Yosemite!

Ah. Damn what a stunningly beautiful place!

Went there last summer and it just took my breath away. Unfortunately all I got was crap with some heavy color shift due to the film rolls overheating in the car. One day tough, I'll be back.. with a vengeance!
 
I managed to book a last minute trip up to Yosemite. My wife and I will be going in the middle of this month. You know, I've lived in California for over 7 years now and still have never gone, I haven't really experienced much of the coast outside of the Southland for that matter either.

I think I'll keep my photo setup streamlined, as I'm loathe to do lately. My s90 with a filter attachment with a polarizer, and a stylus epic loaded with TMAX 100. or

BUT are there any other fine grain film you guys might thing may be more dramatic for a place like Yosemite?

I checked on Amazon and, oddly, an s95 is more expensive than the new s100 at the moment. I'm experiencing a few odd pixels in my s90 pics lately, and I'm mulling the upgrade. But I wonder if that'll impair the filter adapter (the one that screws into the bottom), and the batteries and underwater housing I may have.

Anyone have a fave trail? We will be going to hike and enjoy nature for the most part.
 
Darkhorse said:
I managed to book a last minute trip up to Yosemite. My wife and I will be going in the middle of this month. You know, I've lived in California for over 7 years now and still have never gone, I haven't really experienced much of the coast outside of the Southland for that matter either.

I think I'll keep my photo setup streamlined, as I'm loathe to do lately. My s90 with a filter attachment with a polarizer, and a stylus epic loaded with TMAX 100. or

BUT are there any other fine grain film you guys might thing may be more dramatic for a place like Yosemite?

I checked on Amazon and, oddly, an s95 is more expensive than the new s100 at the moment. I'm experiencing a few odd pixels in my s90 pics lately, and I'm mulling the upgrade. But I wonder if that'll impair the filter adapter (the one that screws into the bottom), and the batteries and underwater housing I may have.

Anyone have a fave trail? We will be going to hike and enjoy nature for the most part.
Click to expand...

Good for you! I agree with your inclination to keep the photo gear simple, particularly if you're going to hike. For fine grain films for Yosemite, I'd recommend Ektar, although I personally prefer Portra 160 for color, and TMax 100. If you can find some Plus-X, you might give that a try, too.

My wife and I and several other couples will be in Yosemite later this month for a long weekend (staying at the Wawona inn just inside the Park). I'll be bringing a Barnack-type bottom loader (either Leica or Canon), a Summitar, a 28 CV, and my E-PL1 and a lens or two. I think the 50/28 combination works well in Yosemite. I usually bring yellow and orange filters.

As for hikes, in June I suspect many of the hikes involving waterfalls (particularly the Mist Trail up to Vernal and Nevada Falls) will be crowded; best advice here is to get up early in the morning to do these. Here are some other hiking suggestions:

-- If you're energetic and looking for an all-day hike, take the bus to Glacier Point, and then hike back to the Wawona Tunnel via the Pohono Trail. It's a little over 13 miles, mostly downhill, and takes you along the south rim of the Valley with spectacular views, esp. from Taft Point. We did this hike in 2006, and were tired at the end but exhilarated. Bring plenty of water. This hike is described in a Hiker's Guide to the High Sierra: Yosemite, The Valley and Surrounding Uplands, by Jeffrey P. Schaffer (Wilderness Press). I highly recommend this guidebook, and have used it many times.

-- Less tiring but still great view: the old stage road from near Bridalveil Falls, to Artist Point, where painters used to set up in the 19th Century. Not so crowded. You're above the Wawona Tunnel view site, but have a similar perspective on the valley. At Artist Point, there are some rock slabs were you can eat lunch and admire the view. This route is described in Tales and Trails of Yosemite & the Central Sierra, by Sharon Giacomazzi, which is still in print (interesting guidebook).

-- If you have time, I also strongly recommend driving up to Tuolumne Meadows and doing a day hike from there. The trail to Elizabeth Lake is about 2.2 miles from the Tuolumne Meadows Campground, and makes a nice excursion up into some of the alpine areas (Unicorn Peak, Cathedral Peak).

-- Another day hike from the high country is from Tuolumne Pass to Gaylor Lakes. I haven't done this one, but it's often recommended.

-- Or wander around Tuolumne Meadows themselves (they're very large). There's a store and a hamburger shack on the Tioga Pass Road at Tuolumne Meadows. Go mid-week if you can to avoid parking congestion.

