Photographing Yosemite: Digital Field Guide

5.3. How Can I Get the Best Shot?

By taking your time on the hike and then exploring the shoreline, you can get some interesting views of Dog Lake. Bringing along the right equipment as well as adjusting your settings for the location will enable you to get the images you want.

5.3.1. Equipment

You have to make the hike to Dog Lake carrying your equipment uphill, so to keep your load light, just carry your wide-angle lens, some filters, and your tripod.

5.3.1.1. Lenses

From the southwest shore, a wide-angle lens in the 16-28mm range will work the best to give you a strong foreground element using the grasses or logs in the left foreground and showing the curve of the lake in the background. If you want to use the peninsula as the foreground element, use a midrange zoom of 35-105mm.

5.3.1.2. Filters

A polarizing filter reduces the glare off the surface of the lake, allowing you to see below the surface of the water and to use the grasses as a stronger foreground element. If you go early in the morning or later in the afternoon, the polarizing filter will also darken the sky and emphasize any clouds that may appear. Using the filter also helps add some contrast and gives more depth to your image.

5.3.1.3. Extras

As always, besides a lens, a tripod is the accessory that helps to improve your images more than any other. In this case, if you want to have everything sharp from the foreground grasses to the distant mountains, you need to use a small aperture to ensure the greatest ...