Photographing Yosemite: Digital Field Guide

12.3. How Can I Get the Best Shot?

Finding the best light and having the proper gear can assist you in getting the best picture of Lembert Dome. Scouting out which location best suits you prior to the light being at an optimal point is useful. Nothing is worse for a photographer than seeing good light and not being able to get to a good location in time. So scouting and preparing are as important as carrying the proper lenses and filters.

12.3.1. Equipment

Depending on whether you are trying to get reflections or filling your frame with just the granite dome, a variety of lenses can be helpful at this location.

12.3.1.1. Lenses

For the reflection images in the river, wide-angle to normal lenses work best. From 17 to 60mm gives you the reflection and the dome within your frame. To photograph the dome and its immediate surroundings, lenses in the 80-135mm range work well. To fill the frame with just the dome itself, you need lenses in the 200-300mm range from these distances. Of course if you walk right up to the dome, these choices differ.

12.3.1.2. Filters

The two most useful filters for this image are the polarizing filter and the graduated neutral density filter.

• Polarizing filter. The polarizing filter darkens the sky and accentuates the clouds as well as removes unwanted glare from the foliage, saturating their colors. This filter can be especially useful in the afternoon as the clouds build up. Be careful with your polarizer. You are at a very high elevation here, and ...