Photostudent2011
Sep 2011
My wife and I hired Pat for a full day. Started at 9:00am and ended at 10:00pm. Worth every penny. When you want that special photograph, you don't want to waste time scouting out the best locations. If the conditions are right, you want to get there fast, set up fast, and shoot. That's why I hired Pat.
Naturally, he showed us the famous valley landmarks. The day we hired him, 12 July was a cloudless day which is not much good for landscape photos. There was enough morning sun to shoot Yosemite Falls from several vantage points. He also showed us some lesser known places which offered wonderful photo opportunities. When the noon sun starts to wash out the landscapes, he took us into the shade for macro and time-lapse photos. Pat, being a professional photographer, guided me on both the artistic and technical aspects of composition, shutter speed, f-stop, ISO, and white balance. Great tips for how to capture unique action. I thought I was a pretty good photographer, but he kept showing me tips and tricks all day.
I liken Pat to a fishing guide. Most guides will show you good spots, but never their best fishing holes. Pat did. There is a unique rock formation astonishing close to a common gather area which looks exactly like a native Indian's face, complete with headdress. Pat showed us.
Pat provided the car, gas and snacks throughout the day. Because of the common photo interests, there is always something to talk about so the day went quick. We ended up at sunset on a place called glacier point overlooking the famous Yosemite Valley. BEAUTIFUL.
But here is the best part. The next day, when we did not have Pat as a guide, it turned out to be fantastic weather. Since we knew the spots from the day before, both my wife and I achieved the goal of getting postcard quality photographs that we will hang on our walls. As I said before - That's why you hire a guide. I only wish I could have found similar guides for the other parks my wife and I visited.