Kemper Capture Yosemite’s breathtaking beauty—here’s how ... · Photographing Yosemite Digital Field Guide Lewis Kemper 01_586860-ffirs.indd i 2/3/10 6:01 PM

Lewis Kemper

Photographing

Yosemite

Capture Postcard-Quality PhotosFull Color!

PHOTOGRAPHY/Techniques/Digital $19.99 US/$23.99 CAN

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

Capture Yosemite’s breathtaking beauty—here’s how

Kemper

Photographing Yosemite

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

GGetCoCC ol shss ohthh tStSS

Cs

S

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.

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

01_586860-ffirs.indd vi01_586860-ffirs.indd vi 2/3/10 6:01 PM2/3/10 6:01 PM

Photographing Yosemite

Digital Field Guide

Lewis Kemper

01_586860-ffirs.indd i01_586860-ffirs.indd i 2/3/10 6:01 PM2/3/10 6:01 PM

Photographing Yosemite Digital Field Guide

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.10475 Crosspoint BoulevardIndianapolis, IN 46256www.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

www.wiley.com

About the AuthorLewis 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 calen-dars 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 contrib-uting editor to Outdoor Photographer and PC Photo magazines. His Web site is www.LewisKemper.com.

01_586860-ffirs.indd iii01_586860-ffirs.indd iii 2/3/10 6:01 PM2/3/10 6:01 PM

CreditsSenior Acquisitions EditorStephanie McComb

Project EditorJama Carter

Technical EditorMike Hagen

Copy EditorBeth Taylor

Editorial DirectorRobyn Siesky

Editorial ManagerCricket Krengel

Business ManagerAmy Knies

Senior Marketing ManagerSandy Smith

Vice President and Executive Group PublisherRichard Swadley

Vice President and Executive PublisherBarry Pruett

Project CoordinatorPatrick Redmond

Graphics and Production SpecialistsAndrea HornbergerJennifer MayberryRonald G. Terry

Quality Control TechnicianLindsay Littrell

Proofreading and IndexingValerie Haynes PerryPenny L. Stuart

01_586860-ffirs.indd iv01_586860-ffirs.indd iv 2/3/10 6:01 PM2/3/10 6:01 PM

Light…

I know not a singular word fi ne enough for Light.

Holy, beamless, bodiless inaudible fl oods of Light.

—John Muir

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

01_586860-ffirs.indd v01_586860-ffirs.indd v 2/3/10 6:01 PM2/3/10 6:01 PM

01_586860-ffirs.indd vi01_586860-ffirs.indd vi 2/3/10 6:01 PM2/3/10 6:01 PM

AcknowledgmentsYosemite 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 fulfi lling 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 offi ce. 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 sup-port and encouragement they have given me over the years.

I would like to thank all my friends at Canon, past and present, who have sup-ported 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 con-cessionaires 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.

01_586860-ffirs.indd vii01_586860-ffirs.indd vii 2/3/10 6:01 PM2/3/10 6:01 PM

Contents1 Ahwahnee Hotel . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . . 4Hotel interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Hotel exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

How Can I Get the Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . . . . 7Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

2 Bridalveil Fall . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 14Bridalveil 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?. . . . . . . . . . . 18Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

3 Cathedral Peak . . . . . . . . . . . 25Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 26


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Ahwahnee Hotel

Bridalveil Fall

Cathedral Peak

02_586860-ftoc.indd viii02_586860-ftoc.indd viii 2/3/10 6:01 PM2/3/10 6:01 PM

4 Cathedral Rocks . . . . . . . . . . 33Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 34El Capitan Meadow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Merced River at marker V17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

5 Dog Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Where Can I Get The Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . 42


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

6 El Capitan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 48Southside 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


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Cathedral Rocks

Dog Lake

El Capitan

02_586860-ftoc.indd ix02_586860-ftoc.indd ix 2/3/10 6:01 PM2/3/10 6:01 PM

7 Fern Springs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 60



Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

8 Half Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 66Ahwahnee 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


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

9 Happy Isles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 80



Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Fern Springs

Half Dome

Happy Isles

02_586860-ftoc.indd x02_586860-ftoc.indd x 2/3/10 6:01 PM2/3/10 6:01 PM

10 Horsetail Fall. . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 88Northside Drive picnic area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

Merced River near Four Mile Trailhead . . . . . . . . .89


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92

11 Indian Village . . . . . . . . . . . . 95Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 96



Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98

12 Lembert Dome . . . . . . . . . . . 101Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 102

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 102Tuolumne Meadows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

South side of Tioga Pass Road. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

How Can I Get the Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . . 104Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

13 Mariposa Grove . . . . . . . . . . 109Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 110

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 110Bachelor and Three Graces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Grizzly Giant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

California Tunnel Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Horsetail Fall

Indian Village

Lembert Dome

Mariposa Grove

02_586860-ftoc.indd xi02_586860-ftoc.indd xi 2/3/10 6:02 PM2/3/10 6:02 PM

14 Merced Grove . . . . . . . . . . . 117Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 118

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 118


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121

15 Merced River. . . . . . . . . . . . 125Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 126

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 126Footbridge in Cook’s Meadow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127

Swinging Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127

Gates of the Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128

From Pohono Bridge to Big Oak Flat Road. . . . .128

How Can I Get the Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . . 130Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130

Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132

16 Mount Dana/Mount Gibbs . . . 135Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 136

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 136Dana Fork at marker T36. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137

Refl ecting Pond. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

17 Nevada Fall . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 144

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 144Mist Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Washburn Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Merced Grove

Merced River

Mount Dana/Mount Gibbs

Nevada Fall

02_586860-ftoc.indd xii02_586860-ftoc.indd xii 2/3/10 6:02 PM2/3/10 6:02 PM

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

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 152



Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157

19 Sentinel Rock . . . . . . . . . . . 161Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 162

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 162Cook’s Meadow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163

El Capitan Meadow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166

20 Siesta Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 170



Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173

21 Tenaya Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . 177Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 178

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 178Western shore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179

Eastern shore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180

Olmsted Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184

Pioneer Yosemite History Center

Sentinel Rock

Siesta Lake

Tenaya Lake

02_586860-ftoc.indd xiii02_586860-ftoc.indd xiii 2/3/10 6:02 PM2/3/10 6:02 PM

22 Three Brothers. . . . . . . . . . . 187Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 188

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 188Cathedral Beach Picnic Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189

Merced River near valley marker V17 . . . . . . . . .189


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

23 Tuolumne Grove. . . . . . . . . . 195Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 196



Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

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

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 204



Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208

25 Unicorn Peak . . . . . . . . . . . 211Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 212



Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216

Three Brothers

Tuolumne Grove

Tuolumne Meadows and River

Unicorn Peak

02_586860-ftoc.indd xiv02_586860-ftoc.indd xiv 2/3/10 6:02 PM2/3/10 6:02 PM

26 Vernal Fall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 220

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 220Mist Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221

Washburn Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225

27 Wawona Hotel . . . . . . . . . . . 229Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 230

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 230Hotel exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231

Hotel interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234

28 Yosemite Chapel . . . . . . . . . 237Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 238



Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241

29 Yosemite Falls . . . . . . . . . . . 245Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 246

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 246Lower 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


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255

Vernal Fall

Wawona Hotel

Yosemite Chapel

Yosemite Falls

02_586860-ftoc.indd xv02_586860-ftoc.indd xv 2/3/10 6:02 PM2/3/10 6:02 PM

03_586860-flast.indd xvi03_586860-flast.indd xvi 2/3/10 6:02 PM2/3/10 6:02 PM

IntroductionI 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 loca-tions 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 fi nd 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 per-sonal touch to the classic views, but also go beyond what I describe and fi nd 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

03_586860-flast.indd 103_586860-flast.indd 1 2/3/10 6:02 PM2/3/10 6:02 PM

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.

04_586860-ch01.indd 204_586860-ch01.indd 2 2/3/10 6:03 PM2/3/10 6:03 PM

Ahwahnee Hotel1


4 Photographing Yosemite Digital Field Guide

Why It’s Worth a PhotographSince its opening in 1927, the Ahwahnee Hotel has marveled visitors including several presidents, actors, and international dignitaries. With its unique architec-ture 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 fi replaces so big you could walk inside them! The fi replaces 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).


5

Ah

wah

nee H

otel

Hotel interiorThe Ahwahnee Hotel is known for its beautiful surroundings and unique architec-ture. 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 fi replaces and beautiful stained-glass panels (see fi gure 1.1), the solarium with a fabulous view of Glacier Point, and the Ahwahnee Dining Room with its impressive 34-foot ceilings and fl oor-to-ceiling stained-glass framed windows, all making for great photographic subjects.

Hotel exteriorThe most photographed view of the hotel’s exterior is from the southern meadow looking north, as shown in fi gure 1.2. The entrance to the hotel is a bit more diffi -cult 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.

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



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.


7

Ah

wah

nee H

otel

How Can I Get the Best Shot?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 hin-drance to other guests.

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.

EquipmentWhen shooting architectural subjects, using a wide-angle lens and tripod are equip-ment 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.

FiltersWhen photographing in the interior, no special fi lters are needed. A polarizing fi lter may be useful in eliminating glare from refl ective surfaces. Star fi lters can add a unique quality to your images: All the light sources in the hotel will have star-like fl ares.



ExtrasA fl ash is useful when photographing in the interior of the hotel. You want to use daylight as the main source of light, and the fl ash to fi ll 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 fi eld, which will result in using slower shut-ter 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.

ExposureYou 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 shootThe best time to take your pictures of the interior of the hotel is on an overcast day or closer to dusk (see fi gure 1.3). These lighting conditions make it easier to bal-ance both the interior and exterior light.

The best time to capture exterior shots of the hotel is at sunset, or just after sun-set, when the sky has just enough light present and the exterior hotel lights are coming on. The combination of the warm artifi cial 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 fi gure 1.4.


9

Ah

wah

nee H

otel

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.



Working around the weatherWhen 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 fi gure 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.


11

Ah

wah

nee H

otel

Low-light and night options 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.

TIP

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.

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 fl ashlight or use HDR to capture the great range of contrast.


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.


Documents

Kemper Capture Yosemite’s breathtaking beauty—here’s how ... · Photographing Yosemite Digital Field Guide Lewis Kemper 01_586860-ffirs.indd i 2/3/10 6:01 PM