spring afternoon. Taken at ISO 100, f/20, 1/2 second with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens at 400mm.

Filters are not needed often when photographing the sequoia trees. The only filter that may be useful is a warming filter. A Tiffen 812 warming filter makes the red bark of the tree stand out a bit more without overpowering the rest of the colors in your image.

Extras A tripod and electronic cable release allow you to keep the camera steady and allow you to use small apertures to get a larger depth of field. A bubble level allows you to keep the trees straight.

Camera settings When photographing the sequoia trees of Tuolumne Grove, the highest priority is depth of field. You want to have everything in focus from the close foreground to the distant background. X

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ISO. Using the native ISO (the ISO recommended by your camera manufacturer) always gives you the best image. If you are using a tripod, it will not be


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X

Exposure mode. Because depth of field is the foremost concern, using Aperture Priority mode, where you set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed, is the best choice. Choosing apertures in the f/11 to f/22 range will give you good depth of field and allow you to have sharp images throughout.

X

Exposure compensation. The lighting in the sequoia grove can be very harsh. You can see many bright highlights and dark shadows. Take your first image and check the LCD to see if you are losing detail in either the shadows or the highlights and make the necessary corrections. Depending on whether your meter is reading more from the shadows and overexposing your images or more from the highlights and underexposing your images, you may need to adjust exposure compensation in either the minus or plus direction to get a more even exposure.

X

White balance. Daylight white balance should work well for most images taken in this area. If you want to accentuate the red of the tree bark, you may want to try to set your white balance to Cloudy or Shade or 6500 Kelvin — if you set the white balance manually — to make the image warmer in color. Check on the LCD to make sure the green leaves are not looking too warm when you do this.

Tuolumne Grove

difficult to use this native ISO. If you are holding the camera, you may want to boost the ISO to 400 or higher so that you can set the lens to a smaller aperture to ensure good depth of field and still have a fast enough shutter speed to be steady.

Color temperatures are measured in degree Kelvin, with daylight being 5000-5500 Kelvin. When you raise the number, you are making the color balance warmer to remove cool colorcasts. When you lower the number, you are making the color balance cooler to remove warm colorcasts. TIP

Exposure The chances of getting a good image will be greatly enhanced if you pay attention to the direction and the quality of the light.

Ideal time to shoot The ideal time to photograph in Tuolumne Grove is early in the morning or later in the evening when the light is more even and you can avoid the harsh contrast.

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Working around the weather Overcast days are the ideal time to photograph in the grove because you can avoid the harsh contrast found on sunny days. During a light rain is also a good time to go to the grove because the moisture helps saturate the colors. If you go in winter and there is snow on the ground, the light reflecting off the snow lightens the shadow areas and eliminates the harsh shadows.

Low-light and night options Unless you have a powerful flashlight and plan to do light painting — lighting the trees with repeated strokes of the flashlight — this area is not very good for night photography.

Getting creative To get creative in this area, try photographing from different vantage points. Instead of taking all your images from eye level, get down low and see how the whole perspective of the scene changes. Try using longer lenses, compressing the distances, and shooting the trees at a distance instead of trying to get up close. Another technique to try would be getting right up close to a tree such as the fallen tree in the upper grove or even the Tunnel Tree and placing your wideangle lens up against the tree to distort the perspective as I did in this image of the fallen tree (see fig 23.3).

23.3 The fallen sequoia tree that you can crawl through, on an autumn morning. Taken at ISO 100, f/20, 1/5 second with a 17mm lens.

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Tuolumne River and Meadows photographed late morning on a summer day. Taken at ISO 100, f/20, 1/8 second with a 17mm lens.

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24


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Why It’s Worth a Photograph Tuolumne Meadows is the largest sub-alpine meadow in the Sierra Nevada Range and sits at 9,000 feet elevation. Located at the east end of the Tioga Pass Road, the meadows are the hub of activity for the High Country. From here, you have easy access into some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in the park. Tuolumne Meadows is easily accessible from May to November. The Tioga Pass Road usually opens around the Memorial Day weekend and closes sometime in November when the first big snow falls. If you are a hardy skier, you can access the area in winter. Many trails lead out of Tuolumne Meadows and take you into the backcountry of Yosemite National Park. The meadows themselves are beautifully surrounded by peaks and domes, creating a nice framework for your images. The Tuolumne River meanders its way through the meadow offering many photographic opportunities. In late June and early July, the meadows are filled with wildflowers and then turn a golden brown in late summer. The river can rush with water in June and diminish to a small flow by late summer. Wandering and photographing in the meadows is especially good at both sunrise and sunset. Just taking a short walk out into the meadow along the river rewards you with many different photographic opportunities.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? Everywhere in Tuolumne Meadows offers good photographic possibilities (see A on the map). One of my favorite activities is to follow the river and look for reflections and patterns in the water. This is good activity to do all season long. In June, when the wildflowers are in bloom, I favor the west end of the meadows where the collection of wildflowers can be quite dense. One of my favorite areas is near the footbridge that crosses the river close to Soda Springs. There are many parking areas to start your explorations, including the parking areas by Lembert Dome, the stables, the visitor center, or the store. There are also numerous turnouts that you can use to start your walk.

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Tuolumne Meadows and River The best locations from which to photograph Tuolumne Meadows and River: (A) the east end of the Tioga Pass Road, Highway 120. Other photo ops: (3) Cathedral Peak, (5) Dog Lake, (12) Lembert Dome.

How Can I Get the Best Shot? You can get the best photographs of the meadows and river by getting out of the car and taking a walk. Except for the hardiest of skiers, the meadows are only accessible from June until the first big snow, which usually comes in October or November. The meadows are flat and the walking is easy, except for the fact you are at 9,000 feet in elevation and the air is thin. By just meandering through the meadows and following the river, you can discover many unique images. Because the river changes so much throughout the summer, no one great location exists — there are so many! The meadows also change a lot during the short season they are easily accessible. They change from lush green and full of wildflowers in the summer, as shown in figure 24.1, to golden brown in the autumn, as shown in figure 24.2. So if you have the opportunity, visit the area often and witness the changes. Having a little patience and an inquisitive mind is all you need to find subjects for great images. Plan to spend a few hours one morning or evening wandering about, keeping your eyes and mind open for photos.

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24.1 Tuolumne Meadows is full of wildflowers in late June and early July. Taken at ISO 100, f/22, 1/20 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 40mm.

24.2 Tuolumne Meadows turns a golden brown in late September. Taken at ISO 100, f/14, 1/30 second with a 17mm lens.

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As with most locations in Yosemite National Park, Tuolumne Meadows and Tuolumne River can be photographed with a variety of lenses. A few filters and your tripod round out the equipment you will need to get great images in this location.

Lenses To take in the grand scenery of the area, you will be using your wide-angle lenses in the 20-35mm range. And if you want to concentrate on details of the river or on a particular photogenic group of trees, your midrange telephoto lenses in the 70-200mm range are most useful. To photograph the wildflowers, you may want to use your macro or close-up lenses to isolate and highlight one particular flower.


Equipment

Filters The most useful filters you can use when photographing in Tuolumne Meadows or along the river are a polarizing filter and a graduated neutral density filter. X

Polarizing filter. Useful for reducing glare and reflections off the surface of the water and rocks and for darkening the sky and emphasizing the clouds.

X

Graduated neutral density filter. Useful for balancing the brightness in the scene, especially when you are photographing an image with a darker foreground and lighter background. A graduated neutral density filter is dark at one end of the filter tapering to clear at the other end. If the sky is much brighter than the foreground, you can use this filter to even out the brightness between the bright sky and the darker foreground. Because the filter is dark at one end and clear at the other, you place the dark end over the sky or mountain peaks to reduce the brightness of that area and even out the light so that the bright sky or peaks and the darker foreground (the meadow or river) can both be exposed properly in one exposure.

Extras A tripod and electronic cable release allow you to keep the camera steady and to use small apertures to get a larger depth of field. A bubble level allows you to keep the horizon level.

Camera settings When photographing the landscapes of the Tuolumne area, the highest priority is getting the correct depth of field. You want to have everything in focus from the close foreground to the distant background.

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X

ISO. Using the native ISO (the ISO recommended by your camera manufacturer) always gives you the best image. If you are using a tripod, using this native ISO is not difficult. If you are handholding the camera, you may want to boost the ISO to 400 or higher so that you can set the lens to a smaller aperture and still have a fast enough shutter speed to be steady.

X

Exposure mode. Because depth of field is the foremost concern, using Aperture Priority mode, where you set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed, is the best choice. Choosing apertures in the f/11 to f/22 range gives you good depth of field and allows you to have sharpness throughout your image from foreground to background.

X

Exposure compensation. If you are using a metering method that reads the whole scene, you will not need to use exposure compensation too often in this situation. But if you read too much sky, your exposures will be dark and adding light by using a plus (+) exposure compensation will correct for this problem. If your camera is pointing downward and your meter reads more of the foreground, you will overexpose the sky and need to use some minus (–) exposure compensation. Take your first image and check the LCD to see if there is a bias, either too light or too dark, from your exposure reading and make the necessary corrections.

X

White balance. Daylight white balance should work well for most images taken in this area. But at this elevation, you may notice some excess blue light. If the granite domes or the shadow areas look too blue, change your white balance setting to Shade or Cloudy and see if that looks better.

Exposure The chances of getting a good image can be greatly enhanced if you pay attention to the direction and the quality of the light.

Ideal time to shoot The ideal time to photograph in the meadows and along the river is around sunrise and sunset. If you are fortunate enough to have good clouds, then it will also be easy to photograph during the midday, because the clouds add interest and dimension to your image.

Working around the weather Bright sunny days are the norm during the summer months when you have access to this area. There are weeks in the summer when the clouds build in the afternoons and can add a lot of drama and atmosphere to your images. Sometimes these clouds lead to thunderstorms, so beware and don’t stand in the open meadow during a lightning storm!

