One day trip to Yosemite National Park

 

If you are in San Francisco, as you will see, Yosemite National Park is a place worth visiting or spending a day trip. Located in central California, Yosemite National Park was established in 1890. It is best known for its waterfalls, deep valleys, ancient giant sequoias, the granite cliffs of El Capitan, and a vast wilderness area. 

In December 2019, I was in San Francisco, California. I didn’t have much time, but as a photographer, I wanted to make an effort to go to the famous Yosemite National Park.

So, I looked for a day trip tour on Tripadvisor and found “Small-Group Yosemite Day Tour from San Francisco” by Incredible Adventures.

The reviews were good, and I got the tickets!

They took us with a Bus from the hotel in San Francisco very early in the morning. The bus was comfortable, and the people of the Incredible Adventure were kind. On the way, we stopped at a supermarket to get a snack.

The landscapes were fabulous. It was like in a movie: unbelievable.

 

Yosemite Winter Wonderland

 

At first, we stopped at Yosemite Valley. It was in December so I could see the famous Yosemite Winter Wonderland.

 

Sony A7RIII Camera, Sony FE 24-105mm F4.

 

Gorgeous, isn’t it?

On this trip, I was with a Sony A7R3 Camera with a 24-105mm F4 Sony lens and took the shots in Raw format.

 

 

You can’t miss exploring the reflections! They are astonishing!

I took many pictures thanks to the medium range of the lens, even at a considerable distance.

The landscape was in a high-contrast scene, and taking the shots in Raw format helped me get better color and exposure. The Raw format gives you more freedom to open shadows without exploding the sky’s lights.

In a high-contrast scene like that, the camera cannot make one exposure where both highlights and the shadow are correctly exposed. It would be best if you found a “middle way” and the best possible exposure for the picture.

That’s Bridalveil Fall at the end of December:

 

Tunnel View at Yosemite National Park

 

The next stop of the trip was the Tunnel view. We stopped there for a while to get some pictures.

 

 

As you can see, a medium or long-range lens makes possible a lot of options for shots of the landscape.

In this picture, El Capitan is on the left, the Glacier point with snow and Bridalveil fall is on the right, and the half dome is in the middle.

 

 

The sky was beautiful, and I had to take a closer shot of El Capitan, the official Apple OS X 10.11 Wallpaper.

 

 

The Food Court and the Forest Trail at Yosemite National Park

 

After the Tunnel view, we went to take a walk in the Park. We had about two hours to explore the Park and have some food.

At Yosemite National Park, you can find a food court for tourists in the middle of the forest with fair prices, but don’t expect much variety.

 

As you can see, the trails are comfortable for all ages.

 

 

The nature and landscapes were fabulous, but time was a constant concern. So after having some food, I went directly to the Lower Yosemite Falls.

 

 

Another thing you can’t miss to appreciate is the rocks, the big trees, and the ancient giant sequoias of the Park. You can also look around and find some opportunities for great shots.

 

 

The picture below is one of my favorite shots. I loved the colors and the lights on it:

 

 

I have to say, it was very tiring going there and coming back on the same day, but it was worth it. I do recommend it if you are out of time.

It would be perfect if I could spend another three days there, walking around and exploring nature. But for one day trip, it was a fantastic experience.