Ansel Adams loved the area around Yosemite National Park so much that he called it “the great earth gesture,” as if Mother Nature had rewarded humanity with a prize. The Yosemite Valley is often considered the birthplace of modern landscape photography. It unfolds before one’s viewfinder in a never-ending wonderland of awe-inspiring micro and macro scenery. Located at the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, it is home to grandiose waterfalls, gigantic cliffs of exposed granite and deep forests of tall majestic trees. Yosemite National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a creation of the last Ice Age where glaciers shaped the valley as they forced out vast quantities of ice and rock, splitting mountains in the process.
Rivers roar among giant boulders while wooded, flower-filled meadows below the snow-capped peaks serve as a glittering backdrop to a diverse and exciting array of North American wildlife. Wonderful images can be discovered by letting your eyes and feet wander in almost any direction. Upon John Muir’s first visit to Yosemite it is quoted that “he was overwhelmed by the landscape, scrambling down steep cliff faces to get a closer look at the waterfalls, whooping and howling at the vistas, jumping tirelessly from flower to flower.”
Allowing for people to arrive in the morning, we will begin after lunch with the first group meeting and workshop orientation, detailing the shooting locations and get to know each other. We will then depart towards our first location for a late afternoon/sunset shoot.
Each day we will gather at specific locations for sunrise/morning and late afternoon/sunset shoots. The middle of the day will be used either for additional shooting (if the sun isn't too harsh and flat) and/or image reviews and discussions about techniques.
Our final day begins with another sunrise shoot followed by breakfast and portfolio reviews. The workshop will conclude after a farewell lunch.
The actual shooting locations and the order in which we will shoot them, will be decided a few days before the workshop starts, based on the weather and environmental conditions. Certain areas may be closed while other areas may be featured best at different times of the year. We will shoot at some of the following locations:
• Tunnel View offers the most popular view in Yosemite Valley. All of the park’s most famous landmarks can be captured in one frame: El Capitan, Cathedral Rocks, Half Dome and the Bridalveil Falls.
• El Capitan Meadow looks straight up at one of the world’s largest slabs of granite, El Capitan which rises 3000 feet above the Yosemite Valley. The west side of the face often glows with sunset light and the bridge at the east end of the meadow is great spot from which we can photograph Cathedral Rocks, some of Valley’s most varied and interesting formations.
• Glacier Point is located vertically above the Valley and grants a stunning panoramic vista of the park and the Sierra Nevada. Far below this sky-scraping vantage point are meadows and forests flanked by precipitous cliffs surrounding the Merced River, and opposite are the Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. From here, you'll get breathtaking views of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and the High Sierras.
• Bridalveil Fall: Standing 620 feet tall, Bridalveil Fall frames the view of the Valley. Looking like the veil of a bride, this waterfall is very recognizable. You can take a quick fifteen-minute walk from the parking lot to see the base of this waterfall, experience the roar and spray, and photograph rainbows that form at the base of the fall as the sun gently sinks.
• Yosemite Falls is one of the highest waterfalls on the North American continent. It has a total drop of 2,425 feet. Although often referred to as a ‘two-stage drop’, Yosemite Falls is divided into the Great Upper Fall, a middle cascade and the Lower Fall.
• Vernal Fall: This 317-foot fall flows year round and is one of the most beautiful in the park.
• Sentinel Bridge presents one of the Valley’s most memorable views with Half Dome reflected in the Merced River. At sunset, the flowing shades of gold, orange and pink will color the dome in poetic hues and reflect themselves with graceful serenity in the still waters of Mirror Lake.
• Half Dome is a staggering, flat-faced monolith that rises 2,200 feet high on the opposite end of Yosemite Valley and is an icon of photography. It is a favorite challenge amongst rock climbers who often make the hair-raising ascent over the course of two or three days.
• Tenaya Lake: The solitude and beauty of this high-altitude, crystal-clear lake (accessible by road in summer only) outshines all others in the park. Tenaya Lake is largest and most dramatic, edging up against an iridescent granite landscape.
• The Mariposa Grove is the largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite Park. Grizzly Giant, the oldest sequoia in Yosemite National Park, is between 1900 and 2400 years old and one of the oldest in the world.
• Mirror Lake has little water much of the year. When the water is calm, the lake offers beautiful reflections of the surrounding cliffs. This can be a good place to spot wildlife.