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It is possible to do star trails and star images in the meadows because you are at such a high elevation and the Milky Way is very prominent (see figure 24.3). If you want to expose the stars as pinpoints, which is the way they appear to your eyes, use a wide-angle lens and expose for 30 seconds wide open. Adjust your ISO to get the 30-second shutter speed. If you want to have the stars appear as streaks, also known as star trails, then you need longer exposures from 2 minutes up to hours if you have the patience! When creating the longer exposures, set your lens to a middle aperture around f/8 and the ISO around 400 and use the Bulb setting to open your camera as long as the shutter button stays depressed.



24.3 The Milky Way and Big Dipper over Tuolumne Meadows on a fall night. Taken at ISO 3200, f/2.8, 30 seconds with a 14mm lens.

Getting creative To get creative in this area, try photographing from different vantage points. Instead of taking all your images from eye level, get down low and see how this changes the whole perspective of the scene. You may also want to try the opposite and climb some of the surrounding domes and do a large overall bird’s-eye view of the meadows and river. Lembert Dome offers a great opportunity for this aerial view. For more information on Lembert Dome, see Chapter 12. CROSS REF

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Unicorn Peak in late summer as seen from Tuolumne Meadows. Taken at ISO 100, f/14, 1/80 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 24mm.

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25

Unicorn Peak

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Why It’s Worth a Photograph Some interesting mountain peaks surround Tuolumne Meadows, and Unicorn Peak is by far one of the most unique and eye-catching peaks in the area. Its hornshaped peak, jutting out an unusual angle, draws your attention and warrants photographic exploration. Unicorn Peak is one of the first mountains you see whether you enter the Tuolumne area from the east or the west. The peak rises to over 10,800 feet and along with Cathedral Peak forms the two most interesting shapes in the region. For more information on Cathedral Peak, see Chapter 3. CROSS REF

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? You can see Unicorn Peak from just about anywhere in the Tuolumne Meadows area. You get the best views from near the river, which takes you farther back from the trees on the south side of the road (see A on the map). If you head toward the footbridge near Soda Springs and look back to the south, you will have good views of Unicorn Peak. I suggest you wander the meadows and the north bank of the river for good views of the peak.

How Can I Get the Best Shot? To find good views of Unicorn Peak, you must get out of the car and walk along the Tuolumne River or out in the middle of Tuolumne Meadows. Try to find good foreground elements to use in your images to add some depth to the image.

Equipment You want to carry your tripod, wide-angle and telephoto lenses, and polarizing filter when trying to capture Unicorn Peak. Choosing the correct exposure mode and ISO settings will guarantee a great image.

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Unicorn Peak The best location from which to photograph Unicorn Peak: (A) in the Tuolumne Meadows region of the park. Other photo ops: (3) Cathedral Peak, (5) Dog Lake, (12) Lembert Dome, (24) Tuolumne Meadows.

Lenses You can capture Unicorn Peak two ways. You can either photograph the broad scene of the mountain, placing it in context with the meadows and surrounding peaks by using your wide-angle lenses in the 24-50mm range, or you can zoom in and isolate the unique shape of the peak’s horn with a longer lens in the 100400mm range. The 100mm lens allows you to show the peak and its surrounding slopes (see figure 25.1), while the 400mm enables you to fill the frame with only the horn itself (see figure 25.2).

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25.1 Unicorn Peak at sunrise on an autumn morning. Taken at ISO 100, f/10, at 1/100 second with a 100-400mm zoom lens at 100mm.

25.2 The horn-shaped peak of Unicorn Peak in early morning dawn light on an autumn morning. Taken at ISO 100, f/10, at 5 seconds with a 100-400mm zoom lens at 400mm.

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The most useful filters you can use when photographing Unicorn Peak are a polarizing filter and a graduated neutral density filter. X

Polarizing filter. This filter is useful to darken the skies and accentuate the clouds in the image in order to add some contrast, which allows the peak to separate from the sky in the photo.

X

Graduated neutral density filter. This filter is useful for balancing your lighting ratios, the brightness in a scene, especially when you are photographing a darker foreground and lighter background. A graduated neutral density filter is dark on one end of the filter and tapers to clear on the other. If the sky is much brighter than the foreground, you can use this filter to even out the brightness between the bright sky and the darker foreground. Because the filter is dark at one end and clear at the other, you place the dark end over the sky or mountain peaks to reduce the brightness of that area and even out the light so that the bright sky, or in this case the top of Unicorn Peak and the darker foreground (the meadow or river), can both be exposed properly in one exposure.

Unicorn Peak

Filters

Extras A tripod and electronic cable release allow you to keep the camera from moving and allow you to use small apertures to get a larger depth of field. A bubble level helps you to keep the horizon level.

Camera settings When photographing the Unicorn Peak, obtaining the proper depth of field is the highest priority. You want to have every element in focus, from the close foreground to the distant background, especially if you are using your wider-angle lenses and incorporating foreground elements into your images. X

ISO. Using the native ISO (the ISO recommended by the manufacturer of your camera) always gives you the best image. If you are using a tripod, it will not be difficult to use this native ISO, which will result in longer shutter speeds in lower light situations. If you are handholding the camera, you may want to boost the ISO to 400 or higher so that you can set the lens to a smaller aperture and still have a fast enough shutter speed to be steady.

X

Exposure mode. Because depth of field is the foremost concern, using Aperture Priority mode — where you set the aperture, and the camera sets the shutter speed — is the best choice. Choosing apertures in the f/11 to f/22 range gives you good depth of field and allows you to have sharp images throughout.

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X

Exposure compensation. If you are using a metering method that reads the whole scene, you will not need to use exposure compensation too often in this area. But if you read too much sky, your exposures will be dark, and adding light by using a plus (+) exposure compensation will correct for this problem. If you point the camera downward and your meter reads more of the foreground, you will overexpose the sky and need to use some minus (–) exposure compensation. Take your first image and then check the LCD to see if there is a bias from your exposure reading and make the necessary corrections.

X

White balance. Daylight white balance works well for most images taken in this area. But you are at over 9,000 feet in elevation, so an excess of blue light is possible. If the granite domes, mountain peaks, or the shadow areas look too blue, change your white balance setting to Shade or Cloudy and see if that looks better.

Exposure Good light and or good clouds really make a difference when photographing Unicorn Peak.

Ideal time to shoot The best times of day to photograph the peak are early in the morning in the presunrise light or as the sun rises, lighting up the peak with a golden glow. You can also get some good light from the late afternoon through sunset. If you have good clouds like Ansel Adams had in his classic image “Unicorn Peak, Thunderclouds,” you can photograph the peak with great success throughout the day.

Working around the weather Bright sunny days are the norm during the summer months when you have access to this area. But in the summer, there are several weeks where the clouds build up in the afternoon and can add a lot of drama to your images.

Low-light and night options You could use the unique shape of Unicorn Peak as a silhouette when creating images of the stars or star trails to give a sense of place to your image.

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You can do some hiking to get different vantage points of Unicorn Peak if you want to try to get a unique image. The view from the top of Lembert Dome is nice, or you could hike to Elizabeth Lake to get some closer and different angles on the peak.

Unicorn Peak

Getting creative

For more information on Lembert Dome, see Chapter 12. CROSS REF

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A view of Vernal Fall from the Mist Trail (see A on the map) on a fall afternoon. Taken at ISO 100, f/14, 1/125 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 67mm.

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26

Vernal Fall

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Why It’s Worth a Photograph With its 317-foot plunge over a granite cliff, Vernal Fall is not one of the tallest waterfalls in Yosemite, but it is one of the most powerful waterfalls in the park. The relentless spray that comes off the fall gives the Mist Trail its name. The Merced River, which runs year-round, provides a rushing torrent of thunderous water cascading over the fall. Many of Yosemite’s waterfalls dry up in late summer, but not Vernal Fall. The waterfall has a very wide curtain of water that leaps over the cliff edge in spring and early summer. Although the fall diminishes by late summer, the sight remains impressive, unlike most waterfalls. Also, Vernal Fall is one of the few falls you can hike alongside of because the Mist Trail ascends the cliff adjacent to the fall.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? If you don’t mind hiking, the best views of Vernal Fall are from the Mist Trail (see A on the map). If you want a good view of the fall without a hike, then drive to Washburn Point for a nice vantage point (see B on the map).

The best locations from which to photograph the Vernal Fall: (A) Mist Trail, (B) Washburn Point. Other photo ops: (1) Ahwahnee Hotel, (8) Half Dome, (9) Happy Isles, (17) Nevada Fall.

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The best photographs of Vernal Fall are made from the Mist Trail that leads to the top of the falls. The Mist Trail begins at Happy Isles, which is reached via the free shuttle bus. The first good view of the waterfall (shown in figure 26.1) is from the footbridge over the Merced River, which is approximately .8 mile from the start of the Mist Trail. As you continue past the bridge, notice that you can photograph the waterfall from several other great locations. Approximately 1/4 mile past the bridge, you can see a little spur trail leading off to the left that has interpretive signs. This trail leads to a large flat rock that juts out into the Merced River. From this vantage point, you can get a great shot with the river cascading toward you with the waterfall in the background. Farther up the trail, you can find several other good views right from the trail itself. From many of these locations, you can also include the hordes of hikers on the trail to give your image a sense of scale. If you are adventurous, you can make the ascent to the top of the falls and get a photograph looking over the edge and downriver. If you are going for the top, pace yourself because it takes an average of two hours to climb to the top.

Vernal Fall

Mist Trail

26.1 A springtime view of Vernal Fall from the footbridge over the Merced River taken in the early afternoon. Taken at ISO 100, f/16, 1/30 second with a 100-400mm lens at 200mm.

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Washburn Point For a totally different angle, Washburn Point offers unique views of Vernal Fall. There are not many places where you can stand and get an aerial view of a waterfall! Washburn Point is one such place. From here you can capture Vernal Fall and include the setting of the narrow canyon where the Merced River flows (see figure 26.2). From the parking area, walk toward the cliff for a clear view. Walk with caution along the top of the cliff as the drop-off becomes steep, but the first 10 to 20 yards are quite safe. Look behind Half Dome and you will see both Vernal and Nevada Falls. From here you get a great perspective of the Merced River Canyon and how the glaciers came down the canyon and created these two magnificent falls.

