There is no greater valley full of spectacles on Earth. Yosemite is a mecca for climbers, adventure seekers and those searching for that Ansel Adams moment.
In 2018 I had the pleasure of traveling across the world to visit one of the most incredible places; Yosemite. Accompanying me on this journey was two great friends; Adam and Ferne, a pair of boots and a backpack full of photography and filming gear. The camera kit included; Sony a7S II, Sony a6500, ZEISS Batis 2.8/18, 2/40, 1.8/85, Sigma 18-35, Manfrotto BeFree Live, GoPro Fusion, Sennheiser Memory Mic and AMBEO Smart Headset and the Zhiyun-Tech Crane Plus.
After using the ZEISS Milvus lenses on a Manfrotto campaign earlier in the year (read the ZEISS article here and the BTS here), using the Batis prime lenses was the next step forward for capturing the landscapes in the Yosemite Valley. At the time, the ZEISS Batis 2/40 was just announced, so I was extremely lucky to have one of the few lenses on the planet with me.
ZEISS Batis 2/40
ZEISS Batis prime lens
Why ZEISS Batis?
As a Sony mirrorless shooter, using native E-mount lenses is the ideal combination for filming and photography. The quality of the optics is unparalled, combined with ultra-fast auto focus is a winning combination.
ZEISS kindly lent me the 2.8/18, 2/40 and 1.8/85 for this trip, it was my first time using the lenses and the light weight construction gave me confidence as I would be carrying them while hiking and traveling around the valley. Some of those hikes would be over a thousand feet elevation, so keeping the kit compact and light was paramount.
I was shooting with the Sony a7S II and Sony a6500, which gave me a wide range of perspectives and angles of view with the Batis lenses. The 2.8/18 was the widest angle I could shoot, with the 1.8/85 on the a6500 equalling nearly 135mm. This would come to my advantage when shooting the granite monolith Half Dome from Olmsted Point; compressing the landscape.
Filming and Auto Focus
Much of the filming I was doing was static (on the Manfrotto BeFree Live CF) or on the Zhiyun Crane Plus gimbal. Every day I would update the vlog with the a6500 and Batis 2.8/18, some of these were on the go, and the AF kept up with my walking and traversing across the landscapes. Tracking shots were a breeze, locking focus onto subjects that then moving forwards, sideways or orienting around them.
The Crane Plus handled the weight of the camera and lens combinations very well; mainly using the Sony a6500 as the AF is much more responsive than the a7S II. I personally prefer using a combination of the ‘Pan’ mode and ‘Follow’ mode on the gimbal. The ‘Pan mode results in smooth movement on the left-right axis, while allowing to create jib-style movements up and down; great for revealing a location. The ‘Follow’ mode is very similar, with the gimbal following on the tilt (up-down) axis and the pan axis.
Zhiyun Crane Plus, Sony a6500, ZEISS Batis 2.8/18 and Sennheiser AMBEO headset.
For more tele shots, making use of that 130mm equivalent on the a6500 was impressive. The stabilized sensor in the camera really helped with the micro jitters.
The video is in post, a continuing work in progress, believe me there is a lot of content from the week!
Getting some gimbal action; Sony a6500, ZEISS Batis 1.8/85 and Zhiyun Crane Plus.
Ansel Adams. Not Quite
Yosemite Village hosts the Ansel Adams gallery, and after first discovering his photography in a postcard book I picked up years ago, being in Yosemite Valley made me appreciate the history he made in capturing the iconic views like Tunnel View.
The incredible work that Jimmy Chin has captured, not only in Yosemite but across the world also spurred myself to “be in the moment” in this trip. Capturing film and photos was only part of the experience.
Tunnel View; El Capitan (left), Half Done (centre), Bridalveil Falls (right).
We visited Yosemite in October, so much of the melted snow and ice had dissipated. Yosemite Falls were completely dry, and the Mist Trail and Vernal Falls were more of a trickle.
Vernal Falls on the Mist Trail
Immersive 360 With The GoPro Fusion
GoPro were on board with this interesting project, allowing me to capture the expanse of Yosemite in 360 degree photos and video. Fusion camera had been out for a while, but this was my first venture into capturing 360 content on the go.
