Outdoor Photography How To

Here’s a fun and revealing behind-the-scenes video shot by nature and landscape photographer Thomas Heaton. In the four-minute clip, Heaton walks you through one of his recent shoots in Yosemite Valley, showing you the steps he took to make a gorgeous image.

Spoiler alert: he arrived just before sunrise to beat the crowds and get the best light and then waded into the river with his backpack on and his tripod slung over his shoulder. The result though is a beautiful photo, so it seems like it was worth it.

Heaton’s time at Yosemite wasn’t perfect though. In a blog post about his trip, he noted that while Yosemite Valley was stunningly beautiful it was also “one of the worst places” he had ever visited as a photographer.

“I have been to busy locations before, but none like this,” he writes. “I have never had to queue for a spot to put my tripod before and I have never had to sit in traffic, watching as the light falls behind the trees, knowing that there is a perfect shot just meters down the road… if only I could get there, how am I in gridlock traffic in one of the most beautiful places on earth.”

For better vibes on Yosemite as a photo destination, check out Heaton’s clip below.

(Via Reddit)