26.2 Using a telephoto lens, you can isolate Vernal Fall as the Merced River tumbles toward Yosemite Valley. Taken at ISO 100, f/9, 1/125 second with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens at 400mm.

How Can I Get the Best Shot? Depending on whether you want to hike or drive, you have two opportunities to get great shots. Each view offers something different and each requires different lenses. Besides your lens choice, having the right filters, using a tripod, and selecting the correct shutter speed will greatly enhance your ability to make great images of Vernal Fall.

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The equipment needed to photograph Vernal Fall differs greatly depending on which viewpoint you choose. The Mist Trail requires wide-angle lenses and Washburn Point requires longer telephoto lenses. Besides lenses, you can use some filters to help you improve the images of Vernal Fall. And of course a tripod and cable release improve every image.

Vernal Fall

Equipment

Lenses The lens you choose to photograph the falls depends on which shooting location you choose — the Mist Trail or Washburn Point.

Mist Trail For a captivating shot of Vernal Fall from the Mist Trail footbridge, use a wide-angle lens in the 14-35mm range. With this lens choice, you can include the rushing waters of the Merced River in the foreground of your image while diminishing the waterfall in the background. A normal to short telephoto lens in the 50-85mm range makes the waterfall appear larger and shows off more of the force of the fall. If you use a longer lens (100-400mm), you can fill the frame with the rushing waters of the fall to show its enormous power. From this one location, you can get very different looking images by varying the focal length of your lenses. Just be careful to keep the mist out of your camera when changing lenses here. I recommend bringing a large plastic bag so that you can change the lenses in the bag.

Washburn Point The best lenses to use from Washburn Point are medium and longer telephoto lenses. An 80-200mm or 100-400mm lens allows you to isolate the waterfall within the narrow canyon. Use a longer lens to create a more dramatic image of the fall filling the frame.

Filters You can use several filters when photographing Vernal Fall that can improve your image and protect your gear. X

UV or skylight filter. Using a UV or skylight filter protects your lens from the spray of the waterfall if you are on the Mist Trail. The spray can be felt all the way to the footbridge on a spring day! And if you continue the hike up the Mist Trail to see the fall from multiple angles, you will definitely want some protection for your lens — the Mist Trail does live up to its name!

X

Polarizing filter. A polarizing filter can help reduce the glare off the rocks and boulders in the foreground and saturate the colors. If you are fortunate enough to be at Vernal Fall when the light is right for casting a rainbow, you will want to be judicious with the polarizer so that you do not eliminate the

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rainbow! The polarizing filter also reduces the light entering the camera and therefore can be used to slow down your shutter speeds if you want to blur your water. Depending on how far you rotate the filter, it can block up to 2 stops of light. X

Neutral density filter. The neutral density filter can also reduce the amount of light entering the camera as well as slow the shutter speeds. If you desire to use this filter when photographing water, I recommend that you use a 2or 3-stop filter, which gives the water a milky effect.

X

Graduated neutral density filter. A graduated neutral density filter is dark at the top and tapers to clear at the bottom. The filter reduces the light coming into the camera at the end with the density and has no effect on the exposure at the clear end. If the sky is much brighter than the foreground, you can use this filter to even out the lighting ratios between the bright sky and the darker foreground. Because the filter is dark at one end and clear at the other, you place the dark end over the sky or waterfall to reduce the brightness of that area and even out the light so that the bright sky or waterfall and the darker foreground can both be exposed properly in one exposure.

Extras Using a tripod always improves the quality of your images. If you want to slow down the shutter speed to create the milky, flowing water effect, you need a tripod. When using a tripod, use an electronic cable release to activate the shutter so that you do not shake the camera. And I always recommend a bubble level to keep the camera level. A plastic bag or shower cap is perfect to place over your camera to prevent it from getting wet from the falls spray. If you plan to photograph the fall at the height of spring runoff, take along a large plastic bag or rain cover for protecting your camera bag. TIP

Bring along a towel so that you can quickly blot off any water that falls on your equipment. If you have a lens shade or lens hood, use it to help protect your lens from the spray.

Camera settings If you are going for the milky flowing water effect, you want to shoot with shutter speeds in the 1/4-second to 1-second range. The reason that you don’t need to go longer is that the water is so close and moving so fast that these shutter speeds

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X

ISO. Using the native ISO (the ISO recommended by your camera manufacturer) always gives you the best image. If you are using a tripod, using this native ISO is not difficult. If you are handholding the camera, you may want to boost the ISO to 400 or higher so that you can set the lens to a smaller aperture and still have a fast enough shutter speed to be steady.

X

Exposure mode. If setting the shutter speed, as previously mentioned, is your major concern in your image, then I recommend using the Shutter Priority mode. If you are more concerned with depth of field, then I recommend Aperture Priority mode.

X

Exposure compensation. If the waterfall is dominating your image, then the camera will try to expose the water as middle gray, so you need to use exposure compensation and add between 1 and 1 1/2 stops of light.

X

White balance. Daylight white balance should work well for most images taken in this area. If you are in the canyon and it gets shady, you may notice some excess blue light. If the granite, the water, or the shadow areas look too blue, change your white balance setting to Shade or Cloudy and see if that looks better.

Vernal Fall

allow you to get the motion you desire. If you want to stop the waterfall and have it appear about how it looks to your eyes, a shutter speed of 1/60 to 1/125 second is ideal. If you want to freeze the motion of the water, then a shutter speed of 1/500 second and faster works well. The closer you get to the falls, the faster the shutter speed needs to be. Next to the fall, at peak runoff, shutter speeds of 1/250 and 1/500 second actually give you an image close to what your eyes see and will not be totally freezing the action of the water.

Exposure Knowing when to be at a location and working with the weather are key elements in capturing a great landscape image.

Ideal time to shoot Whether shooting from Mist Trail or Washburn Point, you want to photograph Vernal Fall when the sun is high enough to clear the east rim of the canyon, lighting up the falls, and before it gets low enough in the western sky to be blocked by the cliffs. This is typically a midday to late afternoon shot. When there is sufficient water in the waterfall, a rainbow can be seen from Mist Trail in the late afternoon sun, as seen in figure 26.3.

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26.3 In late afternoon, with sufficient water flow, you see a rainbow in the waterfall! Taken at ISO 100, f/22, 1/30 second with a 17mm lens.

Working around the weather From the Mist Trail, Vernal Fall can be photographed in any weather as long as you are prepared! The ideal time to photograph is midday on a sunny day, but if it is overcast, you can still go at any time and not have to worry about the harsh shadows. If you choose to work in the rain or snow, then you must prepare yourself for a very slippery trail and hazardous conditions.

TIP

If you aren’t an experienced hiker or just don’t feel confident hiking in inclement weather conditions, avoiding this trail is probably best.

From Washburn Point, inclement weather can either add drama to the scene or obscure your view of the falls. I recommend waiting and watching because I have seen the clouds part and frame the waterfalls, creating very dramatic photographic opportunities.

Low-light and night options Vernal Fall is one of the waterfalls in Yosemite National Park that can produce a moonbow — a rainbow created by the moonlight that appears white to your eyes but photographs with more color — during the nights of a full moon and full water flow.

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Vernal Fall

If you are interested in photographing this phenomenon, it typically happens only once or twice a year. Plan a trip during the months of May or June when moonbows can most often occur. TIP

If you hike to Vernal Fall via the Mist Trail at night or in the late evening, be prepared with at least two flashlights so that you have a backup source of light. The trail is fairly steep, narrow, and windy in sections, so once again you must have confidence in your hiking abilities. But the rewards can be great, as the moonbow can be quite strong and there are a lot fewer people here to see it than there will be at Lower Yosemite Falls, which also has a moonbow. See Chapter 29 on Yosemite Falls for more information on that location. CROSS REF

The falls are visible from Washburn Point, but this location is not particularly good for photographing Vernal Fall at night.

Getting creative Get creative with your Vernal Fall photographs by trying different vantage points along the trail. There are sections of the trail with wildflowers just off to the side, and you can get low and use the wildflowers as a foreground element with the waterfall in the background (see figure 26.4). This location is always windy, so you want to use a fairly fast shutter speed to stop the motion of the flowers! But you also need a fairly small aperture to get the depth of field, as you need to have both the flowers and waterfall in focus. To ensure a fast shutter speed and a small aperture, you need to raise the ISO setting on your camera. If you go close to the fall with a wide-angle lens, you can emphasize the height and width of the waterfall; just be sure to try to keep your camera dry! You can do something different by following the Mist Trail to the top of the waterfall and photographing the water leaping over the edge of the cliff. Just be careful up there!

26.4 To add interest to your images, find some wildflowers to use as a foreground element. Taken at ISO 100, f/22, 1/8 second with a 17mm lens.

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The Wawona Hotel and reflecting pond. Taken at ISO 100, f/22, 1/25 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 32mm.

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27

Wawona Hotel

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Why It’s Worth a Photograph The Wawona Hotel is a National Historic Landmark and is one of the oldest mountain resorts in California dating back to the late 1800s. The area was originally developed by Galen Clark in 1856 and served as a way station for travelers to Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of the Giant Sequoias. The current building was opened as the Big Tree Station in 1879. The hotel is surrounded by large meadows and rushing streams and is maintained in its original period style, which is very picturesque. The exterior and interior offer many photographic opportunities.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? One of the classic photographs of the hotel is directly in front of the building using the stone fountain as a foreground element. Other angles abound as you wander along the grounds (see A on the map). You can photograph the hotel and its grand lawn from an area to the south of the main building, showing the lawn and one of the six buildings that make up the hotel complex. In the summer, a small covered

The best locations from which to photograph the Wawona Hotel: (A) hotel exterior, (B) hotel interior. Other photo ops: (13) Mariposa Grove, (18) Pioneer Yosemite History Center.

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Wawona Hotel

wagon out front makes a good foreground element. There is also a swimming pool next to the main building and a golf course across the road. The lobby and the sitting rooms have an attractive 19th-century feeling (see B on the map). So you can use any of these elements to add interest to your images.