-- My final hiking suggestion, if you want to see giant Sequoia Redwoods, is to park at the Wawona Store, take the shuttle bus to the Mariposa Grove (leaves from just outside the store), walk up through the Grove, and then walk back to Wawona. My wife and I did this walk several years ago. It's about 7 miles, mostly gradual downhill (after the ascent up through Grove to see the big trees). Again, a very pleasant walk through more forested landscapes. You come out behind the Wawona Inn, and it's a short stroll back to the store.

Have fun, and post pix when you get back!
 
One Day at Yosemite: 3/23/12

One Day at Yosemite: 3/23/12

I was able to grab an extra day at Yosemite during a business trip to San Francisco in March. Since I only had one day, I followed the advice of fellow RFF'ers and drove around the valley, stopping at various sites. Started and ended at Tunnel View. What a spectacular place! Can't wait to go back when I have more time...

6935357280_855b374b71_c.jpg
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90770016.jpg by KentWebb, on Flickr[/IMG] Sunrise from Tunnel View. Pentax 645N, 45-85 SMC-FA Lens, Velvia 50


52240010.jpg by KentWebb, on Flickr Pentax 645N, Same lens, Tri-X


18220033.jpg by KentWebb, on Flickr Olympus XA, Kodak BW400CN -Rated at ISO 200

7081377971_0cca363004_c.jpg
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90750008.jpg by KentWebb, on Flickr[/IMG] Pentax 645N, Fuji Velvia 50

6935355670_efc0f9ce13_c.jpg
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52260011.jpg by KentWebb, on Flickr[/IMG] Behind the Ahwahnee Hotel, Pentax 645N, SMC-FA 75mm lens, Tri-X

6935350194_fcf46562e1_c.jpg
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18220029.jpg by KentWebb, on Flickr[/IMG] El Capitan, Olympus XA, Kodak BW400CN, rated at ISO 200

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18220007.jpg by KentWebb, on Flickr[/IMG] Olympus XA, Kodak BW400CN, rated at ISO 200

Regards,

Kent
 
Excellent work, Kent! And another shout out to what the little Oly XA can do (and did, in your capable hands).
 
Thanks, Steve! And thank you for your great advice prior to my trip. It helped not feeling like I had to shoot everything, just stop when I found something that interested me. I was the only one shooting film that I saw that day.:)
 
Thanks for the tips, and thanks for posting all the marvelous photos!

I have an XA2, but find that the exposure really gets outta whack sometimes. i get more consistent results with the Stylus Epic.

We're pretty in shape, and we may have time to do a pretty ambitious hike. We'll arrive afternoon of the 14th, and leave sometime on the evening of the 16th. Plenty of time for some photo opportunities.
 
My grandfather took me on a camping trip to Yosemite when I was 10 y.o. We camped along the south fork of the Merced River. Great trip - we had a steady diet of trout.
 
Yosemite with thirty two 10-yr. olds!

Yosemite with thirty two 10-yr. olds!

Just returned from chaperoning my daughter and her 31 4th grade classmates on a 4-day camping trip to Yosemite! What a GREAT place for kids! :)

Here are just a handful of the 400+ images I came back with (the downside of digital... blasting away until the SD card is full).

The kids cooling off their tired hot feet after a long day's hike:
U14844I1338768552.SEQ.0.jpg


Morning at Vernal Falls:

U14844I1338768554.SEQ.0.jpg


Vernal Falls with happy kids:
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Merced River above Vernal Falls:

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Upper Yosemite Falls from Mist Trail:

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All were taken with the little Canon S95; a very useful little camera when one is trying to keep an eye on too many adventuresome 4th graders! :)
 
Good to see some photos from an s95. I have a ton of ND filters that could come in handy at waterfalls, I'll need to buy a step-up ring.

I hear the s100 has some sort of built-in ND filter, but tales of a lens failure error is making me stay away for the time being. I'll use my s90 until it fully dies I think.
 
The stick-on version looks cool, but I think I'll stick with what I have on-hand. I have a LOT of 55mm neutral density filters, which could come in handy when shooting waterfalls ESPECIALLY with the s90 whose smallest aperture is ƒ8. So, 49-55mm step up in the cart from Freestyle... still mulling what film to get. I'm thinking since I'll probably have a tripod I may as well go with a low speed film like Pan F Plus.

I'm very excited about this trip. My trips to the landscapes of the American West (Bryce Canyon, Zion, Grand Canyon) have always been very enjoyable. I've been to many places in this world, and nothing has been quite as impressive to me. If you're a nature/landscape photographer, and I'm talking to the entire world here, you must go to these places.
 
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