Instaworthy Photo Spots in Yosemite National Park
One of the reasons I desperately wanted to visit Yosemite is because of how beautiful the park was. I knew that there would be loads of amazing photo opportunities and well, if you know me, you’ll know that I LOVE photography!
We went kind of crazy and were up at sunrise most days and then going going going until after sunset but the lack of sleep was totally worth it. I mean just look at the conditions in the photo below!!! I can definitely see why elopement photographers pick Yosemite to shoot at.
Dave and I found some really stunning photo spots in Yosemite and then went back to our favourite ones a couple of times to reshoot because golden hour is never long enough. Our favourite photo spots in Yosemite were Glacier Point and Taft Point but there are also a bunch of other gems in the list below that you shouldn’t miss!
In guide, I provide you with a list of the best photo spots in Yosemite, along with the camera gear that we used and our settings for each shot so that you can start planning your camera gear packing list for your trip to Yosemite!
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Everything You Need to Know About the Best Photo Spots in Yosemite
📷 Yosemite in a Snapshot
📍 Where is Yosemite: California
✈ Where to Fly into: San Francisco International Airport (SFO) – Find FLIGHTS here!
📆 When to Visit: Best time to visit Yosemite is late Spring / Summer / Fall
🛌 Top Places to Stay in Yosemite National Park:
Yosemite Valley Lodge ⭐⭐⭐ 8.4 rating
The Ahwahnee ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 8.6 rating
🚗 Rental Car: Rentalcars.com is our go-to for the best rental car prices!
Reservations and Fees: $2 park day passes are required on some days between April 13 and October 27.
Park Permits: America the Beautiful Pass required
Park Hours: Yosemite is open 24/7, however certain restaurants and shops etc close during certain hours and parts of the park close during different times of the year.
📆 What is the best time of year to take photos in Yosemite
Yosemite is beautiful in different ways all through the year. We were there in Summer which meant struggling with the crowds when taking photos but we got fantastic weather the entire time and the sunsets and sunrises were to die for!
I’ve heard that Fall is a really popular time for photographers to flock to Yosemite because the crowds have died down and the Fall colours are stunning! Keep in mind that the waterfalls will not be very strong if flowing at all at this time of the year.
If you want to photograph the waterfalls in Yosemite, you should go in Spring or very early Summer.
In Winter, parts of the park are closed. You cannot get up to Glacier Point unless you snowshoe or ski which I would personally find disappointing because it is one of the best photo spots in Yosemite.
Camera Gear
we took with us to Yosemite
Don’t Miss This
Make sure you don’t miss any of the MUST SEEs in Yosemite: Read our 4 Day Yosemite Itinerary
Tips for taking sunset and sunrise photos
- Always arrive at least 30 minutes before sunrise or sunset.
- Bring a headlamp
- Wear warm layers
- Bring snacks – I always get SO hungry!
The Best Photo Spots in Yosemite + Our Camera Settings
These are my very favourite photo spots in Yosemite from when Dave and I visited in Summer. I have also included our camera settings and gear that we used for each shot in case you find it helpful when planning your trip to Yosemite.
Map of the Best Photo Spots
Click here to open the map in Google Maps!
Tunnel View
Camera: Sony a7iii | Lens: Sony G 16-35 f/2.5 | Settings: 35mm, f/2.8, ISO 320, 1/50sec | Time of day: Sunset
Tunnel View is one of the best viewpoints in Yosemite and requires no hiking, although the viewpoint is usually pretty busy all through the day. I think sunrise would also be great for photos at Tunnel View but we enjoyed watching the sunset there and eating our burrito dinner in the parking lot.
Glacier Point Road
Camera: Sony a7iii | Lens: Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 | Settings: 101mm, f/5.0, ISO 100, 1/640sec | Time of day: Sunrise
Glacier Point Road is a long stretch of road leading to Glacier Point, one of the best viewpoints in Yosemite. But the last bit of road before the parking lot is really photogenic! You can get views of Half Dome right after a crazy and very awesome looking curve.
Camera: Sony a7iii | Lens: Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 | Settings: 91mm, f/4.5, ISO 100, 1/1250sec | Time of day: Sunrise
Both of these photo spots are located just up from the parking lot. You will need to hike back up the road once parked until you get to the curve in the road with the views of Half Dome in front of you.
Glacier Point
Camera: Sony a7iii | Lens: Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 | Settings: 82mm, f/4.5, ISO 100, 1/160sec | Time of day: Sunrise
Glacier Point is an extremely accessible spot for photos. From the parking lot, it is a little walk to the viewpoint but not too far. Once you are at the view, you can walk up to the little hut for a fantastic view of Half Dome.
Camera: Sony a7iii | Lens: Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 | Settings: 100mm, f/4.5, ISO 100, 1/160sec | Time of day: Sunrise
It was surprisingly crowds at sunrise! We were shocked! But we managed to block most of the people out of our photos.
Camera: Sony a7iii | Lens: Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 | Settings: 62mm, f/5.0, ISO 100, 1/640sec | Time of day: Sunrise
Once we were done taking photos at the hut, we went back down the path and found this awesome rock. It was a little too bright at this point but we took more photos anyway because when I get in the groove I cannot stop!
Taft Point
Camera: Sony a7iii | Lens: Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 | Settings: 54mm, f/9.0, ISO 100, 1/160sec | Time of day: sunset
Camera: Sony a7iii | Lens: Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 | Settings: 40mm, f/9.0, ISO 100, 1/60sec | Time of day: sunset
Camera: Sony a7iii | Lens: Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 | Settings: 33mm, f/9.0, ISO 100, 1/60sec | Time of day: sunset
It is a hike to get to Taft Point but not too far. It’s 2.3miles / 3.7km return with an elevation gain of 354 ft / 108m. There are sooo many crazy rock edges at Taft Point like the ones in the above photo. Be careful though because the drop offs at Taft Point are very very scary!
Camera: Sony a7iii | Lens: Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 | Settings: 75mm, f/2.8, ISO 320, 1/200sec | Time of day: sunset
Superintendent’s Bridge
Camera: Sony a7iii | Lens: Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 | Settings: 28mm, f/4.5, ISO 100, 1/800sec | Time of day: middle of the day
Not only a good photo spot but also a great swimming spot! We spent hours here cooling off in the water and then decided to have some fun with the camera.
Cook Meadows Boardwalk
Camera: Sony a7iii | Lens: Sony G 16-35 f/2.5 | Settings: 35mm, f/3.5, ISO 100, 1/100sec | Time of day: sunset
This is a lovely boardwalk that you can do in Yosemite Valley. You can also just park right next to the boardwalk to get some photos which is what we did. Lazy I know. 😅
Sentinel Bridge Parking Area Meadows
Camera: Sony a7iii | Lens: Sony G 16-35 f/2.5 | Settings: 23mm, f/7.1, ISO 100, 1/200sec | Time of day: sunset – golden hour
Places that we missed out on but are on our list for next time
- Mirror Lake
- Eagle Peak
- Vernal Falls
- Sentinel Dome
How long do you need to see Yosemite
You can spend as little as 1 day in Yosemite to up to a week or even longer! The park is huge and there is loads to see and do. We spent 4 days in Yosemite which was a good amount of time.
Check out our Yosemite Itineraries to help plan your trip.
🌲 Is 1 day in Yosemite Worth it?
🥾 How to Spend an Epic 3 Days in Yosemite National Park
🎒 An Incredible 4 Day Yosemite Itinerary
⛺ 5 Day Ultimate Yosemite and Sequoia National Park Itinerary
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