Hotel exterior There are many angles you can use to photograph the exterior of the hotel. Try using the fountain and reflecting pond in your image or stroll about the grounds and look for other foreground elements to help add depth to your images. Sometimes in the summer there is a small covered wagon out front you can use to add some interest to the pictures. Other elements you could use include the swimming pool or some lawn furniture to add depth to an image depicting the grand lawns that surround the hotel (see figure 27.1).

27.1 The Wawona Hotel and its grand lawn on a summer afternoon. Taken at ISO 500, f/18, 1/125 second with a 17mm lens.

Hotel interior The interior of the hotel can be quite charming, especially the area of the lobby and the sitting rooms to the left of the check-in desk. These areas are decorated in a Victorian style with period furniture and decorations (see figure 27.2). If it weren’t for the electric lights, you would think you were back in the 1800s!

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27.2 An HDR (High Dynamic Range) image of the sitting area next to the front desk of the main building of the Wawona Hotel. Taken at ISO 100, f/6.3, four exposures taken at 1/13 second, 1/3 second, 1.3 seconds, and 3 seconds combined in HDR software, with a 17mm lens.

For more information on High Dynamic Range images, see Chapter 18. CROSS REF

How Can I Get the Best Shot? Spend a little time scouting the area and see what unique angles you can find to make your picture of the Wawona Hotel interesting and unique. Deciding on the proper lens, using your tripod, and picking the best exposure mode will allow you to create interesting pictures of this unique structure.

Equipment Because most of the photography subjects are relatively close, you get the most use out of your wide-angle and normal lenses at this location.

Lenses Your wide-angle lenses get a real workout in this location. If you want to photograph the fountain out front and the interior of the hotel, then lenses in the 14-40mm range will be very useful. The interior is small, and you don’t have a lot

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As with any architectural photography, you want to try to keep your lines as straight and as parallel as possible. When working with wide-angle lenses in tight spaces, it is best to keep the camera level in all planes. If you tilt the camera, you distort the image. These distortions can be fixed in an image-editing program or with the use of a tilt-shift lens. These are lenses designed for architectural work, where the front of the lens actually rises so you don’t have to tilt the camera. These are specialty lenses and can be rented in some cities. Camera stores that cater to professionals would be a source for such a rental.

Wawona Hotel

of room to maneuver, so the wider the angle the better off you will be. To capture the grandeur of the lawns, the wide-angle lens allows you to emphasize the spaciousness of the well-maintained grounds.

You may want to use your normal or short telephoto lenses if you want to photograph some of the details found in the interior of the hotel.

Filters The most useful filter you can use when photographing the Wawona Hotel will be a polarizing filter. The polarizing filter will be useful to darken skies and accentuate clouds when taking exterior images. No filters are needed for the interior images.

Extras A tripod and electronic cable release allow you to keep the camera steady and allow you to use small apertures to get a larger depth of field. A bubble level helps you to keep the horizon level.

Camera settings When photographing the Wawona Hotel, the highest priority is depth of field. You want to have everything in focus from the close foreground to the distant background. X

ISO. Using the native ISO (the ISO recommended by your camera manufacturer) always gives you the best image. If you are using a tripod, using the native ISO will not be difficult. If you are handholding the camera, you may want to boost the ISO to 400 or higher so that you can set the lens to a smaller aperture to ensure enough depth of field and still have a fast enough shutter speed to be steady.

X


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X

Exposure compensation. The hotel and its buildings are all bright white. This may throw your light meter off, because it will want to expose these white buildings as middle gray, causing your images to look dark. In this case, adjusting exposure compensation to the plus (+) side will lighten up the buildings and the surroundings. Check your LCD to see the correct amount of compensation. I recommend starting with a +1 exposure compensation. When photographing in the interior, you may want to try the multiple exposure High Dynamic Range (HDR) technique, or you can just make two exposures — one that gives you detail in the interior and one that gives you detail in the exterior — and combine them in an image-editing program. Most image-editing programs have some capacity for doing this. See Chapter 18 for more details on HDR images.

CROSS REF

X

White balance. Daylight white balance works well for most images taken in this area.

X

Flash. Aside from the techniques previously mentioned for combining images to get good pictures of the interior, you may want to try using your flash to fill in the shadow areas. This method, called fill flash, works best if you have a flash with an adjustable output, meaning you can control the amount of light the flash emits. Instead of using the flash on full power, where it is trying to actually light the scene, you set the flash to output less light and therefore just fill in the shadows. If you have a fixed output flash, try placing a sheet of tissue paper over the flash to lower its output. If it is still too bright, add another until you get the correct amount of light.

Exposure Trying to photograph the hotel when the light is even and not contrasty helps you get the best exposures in this area.

Ideal time to shoot The best time of day to photograph the hotel is in the afternoon as the sun starts to go down in the west, lighting up the face of the hotel. This will eliminate any backlighting situations found earlier in the day and give you the easiest contrast range to deal with.

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The hotel can be photographed in all kinds of weather. In fact, overcast days make it easier to photograph the buildings without having to deal with the bright contrast that can be found on sunny days. It is also easier to photograph the interior of the hotel on overcast days because the difference in the interior and the exterior brightness is not as extreme, which makes balancing the light in the image easier.

Wawona Hotel


Low-light and night options You could photograph the hotel at sunset or dusk as the lights come on in the hotel and balance the interior and the exterior lighting. If you photograph the interior at night, you do not need to worry about losing detail in the windows because the exterior will be dark.

Getting creative The best way to be creative when photographing the Wawona Hotel is to try different camera angles. Try getting low to the ground or getting close to prominent foreground elements with a very wide-angle lens. Look for vantage points that are unusual and unique.

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The Yosemite Chapel with Sentinel Rock in the background. Taken at ISO 100, f/11, 1/30 second with a 17mm lens.

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28

Yosemite Chapel

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Why It’s Worth a Photograph The Yosemite Chapel was built in 1789 and is the oldest building in Yosemite Valley. The chapel was originally erected about a mile down the valley near the base of the Four Mile Trail and was moved to its current location in 1901. The chapel has been serving the Yosemite community for over 130 years. Yosemite Chapel is situated at the base of the cliffs with Half Dome to its east.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? You can get good images of Yosemite Chapel in several locations (see A on the map). I like getting close to the chapel and capturing it against the cliffs with Sentinel Rock in the background. You can also go across the road and photograph the chapel with Half Dome, or use a longer lens and compress it against the cliffs.

The best location from which to photograph the Yosemite Chapel: (A) the grounds around the chapel. Other photo ops: (1) Ahwahnee Hotel, (11) Indian Village, (22) Three Brothers, (29) Yosemite Falls.

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By scouting different locations from the areas adjacent to the chapel and having the proper lenses, filters, and equipment, as well as using the proper settings on your camera, you can create unique images of Yosemite Chapel. Using the proper shutter speed to stop the action of the falling snow in figure 28.1 helped make this image much more exciting.

Yosemite Chapel


28.1 The Yosemite Chapel in a winter snowstorm in late morning. Taken at ISO 400, f/11, 1/125 second with a 100-400mm lens at 180mm.

Equipment You want to use a variety of lenses when photographing Yosemite Chapel. The addition of a polarizing filter and using your tripod and bubble level will help you get the best images.

Lenses Your wide-angle lenses are most useful when you are getting up close to the chapel and want to include some of the surrounding cliffs in your images. When photographing buildings with wide-angle lenses, you have to worry about distortion

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from tilting the camera. Try to keep your camera level if you can. If you do a lot of architectural photography, you may want to consider using a tilt-shift lens. These lenses are designed for architectural work, where the front of the lens actually rises so you don’t have to tilt the camera. These are specialty lenses and can be rented in some cities. Check camera stores that cater to professionals in major cities if you are interested in trying one of these lenses. Your other option is to fix the distortions in an image-editing program. If you use longer focal length lenses, then this distortion does not become an issue. If you photograph the chapel from across Southside Drive, then you will most likely be using your longer zooms in the 100-300mm range.

Filters A polarizing filter reduces the glare off the surrounding vegetation, making their colors in the photograph richer and more saturated. The same filter helps to darken the skies and accentuate the clouds if you choose to use a wide-angle lens and include the sky.

Extras A tripod and cable release ensure sharp images and allow you to set your lens to a small aperture and give you more depth of field so that the chapel, the trees, and the cliffs will all be in sharp focus.

Camera settings When photographing the Yosemite Chapel, the highest priority is depth of field. You want to have everything in focus, from the close foreground to the distant background cliffs. X

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ISO. Using the native ISO of your camera (the ISO recommended by the camera manufacturer) always gives you the best image. If you are using a tripod, using this native ISO will not be difficult and it will allow you to keep the camera steady if your shutter speeds start to get longer. If you are handholding the camera, you may want to boost the ISO to 400 or higher so that you can set the lens to a smaller aperture and still have a fast enough shutter speed to be steady.


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X

Exposure compensation. Most of the time when you are photographing the chapel against the cliffs, you do not have much of an issue with exposure compensation. If you also include the sky, you may need to use a plus compensation if your light meter darkens the cliffs and the chapel in the image.

X


Yosemite Chapel

X

Exposure Try to photograph the chapel when it is evenly lit, either all in shadow or all in sun. Doing so reduces the contrast and gives you better exposures.

Ideal time to shoot The chapel is best photographed in the morning when it remains in shade or the afternoon when it is evenly lit. When the sun is farther west, the chapel is more evenly illuminated and not in the shadows of the easterly trees. Autumn adds color to the scene and winter looks like an idealized Christmas card.

Working around the weather Some of the best, greeting-card perfect photographs of the chapel have been made during raging snowstorms. If you are photographing under these conditions, use a fast shutter speed of between 1/60 and 1/250 second to stop the motion of the snowflakes and freeze them on their descent to the valley floor. If you expose longer, the snow will appear streaked in your image.

Low-light and night options Although you can photograph here at night, the south side of the valley does not receive as much moonlight as the north side, so your exposures will be longer and not as well lit.

