Camera Walk, Yosemite National Park.

 

I hope that my work will encourage self expression in others and stimulate the search for beauty and creative excitement in the great world around us  - Ansel Adams.

Pat and I went on an early morning camera walk, one of the excellent free activities that were offered in the park.

People came along with all sorts of equipment, ranging from one lady who struggled along with two enormous cameras around her neck and a large tripod, to people like Pat who just came along for the walk with no camera at all.

The camera walk was very well presented, with something for everyone from beginners to photography professionals.  Our guide Michael began by giving some information about Ansel Adams (1902 – 1984), an American  photographer who was one of the first in his field to use photography as an art form rather than just a means of documenting people or events.  He is best known for his black and white  photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite  National Park. 

Michael showed us some of Ansel Adams’ photographs, including some of places we could see in the park, explaining some principles of composition Adams had used.

Michael then took us on a short walk around the park, pointing out some good vantage spots and good times of day for taking certain shots.

 

For example, this is not a good time of day to photograph Yosemite Falls from this spot, as the falls are in shadow, with the rock on the left being a lighter colour than the water, leading your eye out of the picture instead of in.

 

This is a better time of day to take this picture, as the sun is now on the water, making it brighter than the surrounding rock.  Framing the picture with the oak leaves on the left minimises the effect of the pale rock to lead your eye out of the picture.

The rule of thirds is used here with the main subject of the picture being in the left vertical third.

 

Here I am using the rule of thirds as an exercise, with three horizontal thirds, and the largest flowers in the right vertical third.

 

Grass/tree demarcation is in the lower third.  The angle of this line is deliberate on my part to heighten a feeling of perspective leading into the rock.  Not sure if it worked.

Michael said that unless there are interesting clouds in the sky, landscape photographers will normally put the horizon at the top third, as they consider cloudless skies too boring.  My own feeling has been that, in colour photos at least, when the sky is this stunning colour, I like to make the most of it.

So that gave me something to think about.

 

I just wanted to get this depth-of-focus shot with the cow parsley in the meadow.  At least the sky is in the top third.

 

At certain times of the day, especially around sunset, this pool in the meadow apparently provides excellent reflections of Yosemite Falls.  But obviously not now.

 

In case you couldn’t see it in the first picture, here is a closer shot of the reflection of the falls in the pool (in the left third).  And yes, a bit more water in the pool would be helpful.

 

Another tip from Michael:  If you want to take a picture of a flower, or something small, and it’s very sunny, creating shadows that will spoil your picture, as the one above is spoiled, get someone to stand so that their shadow falls over what you want to photograph, thus eliminating contrasting shadows.

 

Another tip from Michael:  Be inventive.

As Pat had walked on, and was unlikely to be enthralled about being called back to create a shadow, I just found another flower that wasn’t so shadowy, (even though it did have a bug in it.)

 

“Give plants a chance.”

Yosemite had many signs urging visitors to stay on marked paths, for the sake of the natural flora and fauna of the park.  You can see that photographers are a law-abiding lot, following this narrow path through a meadow in single file.

A great experience!