The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite

This is a great book. It is filled with info that you can get great shots in Yosemite NP area. The author also shares some things he learned through years of experiences, like where to expect rainbow when you go shoot a waterfall and how to use polarized filter when shooting rainbow. All in-valuable information that I never see from many other more expensive photography books.You can also plan you photography activities around the Yosemite with the help of this book and make the best out of your Yosemite trips.I have been to Yosemite more than 6 or 7 time times. I have another trip this weekend. I really wish I have bought this book years ago.This is one of the best $10 I have spent. I highly recommend this book before you visit Yosemite.[Updated 6/8/2010]I actually received the book from Amazon on 6/4/2010. Went to Yosemite on 6/6/2010 and I am back now. I'm so glad to share with you that the information for this book is SO ACCURATE. I went to Bridalveil Fall at the time the book suggested, 1 to 3 hours before sunset, in order to see the rainbow in the fall. When I walked toward the fall from the parking lot, there was another photographer also walking toward the fall. I told him the book said there should be a rainbow in the base of the fall. When we got closer, there indeed was a rainbow. The book also said the rainbow will move higher as the sun gets lower. I waited another hour, and the rainbow did get higher. I finally decided to go to the rainbow (hesitated in the beginning since everyone came out there wet.) And that's the best rainbow I ever see in my life. The rainbow was so bright and vivid and it ended just 10 feet right in front of my feet. What a day and what a rainbow! There was another lady who standing in the water (from the fall), refusing to leave while waiting for her husband to get her camera.(BTW, if you want to take a photo of that rainbow, you need something to protect your camera and lenses.)I highly recommend this book if you will visit Yosemite National Park and like to take good photos. Buy and read it before the trip.

The content in this book is *so* good. Seriously. It starts off by providing a map with keys to help you connect the content further on in the book to it's geographic location, and then it moves on to give detailed descriptions of all these different locations along with the time of year they're likely to be at their best. The second part of the book goes into detail about Yosemite as it changes month to month. And then finally, it ends with this incredible primer on everything digital landscape photography, from file format to the characteristics of different types and directions of light.So the content is an absolute gem, as I saw it described in another review. However, the printing leaves a lot to be desired. The book itself is pretty small and the binding is very stiff, making it annoying to thumb through. It's one of those books that will spring shut unless you're really holding the page. Some of the pictures are so small they look like thumbnails.Overall, I love it and can't recommend it strongly enough. I just wish it was larger and on higher quality paper. I actually recommend this book to friends simply planning to visit Yosemite since the descriptions and visuals are so good. It really gives you an idea of what to expect and plan for.

I purchased this book for a trip to Yosemite in July in favor of the more recent edition because it was physically of higher quality. Being an experienced photographer, all I really needed was some guidance on the best times and spots for photographs; while this edition of the book may be dated from a pure technical standpoint, the fundamentals of composition and lighting have not changed. I found it to be very useful in planning the two days I spent there; Yosemite has not changed in the years since this edition was published- I found the guidance given by this book to be perfect aside from one spot being closed for construction, which obviously the newer edition would not have helped with either. Here is a takeaway for those of you reading this review - with the exception of Tuolumne Meadows which is beautiful in the morning, most spots look best at or close to sunset. And while summer is probably Yosemite's least photogenic season, there is one shot that you won't get in any other season - the Milky Way arching over the valley viewed from Glacier Point. Yosemite is beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed my two days there and this book helped me immensely. Highly recommended. And yes, the book held up very well!

This is a fantastic book. I'm a nature photographer, and this has been by far my favorite and most valuable print resource. Michael Frye is both an accomplished photographer and knows Yosemite very well. In this book, he provides specific information that is incredibly helpful to photography amateurs and professional alike. Each location entry includes directions, the best time of day, and type of light for photographing. In addition to general photographic information, Michael also shares advice for photographing some natural phenomena that are unique to Yosemite and seasonal highlights. Yosemite is a very large park. I usually make a few trips here each year, and this book helps me choose where to focus my limited time.This alone would be great, but it gets better. The book includes numerous photographs by Michael Frye. If you enjoy looking at nature images, you are in for a real treat. To say his photography is beautiful would be an understatement. I highly admire Michael's work and draw inspiration every time I view his images. Even if you aren't a photographer, this is a wonderful book for anyone wanting to see exceptional nature photos. The combination of extensive practical information and spectacular imagery make this a must have book for any Yosemite enthusiast.

A thorough guidebook from a photographer who loves Yosemite and intimately knows the best locations and best times to capture great photos! I loved the simplicity and the thoroughness all wrapped up in one. I'll be with me next time I visit my favorite National Park.

This little book is an absolute gem ! First point to make is that it is small - perhaps a little larger than the average wallet. This is great for tucking in a pocket as you get on the plane to California, or as you walk around the park. But what it lacks in size, it makes up for in content. The book is full of truly amazing photographs of the park. While this makes it a pleasure to read, its real strength is the clarity of the content and the way it is laid out. There are clear sections for each part of the park, starting with the Yosemite Valley, and working through to Mono Lake to the east of the park. Each has a map, which clearly identifies all the recommended vistas and has directions for how to get there, whether by car or a hike, and then each area on the map has a detailed page or two of advice. There is a certain amount of photography advice, for example on film types (this appears to be a pre-digital publication) and on filters and exposures, but this never becomes one of those 'ho hum' books that fill their pages with useless basic photography advice that any newbie would need and leave the rest of regretting having paid for it yet again. The advice is generally useful, for example the choices about exposure time when photographing the numerous waterfalls. One aspect I particularly liked was the best times of day to photograph different spots, for example catching a waterfall rainbow in spring, or whatever. Highly recommended - unless you don't know which end of a camera to hold, in which case get this AND a basic guide to how to use a camera. My only criticism - I wish it had a bookmark ribbon...

Great Guide to have if you are doing a Photographic trip to Yosemite. Gives a lot of good information, including sunrise and sun set times which are important to get some of the best shots of Yosemite.

An essential guide book on our trip to Yosemite. Gets you to all the key places at the right times. We captured some stunning pictures following the advice.

Perfect pocket-sized book, that gives simple and yet detailed guides on finding great locations for photography in Yosemite. Also giving best locations throughout the year's cycle. Plus tips for taking best photographs.

loved it hopefully he can get the right photo