Karla with a K asks about Sunset Photography

Karla wrote in to ask a question about my response to Primoz’s email. She asks, “Is Glacier point the best spot to observe/photograph sunsets? Where else would you recommend and what time for sunsets in mid-June?”

Thanks for the email. It really depends what you want to see. Pretty much you want to try to shoot things lit by the setting sun. Things at higher elevations work better as there isn’t a lot of shadow to add contrast. Check out this beautiful photo by Tyler Westcott from the top of Sentinel Dome.

But, that’s not always the case. Sometimes silhouetting an object can make a pretty nice shot. See my photo below.

I tried to center my response to the email around the Valley where you can get a lot of things in, in a short amount of time. Glacier Point facing Half Dome is great for sunset shots. So is Washburn Point. So is the top of Sentinel Dome where you’ll get a wider expanse of the Sierra Crest. Olmsted Point is one of my favorite spots too. I also really like shooting across Tuolumne Meadows or shooting Lembert Dome at sunset. If there are any kind of clouds to add texture to the atmosphere any of these locations can render stunning photos.

Just outside of Yosemite the Tufa at Mono Lake and the ghost town Bodie are both excellent destinations for evening shooting too and both are accessible. The jagged granite peaks above Twin Lakes just outside Bridgeport and anything facing the Eastern Sierra can be excellent especially if the sun and clouds are playing off each other.

Since very few astronomical calculators list Yosemite we’ll use Sacramento as our base location for TimeandDate.com. In June sunset is around 8:34PM in Sacramento. Depending on where you are in Yosemite the sun will go behind the Sierra about 10-15 minutes before that but the sky will stay light enough to shoot for about another hour. The longer past sunset the longer you’ll have to make your exposure time (obviously).

If you’re at Mono Lake, Bodie, or anything on the Eastern Side of the Sierra look for the sun to go behind the mountains about 40-45 minutes prior to sunset. The sky stays light but you’re in the shadow of the Sierra.

Photo’s by Tyler Westcott and Loyd Schutte.