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Getting creative To get creative, walk around the chapel and explore it from all sides. Try to frame the chapel between branches of a tree or get low and use the tall grasses as foreground elements. Get extremely close with a wide-angle lens and distort or exaggerate its shape (see figure 28.2). If you want to get really creative, you can try light painting, using a high-powered flashlight to “paint” light on the chapel in the evening or night.

28.2 Yosemite Chapel with Yosemite Falls in the background. Taken at ISO 100, f/20, 1/15 second with a 17mm lens.

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Yosemite Falls and cow parsnip in Cook’s Meadow on a spring morning. Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/80 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 32mm.

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29

Yosemite Falls

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Why It’s Worth a Photograph At 2,420 feet, Yosemite Falls is the tallest measured waterfall in North America. For years Yosemite Falls was considered the world’s sixth highest waterfall, but with the discovery of Gocta Cataracts it now appears as the seventh highest on some lists. Regardless, it is truly one spectacular sight! The waterfall consists of three sections: the Upper Fall (1,430 feet), Middle Cascades (670 feet), and Lower Fall (320 feet). The Middle Cascades can hardly be seen from the valley floor and is best seen if you hike up the Yosemite Falls Trail. The Upper and Lower sections are easily viewed and photographed from the valley floor.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? You can find several good places from which to photograph Yosemite Falls including the Lower Yosemite Fall Trail, Cook’s Meadow, Swinging Bridge, Southside Drive, Glacier Point, and the Upper Yosemite Fall Trail (see A–F on map).

The best locations from which to photograph Yosemite Falls: (A) Lower Yosemite Fall Trail, (B) Cook’s Meadow, (C) Swinging Bridge, (D) Southside Drive near Yosemite Chapel, (E) Glacier Point, (F) Upper Yosemite Fall Trail. Other photo ops: (1) Ahwahnee Hotel, (11) Indian Village, (22) Three Brothers, (28) Yosemite Chapel.

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An easy walking trail takes you to the base of Lower Yosemite Fall across from Yosemite Lodge near shuttle bus stop #6. Walking just a short distance down the paved trail from the shuttle bus, you are confronted with a magnificent view of the Upper and Lower Falls (see figure 29.1). Because you are still quite a distance from the falls, viewing the tiny people on the trail ahead of you gives you good perspective. From the middle of the paved pathway is one of the best locations to

Yosemite Falls

Lower Yosemite Fall Trail

29.1 Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls in winter from the Lower Yosemite Fall Trail (see A on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/16, 1/8 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 45mm.

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make an image. If you want to eliminate the people in the foreground, you can just tilt your camera upward a bit to remove the trail and still include both the lower and upper fall.

Cook’s Meadow Cook’s Meadow is the large meadow just east of Yosemite Lodge and across from Yosemite Falls. Cook’s Meadow offers some of the best views of many of the valley landmarks as well as Yosemite Falls. You can find many great locations throughout the meadow and wander the established trails to see the falls from several different vantage points. If you visit in early summer, you will find large white flowers known as cow parsnip and large bushes of wild azalea flowers that you can use as foreground elements. The trail splits and one fork heads south across a footbridge over the Merced River. From this side of the river, if you walk along the bank to the west, you can find spots that give you great reflections of the fall in the river. This location is best later in the summer when the flow of the river has slowed down (see figure 29.2).

29.2 Upper Yosemite Fall, reflected in the Merced River from across the footbridge in Cook’s Meadow early on a spring morning (see B on the map). Taken at ISO 400, f/7, 1/40 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 28mm.

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If instead you turn left (west) at the fork of the trail and do not cross the river, you will cross a pond that is full of pond lilies that you can use as a foreground. And, if you get low, you can capture reflections of the falls. As the trail nears Sentinel Bridge and turns north toward the falls, you pass through a circle of very tall pine trees that make a nice frame for the falls. As you get closer to the road, you can photograph across the road and use the oaks and apple trees on the north side of the road as foreground elements against the cliffs to add some dimension and depth to your image (see figure 29.3). As you can see, Cook’s Meadow offers a wide variety of photographic possibilities for framing Yosemite Falls.


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Yosemite Falls 29.3 Upper Yosemite Fall at sunrise from Cook’s Meadow in autumn. Taken at ISO 100, f/22, 1/13 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 60mm.

Swinging Bridge Driving into Yosemite Valley along Highway 140, the first view you get of Yosemite Falls is from the parking lot for Swinging Bridge. The bridge is named such because the foundation is made to flex with the raging waters of spring runoff in the Merced River, so it is easy to feel the movement of the water when walking on the bridge. During the high water of late May and early June, the river slows and gets really wide here forming many large backwater areas that offer the best reflections of Yosemite Falls. The area to the right of the bridge usually offers the best reflections (see figure 29.4). Wander the shoreline and find the best spot!

Southside Drive near Yosemite Chapel As you approach the Yosemite Chapel on the north side of the road, you find a long straightaway that offers a great view of Yosemite Falls and the Merced River. The area is under meadow restoration and you can’t walk on the grass, but there are several boardwalk trails that lead to nice views of the falls. You can either photograph right from the roadside (see figure 29.5) or walk the boardwalks.

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29.4 Upper Yosemite Fall reflected in the Merced River from Swinging Bridge on a spring morning (see C on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/11, 1/100 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 24mm.

29.5 Upper Yosemite Fall from along Southside Drive on a spring morning (see D on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/13, 1/100 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 24mm.

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Yosemite Falls

29.6 Yosemite Falls from Glacier Point on an autumn afternoon (see E on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/14, 1/60 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 40mm.

Glacier Point Glacier Point offers some of the most magnificent views in the whole park. And the view of Yosemite Falls from here is spectacular (See figure 29.6). Standing on the western edge of Glacier Point, you get a great view by looking across the valley toward Yosemite Falls.

Upper Yosemite Fall Trail The Upper Yosemite Fall Trail starts at Camp 4, a primitive campground in Yosemite Valley primarily used by rock climbers. The trail quickly climbs a series of switchbacks before leveling off for a while. You will come to Columbia Point and as you turn the corner and head north, you are presented with one of the most awesome views of Upper Yosemite Falls (see figure 29.7). Along this trail, you get one of the best views of the Middle Cascades (see figure 29.8). If you are adventurous and continue up to the top, you will be able to photograph Yosemite Creek as it takes the plunge and leaps off the cliff to create the tallest waterfall in North America.

29.7 Upper Yosemite Falls from the Upper Yosemite Fall Trail on an autumn afternoon (see F on the map). Taken at ISO 100, f/18, 1/30 second with a 24-105mm zoom lens at 47mm.

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29.8 The top of the Middle Cascades from the Upper Yosemite Fall Trail on an autumn afternoon. Taken at ISO 100, f/11, 1/13 second with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens at 180mm.

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You can get good photographs of Yosemite Falls by either driving or hiking to the best locations. Being prepared with the right lenses, filters, and accessories and knowing how to set your camera will ensure that you come away with great photos of this magnificent waterfall.

Yosemite Falls


Equipment The equipment you need to photograph the falls depends on which location you choose to capture your images. Because the locations vary so much, be prepared to use all your lenses!

Lenses Because there are so many choices in locations from which you can photograph Yosemite Falls, you have just as many choices as to which lenses to use.

Lower Fall Trail, Cook’s Meadow, Swinging Bridge and Southside Drive From the majority of these locations, you want to use a wide-angle lens to capture the height of Upper and Lower Falls. A lens of 28mm or wider is necessary for most locations. The wide-angle lenses allow you to capture the full height of the falls and the surrounding cliffs. If you want to just isolate the Upper Fall, then you will be using lenses from 60-400mm depending on how tight you want to get to the waterfall.

Glacier Point and Upper Yosemite Fall Trail From Glacier Point and the Upper Fall Trail, focal lengths from 35mm to 85mm work well. If you want to zoom in to capture the force of the fall as it leaps over the cliff, you will need a 300-400mm lens.

Filters The most useful filters you can use when photographing Yosemite Falls will be the polarizing filter, the neutral density filter, and a graduated neutral density filter. X

Polarizing filter. A polarizing filter can help reduce the glare off the rocks and boulders in the foreground and saturate the colors. If you are fortunate enough to be at Yosemite Falls when the light is right for casting a rainbow, you will want to be judicious with the polarizer so that you do not eliminate the rainbow! Rainbows can be seen on the Upper Fall in the early morning and on the Lower Fall in later morning. The polarizing filter also reduces the light entering the camera and can be used to slow down your shutter speeds if you want to blur the water. Depending on how far you rotate the filter, it can block up to 2 stops of light.

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X

Neutral density filter. The neutral density filter can also reduce the amount of light entering the camera as well as slow the shutter speeds. If you desire to use this filter when photographing water, I recommend that you use a 2or 3-stop filter, which gives the water a milky effect.

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Graduated neutral density filter. A graduated neutral density filter is dark at one end of the filter and tapers to clear at the other end. The filter reduces the light coming in to the camera at the end with the density and has no effect on the exposure at the clear end. If the sky is much brighter than the foreground, you can use this filter to even out the lighting ratios (brightness) between the bright sky and the darker foreground. Because the filter is dark at one end and clear at the other, you place the dark end over the sky or waterfall to reduce the brightness of that area and even out the light so that the bright sky or waterfall and the darker foreground can both be exposed properly in one exposure.

Extras A tripod and electronic cable release allow you to keep the camera from moving and allow you to use small apertures to get a larger depth of field. A bubble level helps you keep the horizon level.

Camera settings When photographing Yosemite Falls, you want to make sure that you have a shutter speed that will produce realistic-looking water or allow you to blur the water if you want the soft cotton candy appearance. Depending on the look you are after and your relationship and distance to the falls, you will be using shutter speeds in the 1/2 to 1/125 second range. The slower the shutter speeds, the softer your water will look.

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ISO. Using the native ISO (the ISO recommended by your camera manufacturer) always gives you the best image. If you are using a tripod, using this native ISO will not be difficult. If you are handholding the camera, you may want to boost the ISO to 400 or higher so that you can set the lens to a smaller aperture and still have a fast enough shutter speed to be steady.

