Photographing Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is absolutely stunning, especially if you catch the park right after fresh snowfall. I recently went in mid November, right after the first major winter storm hit the park. Roads to popular destinations such as Glacier Point, Cathedral Lakes and Tuolumne Meadows were closed, so I was limited to Yosemite Valley. Here is a short and sweet guide to best photo locations in Yosemite Valley in the winter!
What kind of gear will I need?
You can use almost any camera, even a smartphone! The photos here were taken with a Nikon Z6 and the Z 24-70mm f/4, a perfect ‘walk around’ lens that covers most bases. If you have a wide angle lens, even better! I also recommend a tripod if you plan on taking sunset and/or blue hour shots. But remember, you don’t need fancy gear! The best camera is the one you have with you.
Yosemite Point & Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Falls is barely a trickle in wintertime, but will return to full-force in late spring when the snow begins to melt. There are multiple locations to capture both Yosemite Point and Yosemite Falls next to it, and I recommend if you’re walking along the valley floor to aim for mid-afternoon to golden hour. A great spot to capture both is right where Sentinel Drive and Northside Drive meet on the north side as well as along Cook’s Meadow Loop nearby.
Half Dome
One of the most iconic domes in the world, there are tons of sweeping views of Half Dome within the park. My favorite spot to capture this natural wonder is on the annoyingly untitled bridge where Sentinel Drive begins, between Southside Drive and the parking lot for Cook’s Meadow Loop. You can catch Half Dome’s reflection in the Merced River, and this location is also the perfect place to capture Half Dome at sunset.
El Capitan
Similar to Half Dome, you can capture El Capitan from almost anywhere within the park, it is the largest exposed wall of granite in the world after all. To get a little more creative, I recommend trying to frame the monolith from within the trees! Walk east along Northside Drive from the El Capitan Picnic Area (please be careful!) to see if you can frame your shot!
Yosemite Chapel
Yosemite Chapel is the oldest building in Yosemite Valley and sometimes if you’re driving too fast along the valley floor (distractedly I’m sure with all the stellar views!) you can easily miss this little building. Park in the chapel’s parking lot and cross the street to capture the photo shown above, but make sure to take a walk around the building to explore some more interesting angles.
Tunnel View
One of the most iconic views of Yosemite valley, if you’re visiting for the first time, it’s always worth taking a shot here! At sunset you will see tons of photographers lined up, but there is a little ‘secret’ trail called Artist Point that you can take from the southern parking lot to a smaller, and significantly less crowded viewing point. Regardless of where you take the photo from, you’re going to have a stellar shot!
Ahwahnee Hotel
Built in 1927, the Ahwahnee is a perfect example of ‘Parkitecture’, the unique, rustic design that is synonymous with buildings within the National Park system. When capturing any building during winter, I recommend shooting the Ahwahnee after fresh snowfall. Take a walk around the hotel as well, there are so many great angles to capture and get creative!
Yosemite Valley View
The Merced River is naturally super dark so it’s also super reflective. This location is amazing to catch the valleys reflection within the water, especially right after a light snow dusting where it accumulates on the stones and plants in the river. I recommend putting your camera at it’s widest possible setting to try and capture as much of the valley (and water) as possible.