Richard took the time to send in an email and asks:
Would you be so kind as to refer me to a web site that might list 10 (or some manageable number) great sites for shooting photos in Yosemite, easily accessible from the valley floor? I have been there before, and I am not a professional photographer, so don’t need the “top 10,” just some good ideas so I can focus and not go nuts.
Hmmm…that’s a tough question because there are a ton of spots. I think I’ll start by recommending that if you already don’t already have The Photographers Guide to Yosemite by Michael Frye then run out and get a copy. It’s a nice, easily manageable, pocket sized book loaded with photos, maps and information of great places to shoot in the park and best times to be there. I know, it’s not a website but you’ll get more mileage out of it since you’ll be able to actually take it with you into the park.
I couldn’t really find a list of great places to shoot online so I’ll tell you of a couple of my favorites and hopefully some of the readers will post their in the comments section. Late summer/early fall isn’t exactly the best time to shoot in the Valley as the main attractions (read: waterfalls) are all but gone. That’s not to say they’re the ONLY thing to shoot though. Late summer has the benefit of having some of the dirtiest air. That’s right, I said benefit of dirty air. The dirt and particulates in the air make for some beautiful red skies as the suns light is refracted through the dust.
Around evening time grab your flashlight, some bug repellent and the widest angle lens you got then head over to where the El Capitan Bridge and Southside Drive meet right under Cathedral Rocks. Park your car along Southside drive just West of the bridge. Make your way to the bridge and then down to the South river bank. Head west along the river bank. If you look right (North) you’ll see El Cap across the meadow. Find a good spot and set up to take some awesome shots of El Cap as the skies turn red and El Cap glows a beautiful, warm glow. If you have a wide enough lens you should be able to get the river, meadow and El Cap in no problem. If you continue to follow the river bank in a few minutes you’ll come to Southside Drive just after it comes around the corner from Bridalveil Fall. If you’re careful you can make your way back to Bridalveil Fall and catch the same light on what little water (if any) is left. Carefully make your way back to your car to the East by following the road. Remember to keep your flashlight on to warn cars you’re walking close to the road.
Have a good trip and be careful!
In Addendum
Alexandra from Seattle emailed in her suggestions to add to the list of great spots to shoot:
An iconic view of Half Dome is almost ludicrously easy to capture from the Valley floor, from various spots just on or off the main roads and pathways, and late-afternoon/pre-dusk highlights the upper
face, carved by the curved swath along the bottom, in what can only be described as picture-perfect fashion. (See, for example, “Ambitious Wench”s wonderful shots on Flickr, such as the Half Dome sunset series
at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ambitious_wench/sets/72157606549994652/Fantastic general views, in either direction, can be seen from the Swinging Bridge.
Finally, although Mirror Lake is pretty much Mirror Lakebed, its location affords some dramatic and quite different views of Half Dome, North Dome, and Watson Peak.
I personally enjoy small things as well as the grand views. The humble Yosemite Chapel, the stone ‘guardhouse’ near the Ahwanhee, the
“Farewell” sign at Camp Curry, for examples, make for good photographic studies; even tree bark, close-up, can be extraordinary when seen in the right light. And oh, how I wish it were possible to capture the champagne profusion of all those stars at night…