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Exposure mode. Because shutter speed is the foremost concern, using Shutter Priority mode, where you set the shutter speed and the camera sets the aperture, is the best choice. Choosing shutter speeds in the 1/2 to 1/125 second range allows you to either render the falls as soft flowing water or to capture the falls as your eyes see it, depending on how large the waterfall is in your frame and what time of year you are photographing.


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Exposure compensation. Yosemite Falls is bright white, especially when sunlit. This factor may throw your light meter off, because it will want to expose the waterfall as middle gray, causing your images to look dark. In this case, adjusting exposure compensation to the plus (+) side will lighten up the falls and the surroundings. Check your LCD to see the correct amount of compensation. I recommend starting with a +1.

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White balance. Daylight white balance should work well for most images taken of this subject.

Yosemite Falls

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Exposure From sunrise when the sun just kisses the fall until late afternoon before the shadows set in, Yosemite Falls offers a myriad of photographic possibilities.

Ideal time to shoot Yosemite Falls is best photographed when the light is even across its surface and the surrounding cliffs. Depending on season and locations, your times will vary when the falls are well lit. But you can pretty much count on the waterfall being in sunlight from midmorning to late afternoon. Just after sunrise, the light strikes the Upper Fall and can be very pretty with the warm glow of light on the water and the cliff face. As the day progresses, the light gets more even until the fall passes into shadow in late afternoon.

Working around the weather Yosemite Falls is seasonal. The falls are active all winter and are at their peak in late spring and early summer when their roar fills the valley. By mid to late summer, the falls can totally disappear and not return until the first snows of winter. The falls are special to photograph no matter what the weather. On cloudy, stormy days the clouds can hang at the rim of the valley, and it can appear as though Yosemite Falls is descending directly from the clouds! Rain, snow, clouds, and sun are all ideal conditions to photograph Yosemite Falls.

Low-light and night options You can do night images of the falls with the stars above the falls, as shown in figure 29.9. The falls will catch starlight and moonlight and show up faintly in your images, giving a sense of place to your star pictures. The crowds will gather at the base of Lower Yosemite Fall during May and June nights of the full moon to see the lunar rainbow, or moonbow, that appears at the base of the lower fall. Even though the moonbow looks white to your eyes, your camera will photograph it in color!

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29.9 Upper Yosemite Falls and stars in winter from the Lower Yosemite Fall Trail. Taken at ISO 3200, f/2.8, 30 seconds with a 14mm lens.

Getting creative Looking for unique angles and varying your shutter speeds to get different looks to the water are two ways to get creative when photographing Yosemite Falls. Try fast and slow shutter speeds to see how they change the look of the waterfall. Try framing the waterfalls through trees or look for new angles to make your images unique.

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Index

A Ahwahnee Hotel ideal time to shoot, 8–9 interior lighting sources, 8 interior shots, 5–8, 10–11 lenses, 7 location on map, 5 low-light options, 10 night options, 10–11 opening of, 4, 48 other photo ops, 5 Solarium, 8–9 south side of, 9–10 suggested shooting locations, 5 weather conditions, 10 Ahwahnee Meadow, shooting Half Dome from, 67, 73

B Bachelor and Three Graces, shooting Mariposa Grove from, 110–111 Big Oak Flat Road, shooting Half Dome from, 71, 74 Bridalveil Fall bubble level, 20 cable release, 20 creative shots, 22 exposure compensation setting, 20 exposure mode setting, 20 features, 14 filters, 19 ideal time to shoot, 21 ISO setting, 20 lenses, 18 location of parking lot, 14 location on map, 15 low-light options, 21 moon cycles, 21 night options, 21 Northside Drive, 19 other photo ops, 15

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polarizing filter, 19 rainbows, 21 shooting El Capitan from, 49, 54 shooting vertical panoramic image of, 22 skylight filter, 19 suggested shooting locations, 15 tripod, 20 UV filter, 19 Viewpoint, 15–16 weather conditions, 21 white balance setting, 20 Bridalveil Fall vantage points Gates of the Valley, 17, 19 Northside Drive, 17, 19 parking lot, 14, 18 Southside Drive, 16, 19 Tunnel View, 19 viewpoint, 15–16, 19 brightness, balancing, 191 bubble level, using with tripod, 82

C California Tunnel Tree location of, 110 shooting Mariposa Grove from, 112 Cathedral Peak Aperture Priority mode, 28–29 bubble level, 28 cable release, 28 creative shots, 30 exposure compensation setting, 29 exposure mode setting, 29 features, 26 filters, 28 graduated neutral density filter, 28 ideal time to shoot, 29, 56 ISO setting, 28–29 lenses, 27 location on map, 27 low-light options, 29, 57 night options, 29, 57

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other photo ops, 27 polarizing filter, 28 tripod, 28 weather conditions, 29, 56 white balance setting, 29 wide-angle lens, 29 Cathedral Peak vantage points banks of Tuolumne River, 26 Milky Way above, 29 moon cycles, 29 vertical panoramic image of, 57 Cathedral Rocks Aperture Priority mode, 37 bubble level, 37 cable release, 37 camera settings, 37–38 creative shots, 39 equipment, 37 exposure, 38 features, 34 filters, 37 graduated filter, 37 ideal time to shoot, 38 lenses, 37 location on map, 34 low-light options, 38 moon cycles, 38–39 night options, 38 other photo ops, 34 summits, 34 tripod, 37 weather conditions, 38 Cathedral Rocks vantage points El Capital Meadow, 35 Merced River at marker V17, 35–36 clouds, overexposing, 140 Cloudy white balance setting Dog Lake, 44 Fern Springs waterfall, 62 Happy Isles, 83 Indian Village, 98 Lembert Dome, 106 Merced River, 131 Mount Dana/Mount Gibbs, 140 Nevada Fall, 148 Tuolumne Meadows and River, 208 Unicorn Peak, 216 Vernal Fall, 225 color temperatures, measurement of, 199 Columbia Point, shooting Half Dome from, 69, 73 Cook’s Meadow vantage point Half Dome, 69, 73 Sentinel Rock from, 163

D Dana Fork at marker T36, shooting Mount Dana/ Mount Gibbs from, 137 Daylight white balance Dog Lake, 44 Fern Springs waterfall, 62 Happy Isles, 83 Mount Dana/Mount Gibbs, 140 Nevada Fall, 148 Pioneer Yosemite History Center, 157 Siesta Lake, 173 Three Brothers, 192 Tuolumne Meadows and River, 208 Unicorn Peak, 216 Vernal Fall, 225 Daylight/Sunny preset Horesetail Fall, 92 Indian Village, 98 Lembert Dome, 106 Mariposa Grove, 114 Merced Grove, 121 Dog Lake Aperture Priority mode, 44 exposure compensation setting, 44 exposure mode setting, 44 features, 42 filters, 43 ideal time to shoot, 44 ISO setting, 44 lenses, 43 location on map, 42 low-light options, 45 night options, 45 other photo ops, 42 polarizing filter, 43 tripod, 43 weather conditions, 44–45 white balance setting, 44 wide-angle lens, 45

E El Capitan Aperture Priority mode, 56 creative shots, 57 elevation, 48 exposure compensation setting, 56 exposure mode setting, 56 features, 48 filters, 55 graduated neutral density filter, 55 ISO setting, 55 lenses, 53–54 location on map, 48 other photo ops, 48

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El Capitan (continued) polarizing filter, 55 vantage points, 48–49 white balance setting, 56 El Capitan Meadow dawn in, 39 shooting Cathedral Rocks from, 35 shooting Sentinel Rock from, 163 vantage point, 51 El Capitan vantage points El Capitan Meadow, 54, 56 Gates of the Valley, 52, 54 Merced River across from Bridalveil Fall, 49–50, 54 Southside Drive across from Bridalveil Fall, 49, 53 Southside Drive across from El Capitan Meadow, 50–51, 54 Tunnel View, 18, 53–54 turnout at valley marker V17, 51–52, 54, 56 exposure, creating long exposure, 209

F Fallen Monarch tree, location of, 110 Fern Springs waterfall bubble level, 62 cable release, 62 creative shots, 63 exposure mode setting, 62 features, 60 filters, 61, 63 ideal time to shoot, 62 ISO setting, 62 lenses, 61 location on map, 60 low-light options, 63 neutral density filter, 61 night options, 63 other photo ops, 60 polarizing filter, 61 tripod, 62 weather conditions, 63 white balance setting, 62 wide-angle lens, 61 fill flash. See also flash Indian Village, 99 minus setting, 99 Pioneer Yosemite History Center, 154, 157 filters Ahwahnee Hotel, 7 Bridalveil Fall, 19 Cathedral Peak, 28 Dog Lake, 43 Fern Springs waterfall, 63 Half Dome, 74–75

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Happy Isles, 84 Mariposa Grove, 113 Merced Grove, 120 Merced River, 130–131 Nevada Fall, 147 Siesta Lake, 172, 174 Tenaya Lake, 183 Wawona Hotel, 233 Yosemite Falls vantage points, 253–254 fisheye lens, using with Mariposa Grove, 115. See also lenses flash. See also fill flash Ahwahnee Hotel, 8 Pioneer Yosemite History Center, 157 Wawona Hotel, 234

G Gates of the Valley graduated neutral density filter, 19 shooting El Capitan from, 52 shooting Merced River from, 128, 132 vantage point, 17, 19 Giant Sequoias. See Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias; Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias; Tuolumne Grove graduated neutral density filters Bridalveil Fall, 19 Cathedral Peak, 28 Cathedral Rocks, 37 El Capitan, 55 Fern Springs waterfall, 61 Half Dome, 74–75 Happy Isles, 82 Lembert Dome, 105 Merced River, 130–131 Mount Dana/Mount Gibbs, 139 Nevada Fall, 147 Pioneer Yosemite History Center, 153–154 Sentinel Rock, 165 Siesta Lake, 172 Tenaya Lake, 183 Three Brothers, 191 Tuolumne Meadows and River, 207 Unicorn Peak, 215 Vernal Fall, 224 Yosemite Falls, 254 Grizzly Giant tree location of, 110 shooting Mariposa Grove from, 111–112

