Photographing Yosemite Digital Field Guide
The ideal companion guide for capturing awe-inspiring photos of Yosemite!Whether using a compact camera or a high-end dSLR, this companion guide provides you with detailed information for taking spectacular shots of some of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. Whether you aim to capture memorable photos of Half Dome, El Capitan, Vernal Fall, Mariposa Grove, or one of Yosemite's other many remarkable attractions, this portable resource goes where you go and walks you through valuable tips and techniques for taking the best shot possible.You'll discover suggested locations for taking photos, recommended equipment, what camera settings to use, best times of day to photograph specific attractions, how to handle weather challenges, and more. In addition, beautiful images of Yosemite's most breathtaking attractions and recognizable landmarks serve to both inspire and assist you as you embark on an amazing photographic adventure!Elevates your photography skills to a new level with photography secrets from professional photographer Lewis KemperPresents clear, understandable tips and techniques that span all skill levels, using all types of digital cameras, from compact cameras to high end DSLRsFeatures Yosemite's main attractions in alphabetical order as well as thumb tabs on the pages so you can quickly and easily access the information you are looking forShares detailed information and insight on critical topics, such as ideal locations to photograph from, the best time of day to shoot, camera equipment to have handy, weather conditions, and optimal camera settings to considerWhether you're a local familiar with the territory or a visitor seeing this beautiful U.S. National Park for the first time, this handy guide will help capture fantastic photos!Tips for Photographing YosemiteAmazon-exclusive content from author Lewis KemperClick here for a larger imageLow-Light and Night OptionsWith today’s digital cameras, taking photographs in a very low-light situation is easy. If you want to photograph the night stars 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 point of light, and adjust the ISO to give you the correct exposure. If you want to shoot star trails 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.Click here for a larger imageHigh Dynamic RangeHigh 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 auto-focus 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.Click here for a larger imageGraduated Neutral Density FilterUseful 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 can both be exposed properly in one exposure.Top Five Must-Photograph Places in Yosemite1. Yosemite Valley from Tunnel ViewClick here for a larger image2. Yosemite Falls from Falls TrailClick here for a larger image3. Half Dome from Glacier PointClick here for a larger image4. Mariposa Grove of the Giant SequoiasClick here for a larger image5. Sentinel Rock from Cook’s MeadowClick here for a larger image