Let a Camera Be Your Eye
The photo walk is both a history lesson and a workshop. Bateman explains how young Adams was an aspiring concert pianist before he became a legendary photographer and park conservationist. She advises on technical matters--which filters are best for what kind of light, how to adjust shutter speed and aperture. And she passes on familiar but often overlooked tips--the "magic" hours are right before and after sunrise; a polarized filter will cut glare; shoot in shade when the light is harsh. "Don't become reliant on your zoom lens! If you can walk up to it, walk up to it!" she calls out to students.
After the walk, Bateman invites her students back to the gallery and hands out a park map highlighting places where Adams shot his most memorable images. "You're standing in the place where he was standing and looking through the lens like he did, and it's just this rush of emotion," she gushes. "It's so amazing!" Her students, some of whom are pulling out wallets to buy photo books and photo equipment, enthusiastically agree.
LOCAL FAVE
"Park above 9,000 feet elevation at the base of Gaylor Peak. The dividends are instant. Without expending any energy, you're already within prime country for photographs. It's just a 20-minute climb to the top. You can see roughly 80 percent of the mountaintops in Yosemite."
MARC SOARES, author of 100 Hikes in Yosemite National Park, pictured with his wife, Patricia
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