H Half Dome creative shots, 76 elevation, 66

Index


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features, 66 filters, 74–75 graduated neutral density filter, 74–75 ideal time to shoot, 76 ISO setting, 75 lenses, 72–74 location on map, 66 low-light options, 76 night options, 76 other photo ops, 66 polarizing filter, 74 weather conditions, 76 white balance setting, 75 Half Dome vantage points Ahwahnee Meadow, 67, 73 Big Oak Flat Road, 71, 74, 76 Columbia Point, 69, 73 Cook’s Meadow, 69, 73 Mirror Lake, 67–68, 73 Old Big Oak Flat Road, 76 Olmsted Point, 71–72, 74 Sentinel Bridge, 67–68, 73 Tunnel View, 18, 70, 73 Washburn and Glacier Points, 74 Happy Isles cable release, 82 creative shots, 84 exposure mode setting, 83 features, 80 filters, 82 ideal time to shoot, 84 ISO setting, 82 lenses, 81 location on map, 80 low-light options, 84 neutral density filter, 82 night options, 84 other photo ops, 80 polarizing filter, 82, 84 skylight filter, 82 tripod, 82 UV filter, 82 weather conditions, 84 white balance setting, 83 HDR (High Dynamic Range) images explained, 156 Mariposa Grove, 114 Pioneer Yosemite History Center, 155–156 Horsetail Fall creative shots, 93 Daylight/Sunny preset, 92 exposure compensation setting, 92 exposure mode setting, 92 features, 88 filters, 91

ideal time to shoot, 92 ISO setting, 92 lenses, 91 location on map, 89 low-light options, 92 “natural firefall” at, 88 night options, 92 other photo ops, 89 Shutter Priority mode, 92 shutter speeds, 91 tripod, 91 weather conditions, 92 white balance setting, 92 Horsetail Fall vantage points Merced River near Four Mile Trailhead, 89–91 Northside Drive picnic area, 88–91 south side of Merced River, 93

I Indian Village Aperture Priority mode, 98 bubble level, 98 cable release, 98 creative shots, 99 exposure mode setting, 98 features, 96 fill flash, 99 filters, 97 ideal time to shoot, 98 ISO setting, 98 lenses, 97 location on map, 96 other photo ops, 96 polarizing filter, 97 tripod, 98 weather conditions, 99 white balance setting, 98

K Kelvin measurement, explained, 199

L lakes. See Dog Lake; Mirror Lake; Siesta Lake; Tenaya Lake Lembert Dome Aperture Priority mode, 105 creative shots, 107 elevation, 102 exposure mode setting, 105 features, 102 filters, 105 full-moon shots, 106

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Lembert Dome (continued) graduated neutral density filter, 105 ideal time to shoot, 106 ISO setting, 105 lenses, 104 location on map, 103 low-light options, 106–107 night options, 106–107 other photo ops, 103 polarizing filter, 105 shooting Tuolumne Meadows and River from, 209 weather conditions, 106 white balance setting, 106 Lembert Dome vantage points South side of Tioga Pass Road, 103–104 Tuolumne Meadows, 102–103 lenses. See also fisheye lens; telephoto lens; tiltshift lens; wide-angle lens Ahwahnee Hotel, 7 Bridalveil Fall, 18–19 Cathedral Peak, 27 Dog Lake, 43 El Capitan, 53–54 Giant Sequoia trees, 119–120 Half Dome, 72–74 Merced River, 130 Mount Dana/Mount Gibbs, 138–140 Nevada Fall, 146–147 Siesta Lake, 171 stopping down for Ahwahnee Hotel, 8 Wawona Hotel, 232–233 Yosemite Falls vantage points, 253 long exposures, creating, 209

M Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. See also Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias; Tuolumne Grove Aperture Priority mode, 114 California Tunnel Tree, 110 creative shots, 115 exposure compensation setting, 114 exposure mode setting, 114 Fallen Monarch, 110 features, 110 filters, 113 fisheye lens, 115 Grizzly Giant, 110 HDR (High Dynamic Range) technique, 114 ideal time to shoot, 114 ISO setting, 114 lenses, 113 location on map, 111 low-light options, 115

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night options, 115 other photo ops, 111 photographing on sunny days, 114 shooting from different angles, 115 weather conditions, 114 white balance setting, 114 wide-angle lens, 112, 115 Mariposa Grove vantage points Bachelor and Three Graces, 110–111 California Tunnel Tree, 112 Grizzly Giant tree, 111–112 Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias. See also Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias; Tuolumne Grove Aperture Priority mode, 120 bubble level, 120 cable release, 120 creative shots, 122 exposure compensation setting, 121 exposure mode setting, 120 features, 118 filters, 120 ideal time to shoot, 121 ISO setting, 120 lenses, 119–120 location on map, 119 other photo ops, 119 shooting from different angles, 122 tripod, 120 weather conditions, 121 white balance setting, 121 Merced River creative shots, 133 exposure compensation setting, 131 exposure mode setting, 131 features, 126 filters, 130–131 full-moon shots, 133 graduated neutral density filter, 130 ideal time to shoot, 132 ISO setting, 131 lenses, 130 location on map, 126 low-light options, 133 neutral density filter, 131 night options, 133 other photo ops, 126 polarizing filter, 130, 133 reflection of El Capitan in, 51 shooting on full-moon nights, 133 Shutter Priority mode, 131 varying shutter speeds, 133 weather conditions, 132 white balance setting, 131

Index


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Merced River vantage points footbridge in Cook’s Meadow, 127, 132 Gates of the Valley, 128, 132 Pohono Bridge to Big Oak Flat Road, 128–129, 132 Swinging Bridge, 127–128, 132 Merced Rivers, shooting in foreground, 17 Milky Way shooting above Cathedral Peak, 29 shooting above Tuolumne Meadows and River, 209 minus setting, using with fill flash, 98 Mirror Lake, shooting Half Dome from, 67–68, 73 Mist Trail vantage point Nevada Fall, 145, 147 Vernal Fall, 221, 223, 226 moonbow, seeing at Vernal Fall, 226–227 Mount Dana/Mount Gibbs Aperture Priority mode, 139 bubble level, 139 cable release, 139 creative shots, 140 elevations of, 136 exposure compensation setting, 140 exposure mode setting, 139 features, 136 filters, 139 graduated neutral density filter, 139 ideal time to shoot, 140 ISO setting, 139 lenses, 138–139 location on map, 136 polarizing filter, 139 reflecting peaks in pond, 140 tripod, 139 weather conditions, 140 white balance setting, 140 Mount Dana/Mount Gibbs vantage points Dana Fork at marker T36, 137 reflecting pond, 138 Muir, John, 26

N “natural firefall,” occurrence at Horesetail Fall, 88 neutral density filters Bridalveil Fall, 19 Cathedral Peak, 28 Cathedral Rocks, 37 El Capitan, 55 Fern Springs waterfall, 61 Half Dome, 74–75 Happy Isles, 82

Lembert Dome, 105 Merced River, 130–131 Mount Dana/Mount Gibbs, 139 Nevada Fall, 147 Pioneer Yosemite History Center, 153–154 Sentinel Rock, 165 Siesta Lake, 172 Tenaya Lake, 183 Three Brothers, 191 Tuolumne Meadows and River, 207 Unicorn Peak, 215 Vernal Fall, 224 Yosemite Falls, 254 Nevada Fall. See also waterfalls bubble level, 147 cable release, 147 creative shots, 149 exposure mode setting, 148 features, 144 filters, 147, 149 graduated neutral density filter, 147 ideal time to shoot, 148 ISO setting, 148 lenses, 146–147 location on map, 144 low-light options, 149 night options, 149 other photo ops, 144 polarizing filter, 147 shutter speeds, 148 skylight filter, 147 tripod, 147 UV filter, 147 varying shutter speeds, 149 weather conditions, 148 white balance setting, 148 Nevada Fall vantage points Mist Trail, 145, 147 Washburn Point, 145, 147

O Olmsted Point, shooting Half Dome from, 74 Olmsted Point vantage point Half Dome, 71–72 Tenaya Lake, 180–181

P panoramic image, shooting of Cathedral Peak, 30 Panoramic mode, Bridalveil Fall, 22 Pioneer Yosemite History Center Aperture Priority mode, 154 creative shots, 158 exposure compensation setting, 157

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Pioneer Yosemite History Center (continued) exposure mode setting, 154 features, 152 filters, 153–154 flash, 157 graduated neutral density filter, 153–154 HDR (High Dynamic Range) images, 155–156 ideal time to shoot, 157 ISO setting, 154 lenses, 153 location on map, 152 low-light options, 158 night options, 158 other photo ops, 152 polarizing filter, 153 shooting from unusual angles, 158 varying shutter speeds, 158 weather conditions, 158 white balance setting, 157 “Pohono Wind,” 14 polarizing filter Ahwahnee Hotel, 7 Bridalveil Fall, 19 Cathedral Peak, 28 Dog Lake, 43 El Capitan, 55 Fern Springs waterfall, 61 graduated neutral density filter, 139 Half Dome, 74 Happy Isles, 82 Lembert Dome, 105 Mariposa Grove, 113 Merced River, 130 Mount Dana/Mount Gibbs, 139 Nevada Fall, 147, 149 Pioneer Yosemite History Center, 153 Sentinel Rock, 165 Siesta Lake, 172 Tenaya Lake, 183 Three Brothers, 191 Tuolumne Meadows and River, 207 Unicorn Peak, 215 Vernal Fall, 223–224 Wawona Hotel, 233 Yosemite Chapel, 240 Yosemite Falls vantage points, 253

S Sentinel Bridge, shooting Half Dome from, 67–68, 73 Sentinel Rock Aperture Priority mode, 165–166 bubble level, 165 cable release, 165