The camera itself follows suit in design and operation as other GoPro cameras; minimal menu design and control on the camera itself, with the GoPro app providing further setting adjustments and previews of the 360 degree environment. The in-app stitching also gave me the ability to create immersive images with no laptop or computer, which was great for sharing on social.
The GoPro Fusion has now been surpassed by the GoPro MAX 360 camera, which features HyperSmooth stabilization, TimeWarp and SuperView features in 5.6K.
Steady As A Rock
The Manfrotto BeFree Live CF tripod was the ideal travel companion for this adventure. Light enough to strap onto a backpack and quick to set up for those fast fading sunsets. The legs can be quickly adjusted with the quick locks; great for uneven ground, and the video head makes for smooth panning and tilting. The video head takes the standard baseplate, which is especially handy if you have other video heads from Manfrotto.
Shooting wide angle, long exposure shots at Glacier Point
Half Dome from Glacier Point
We spent a night at Glacier Point, which overlooks the valley and Half Dome. Despite the full moon illuminating the night sky, long exposure photos like the one above wouldn’t have been possible without the BeFree Live CF.
Half Dome and Merced River on Sentinel Bridge
From researching, watching and admiring so many photographers and filmmakers take on Yosemite, it was important for me to have my own take on this. The iconic views or ‘Instagram worthy’ shots went out the window when I was there; the trip needed to mean more than that.
It was the moments spent at camp relaxing, the off track shots, or times when I just pointed the camera and created a memory. The ZEISS Batis lenses allowed me to do just that; pick up the camera and shoot. The magical ZEISS pop was prevalent in a number of the shots that I took, and the flexibility across focal lengths gave me so much choice when shooting.
I felt that the Batis 2/40 gave the ideal angle of view for the landscape shots. We were doing a lot of moving, every day a new location, hike or drive, so from wide angles to the glowing sunsets, the AF kept up with that speed which was often point and shoot style.
A lot of the landscape shots were taken with a narrow aperture of F/11 +, but in lower light I was able to open the aperture right up to F/2.8 or wider and still achieve crystal sharp shots.
Sunset on Taft Point
What has capturing Yosemite meant to me?
As a personal project, standing on top of Taft Point at sunset overlooking the valley and El Capitan has put the scale of the world into perspective. Without the help of all of the brands involved, and my travel friends Adam and Ferne (who put up with numerous stops along the way and many requests for BTS photos (photo credits to them both respectively)), I couldn’t have captured this adventure.
Thank you.
Adam, Adam and Ferne at Tunnel View, Yosemite.
“Yosemite Valley, to me, is always a sunrise, a glitter of green and golden wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space.”
Equipment Used - More blogs to come!
Watch this space for detailed blogs and reviews of the GoPro Fusion, Manfrotto BeFree Live, Sennheiser Memory Mic and Zhiyun Crane Plus.
ZEISS Batis 2.8/18, 2/40, 1.8/85
GoPro Fusion (now replaced by the GoPro MAX)
Interested in traveling to Yosemite?
We flew with BA to San Fransisco and stayed in an AirBnB in Oakland for two nights. The camping kit we hired was from Sports Basement (Berkley), I 100% recommend them for your hires, and the store is incredible.
Our Ford Edge was hired through Hertz, and we travelled over 1000 miles in it.
Our first five nights was spent at Lower Pines Campground, with our sixth night at Upper Pines. We had planned to camp at May Lake but the campground was closed due to weather warnings. Make sure you book 6 months in advance when the booking system opens!
Yosemite Village Store has everything you’ll need for a weeks stay food wise, and there is always great pizza and beer available at Camp Curry (was Half Dome Village).
San Francisco
We also had a number of days in San Francisco before heading home, so of course we saw the sights of Pier 37, Mission and the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge.
Want to learn more?
Please do get in touch if you want to learn more about the trip, the kit, the filming and photography. You can connect with me on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook. I look forward to it.
For production or commisioning enquiries, visit the contact page to get in touch.