• To get the most out of the workshop, you'll need an interchangeable lens camera that has control over exposure, and be familiar with its basic controls and settings. Please see workshop preparation for details on other camera equipment to bring. Lorne can give you a complimentary personal consultation on what equipment to bring, rent or buy before the workshop.
• We do not provide transportation during the workshops as it would add $100-$150 minimum to the workshop fee for each participant. In addition, some national parks require commercial drivers licenses and/or separate permits to function as a tour operator. Each participant is responsible for having or renting their own car. As for local transportation, we usually carpool to the various shooting locations. This makes things very convenient as for the most part we will usually be having all of our meals together as well. Please indicate on the registration form whether you'd like us to help you connect to other participants in the interest of sharing a room and/or carpooling to help reduce costs.
• Each participant is responsible for making their own hotel reservations, although we do (if requested) connect participants so they may share lodging in order to save money.
• Immediately after registration, you will be emailed a receipt and confirmation indicating that a spot has been reserved for you. Shortly after that you will be emailed the location and time of the initial meeting and a comprehensive checklist of what to bring for the trip.
• For more information see the about the workshop, workshop faqs, terms and conditions and workshop preparation.
Traveling by Car: Yosemite National Park is about 315 miles from Los Angeles, and 195 miles from San Francisco.
Commercial Airports Near Yosemite:
• Fresno-Yosemite International (FAT) Drive north on Highway 41 to Yosemite. Allow about 1.5 hours to the park's South Entrance or 2.5 hours to Yosemite Valley.
• Merced Airport (MCE) Drive east on Highway 140 to Yosemite. Allow about two hours to Yosemite Valley.
• Modesto City-County Airport (MOD) Drive east on Highway 120 to Yosemite. Allow about 1.5 hours to the park's Big Oak Flat Entrance or about two hours to Yosemite Valley.
• Yosemite View Lodge 1-866-875-8456, 1-406-862-8190, 11136 Highway 140, El Portal, CA 95318
• Hotel Charlotte (209)-962-6455, 18736 Main Street (Highway 120) Groveland, CA 95321
• The Groveland Hotel (209)-962-4000, 1767 Main Street, Groveland, CA 95321
• The All Seasons Groveland Inn (209)-962-0232, 18656 Main Street, Groveland, CA 95321
• Yosemite Evergreen Lodge (209)-379-2606, 33160 Evergreen Road, Groveland, CA 95321
• Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite (888)-514-2167, 1122 Highway 41 Fish Camp, CA 93623
• Narrow Gauge Inn (888)-644-9050, 48571 Highway 41, Fish Camp, CA 93623
• Yosemite Lodge at The Falls (801)-559-4884, 9006 Yosemite Lodge Drive, Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
• The Wawona Hotel (801)-559-4884, 8308 Wawona Road, Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
• Curry Village in Yosemite (801)-559-4884, 9010 Curry Village Drive, Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
• Ahwahnee Hotel (801)-559-4884, 9005 Ahwahnee Drive, Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
Shortly after registering for the workshop you will be emailed the name of the hotel Lorne will be staying at. You are encouraged to stay at the same hotel to make it easier for us to all convene and conclude the activities of the day with a minimum of travel, however you are not required to stay at any specific hotel.
Yosemite receives most of its precipitation in the months of January, February and March. Summers are typically warm and dry. Spring and fall are transitional months, when warm, sunny days can suddenly become stormy. Clouds can build up during the summer to produce spectacular thunderstorm activity. Yosemite weather can change rapidly during all seasons of the year. Elevation plays a major role in temperature and precipitation.
For Yosemite Valley and Wawona (subtract 10-20 degrees for Tuolumne Meadows), average weather is as follows:
Summer: Typically dry, with occasional thunderstorms; highs in the low 90's, lows in the 50's.
Fall and spring: Highly variable, with typical high temperatures ranging from the 50's to 70's, with lows in the 30s. Rain is less likely early in fall/late in spring and rain or snow is likely late in fall/early in spring.
Winter: Snowy, rainy, or even sunny days are possible, with highs ranging from the 30's to 50's and lows in the upper 20's.
For many workshops Lorne will have sponsor partners provide products and/or product discounts to give or raffle off to workshop participants. These are always products that Lorne has tested and worked with extensively and highly recommends to his participants.
The list of sponsors will be updated frequently and can be found here.