266

creative shots, 167 exposure compensation setting, 166 exposure mode setting, 165–166 features, 162 filters, 164–165 framing, 167 graduated neutral density filter, 165 ideal time to shoot, 166 ISO setting, 165 lenses, 164 location on map, 162 low-light options, 166 night options, 166 other photo ops, 162 polarizing filter, 165 tilt-shift lens, 165 tripod, 165 weather conditions, 166 Sentinel Rock vantage points Cook’s Meadow, 163 El Capitan Meadow, 163 sequoia trees. See Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias; Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias; Tuolumne Grove Shade white balance setting Dog Lake, 44 Fern Springs waterfall, 62 Happy Isles, 83 Indian Village, 98 Lembert Dome, 106 Merced River, 131 Mount Dana/Mount Gibbs, 140 Nevada Fall, 148 Tuolumne Meadows and River, 208 Unicorn Peak, 216 Vernal Fall, 225 Shutter Priority mode Fern Springs waterfall, 62 Happy Isles, 83 Horsetail Fall, 92 Merced River, 131 Nevada Fall, 148 Pioneer Yosemite History Center, 154 Shutter Priority mode, using with Happy Isles, 83 shutter speed, adjusting for waterfalls, 20 Siesta Lake Aperture Priority mode, 173 bubble level, 173 cable release, 173 creative shots, 174 exposure compensation setting, 173 features, 170 filters, 174 graduated neutral density filter, 172 ideal time to shoot, 173

Index


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ISO setting, 173 lenses, 171 location on map, 170 low-light options, 174 night options, 174 polarizing filter, 172 specialty filters, 174 tripod, 173 weather conditions, 174 white balance setting, 173 sky, overexposing, 140 skylight filter Bridalveil Fall, 19 Happy Isles, 82 Nevada Fall, 147 Vernal Fall, 223 star filter, using for Ahwahnee Hotel, 7 stars, exposing as pinpoints, 209 stopping down lens for Ahwahnee Hotel, 8 for Cathedral Peak, 28

T telephoto lens. See also lenses El Capitan, 54 Happy Isles, 81 Merced River, 126, 133 Mount Dana/Mount Gibbs, 139 Siesta Lake, 171 Three Brothers, 191 Tuolumne Grove, 197 Vernal Fall, 222 Vernal Fall vantage point, 222 Washburn Point, 233 Tenaya Lake Aperture Priority mode, 183 bubble level, 183 cable release, 183 creative shots, 184 exposure compensation setting, 184 exposure mode setting, 183 features, 178 graduated neutral density filter, 183 ideal time to shoot, 184 ISO setting, 183 lenses, 181–182 location on map, 178 low-light options, 184 night options, 184 other photo ops, 178 polarizing filter, 183 tripod, 183 varying angles, 184 weather conditions, 184

Tenaya Lake vantage points eastern shore, 180, 182 Olmsted Point, 180–181 western shore, 179, 182 Three Brothers Aperture Priority mode, 192 bubble level, 191 cable release, 191 creative shots, 193 exposure compensation setting, 192 exposure mode setting, 192 features, 188 filters, 191 graduated neutral density filter, 191 ideal time to shoot, 192 ISO setting, 192 lenses, 191 location on map, 188 other photo ops, 188 polarizing filter, 191 tripod, 191–192 weather conditions, 192 white balance setting, 192 Three Brothers vantage points Cathedral Beach Picnic Area, 189 Merced River near valley marker V17, 189–190 Tiffen 812 warming filter, using with Mariposa Grove, 113 tilt-shift lens. See also lenses Mariposa Grove, 113 Merced Grove, 120 Sentinel Rock, 165 trees. See Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias; Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias; Tuolumne Grove tripod Bridalveil Fall, 20 Cathedral Peak, 28 Cathedral Rocks, 37 Dog Lake, 43 Fern Springs waterfall, 62 Half Dome, 75 Happy Isles, 82 Horsetail Fall, 91 Indian Village, 98 Mariposa Grove, 113 Merced Grove, 120 Merced River, 131 Mount Dana/Mount Gibbs, 139 Nevada Fall, 147 Pioneer Yosemite History Center, 154 Sentinel Rock, 165 Siesta Lake, 173

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tripod (continued) Tenaya Lake, 183 Three Brothers, 191 Tuolumne Grove, 198 Tuolumne Meadows and River, 207–208 Unicorn Peak, 215 using bubble level with, 82 Vernal Fall, 224–225 Wawona Hotel, 233 Yosemite Chapel, 240 Yosemite Falls, 254 tunnel trees, locating in Mariposa Grove, 112 Tunnel View graduated neutral density filter, 19 Half Dome, 73 shooting Bridalveil Fall from, 18 shooting Half Dome from, 70 vantage point, 18 Tuolumne Grove. See also Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias; Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias Aperture Priority mode, 199 bubble level, 198 cable release, 198 creative shots, 200 exposure compensation setting, 199 exposure mode setting, 199 features, 196 filters, 198 ideal time to shoot, 199 ISO setting, 198–199 lenses, 197–198 location on map, 196 low-light options, 200 night options, 200 other photo ops, 196 tripod, 198 varying vantage points, 200 weather conditions, 200 white balance setting, 199 Tuolumne Meadows and River Aperture Priority mode, 208 bubble level, 207 cable release, 207 creative shots, 209 elevation, 204 exposure compensation setting, 208 exposure mode setting, 208 features, 204 filters, 207 graduated neutral density filter, 207 ideal time to shoot, 208 ISO setting, 208 lenses, 207 location on map, 205

268

low-light options, 209 Milky Way above, 209 night options, 209 other photo ops, 205 polarizing filter, 207 tripod, 207–208 vantage points, 205–206 weather conditions, 208 white balance setting, 208 Tuolumne Meadows, shooting Cathedral Peak from, 27 Tuolumne River, shooting Cathedral Peak from, 26

U Unicorn Peak Aperture Priority mode, 215 bubble level, 215 cable release, 215 creative shots, 217 exposure compensation setting, 216 exposure mode setting, 215 features, 212 filters, 215 graduated neutral density filter, 215 ideal time to shoot, 216 ISO setting, 215 lenses, 213–214 location on map, 213 low-light options, 216 night options, 216 other photo ops, 213 polarizing filter, 215 tripod, 215 weather conditions, 216 white balance setting, 216 zoom lens, 213–214 UV filter Bridalveil Fall, 19 Happy Isles, 82 Nevada Fall, 147 Vernal Fall, 223

V Vernal Fall Aperture Priority mode, 225 bubble level, 224 cable release, 224 creative shots, 227 exposure compensation setting, 225 exposure mode setting, 225 features, 220 filters, 223–224 graduated neutral density filter, 224

Index


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ideal time to shoot, 225 ISO setting, 225 lenses, 223 location on map, 220 low-light options, 226 moonbow, 226–227 neutral density filter, 224 night options, 226–227 other photo ops, 220 polarizing filter, 223–224 skylight filter, 223 telephoto lens, 222 tripod, 224–225 UV filter, 223 weather conditions, 226 white balance setting, 225 Vernal Fall vantage points Mist Trail, 221, 223, 226 Washburn Point, 222–223, 226

W warming filter, using with Mariposa Grove, 113 Washburn and Glacier Points, shooting Half Dome from, 70, 74 Washburn Point vantage point Nevada Fall, 145, 147 Vernal Fall, 222–223 Vernal Fall vantage point, 226 water slowing down at Happy Isles, 82 slowing down with filters, 82 underexposing, 83, 131 waterfalls. See also Bridalveil Fall; Nevada Fall; Vernal Fall; Yosemite Falls photographing, 20 setting shutter speeds for, 20 Wawona Hotel Aperture Priority mode, 233 bubble level, 233 cable release, 233 creative shots, 235 exposure compensation setting, 234 exposure mode setting, 233 exterior shots, 231 features, 230–231 filters, 233 flash, 234 ideal time to shoot, 234 interior shots, 231–232 ISO setting, 233 lenses, 232–233 location on map, 230 low-light options, 235 night options, 235

other photo ops, 230 polarizing filter, 233 telephoto lens, 233 tripod, 233 weather conditions, 234 white balance setting, 234 wide-angle lens, 235 wide-angle lens. See also lenses Ahwahnee Hotel, 7 Cathedral Peak, 29 Cathedral Rocks, 37 Dog Lake, 43–45 El Capitan, 53–54 Fern Springs waterfall, 61 Giant Sequoia trees, 119 Indian Village, 97 Lembert Dome, 104 Mariposa Grove, 113, 115 Merced Grove, 119 Merced River, 126 Mount Dana/Mount Gibbs, 138 Pioneer Yosemite History Center, 153 Siesta Lake, 171 Tenaya Lake, 181–182 Three Brothers, 191 Tuolumne Grove, 197 Tuolumne Meadows and River, 207 Unicorn Peak, 213 Wawona Hotel, 232–233, 235 Yosemite Chapel, 239–240

Y yellow/blue polarizing filter, using with Happy Isles, 84 Yosemite Chapel Aperture Priority mode, 241 cable release, 240 creative shots, 242 exposure mode setting, 241 features, 238 filters, 240 ideal time to shoot, 241 ISO setting, 240 lenses, 239–240 location on map, 238 low-light options, 241 night options, 241 other photo ops, 238 polarizing filter, 240 tripod, 240 weather conditions, 241 white balance setting, 241 wide-angle lens, 239–240 zoom lens, 240

269


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Yosemite Falls bubble level, 254 cable release, 254 creative shots, 256 exposure compensation setting, 255 exposure mode setting, 254 features, 246 filters, 253–254 graduated neutral density filter, 254 ideal time to shoot, 255 ISO setting, 254 lenses, 253 location on map, 246 low-light options, 255 neutral density filter, 254 night options, 255–256 other photo ops, 246 polarizing filter, 253

270

tripod, 254 weather conditions, 255 white balance setting, 255 Yosemite Falls vantage points Cook’s Meadow, 248–249 Glacier Point, 251 Lower Yosemite Fall Trail, 247–248 Southside Drive near Yosemite Chapel, 249–250 Swinging Bridge, 249 Upper Yosemite Fall Trail, 251–252

Z zoom lens Unicorn Peak, 213–214 Yosemite Chapel, 240

Index


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