What an ADVENTURE!!! I had the great pleasure of traveling to Yosemite National Park last week and spent 5 amazing days filming there for work! The project I was working on was to film SANDMARC's upcoming Fall commercial, focusing on
launching a few new products and highlighting a few of our bestsellers.
While I had been there a few times before for fun, filming at Yosemite was an entirely different experience this time a
round. The cinematic backgrounds, lush foliage, and of course the unbridled wildness of the park had me absolutely spell bounded.
How I Prepared Knowing how these outdoor shoots go, I knew I needed to pack my camera bag very efficiently while also being prepared the unexpected hurdles being out in the open usually brings.
As always, I brought my lightweight tripod, BMPCC 4k, external Battery pack (3 Hours of Charge!), back up small batteries, ND filter, and a few different lenses. My camera backpack at this point was getting heavy, but then I had to pack the SANDMARC products on top pf that! It was a tad heavier than I expected but I did manage, even when hiking and navigating unstable terrain like rocks and fall trees.
My number one suggestion if you want to film at Yosemite, is to have your locations ironed out beforehand. Because of how the Valley is situated, the sun crests the Mountains very briefly. While this makes for stunning sunrises and sunsets, bathing the area in a heavenly glow, in matter of minutes it will be over. Making it either too bright or too dark as the sun is completely hidden from sight.
You need to make sure you plan on what spots you want to hit sunrise and sunset because you'll want to stake out your spot a head of time to get a clear view of your surroundings. Lucky for us, the park was pretty empty in the early mornings, making I extremely easy to get some of our most beautiful shots. At sunset, it was always more crowded, but not unbearable. As a long as you are polite everyone will respect your shot. Yosemite visitors were all very kind and respectful.
Of course, you'll want a mood board to refer back throughout the shoot. It really kept me grounded as I was bombarded by the sights and energy of each location. Having a mood board will keep you grounded while you create, keeping the tone pf the work the same and understanding the essence of entire piece. Filming at the Park
Waking up early is a MUST! Like I mentioned earlier, you want the Sunrises and Sunset light. This is going to give the softest, most directional light, perfect for creating depth and drama in your shots. Yes, I did film during the day too, but that was only when there was shade or tree cover where the sun overhead was not seen.
Another must, is to bring extra batteries or a large external battery. Time FLIES by in a place like that, and if you overshoot like I do, you need to be ready when your camera starts to die.
If you are outside, you'll also want a great ND filter. Basically, acting as "sunglasses" for your camera, you will prevent blown out skies and highlights, adjust to appropriate shutter speed., and be able to get the correct depth of field you want for your shot.
Link to ND filter I got: https://a.co/d/13kH5js
I used the SANDMARC Tripod- Pro edition for my BMPCC 4k, and it was comfortably mounted for the entirety of the shoot. I was also able to mount the Cinema Slider on top of the Tripod and then my BMPCC on top of that! Very useful!!
Another tip I would give is watch a lot of travel vlogs of people visiting Yosemite beforehand! I did not have the luxury of location scouting weeks before, so watching videos of creators navigating and setting up really gave me a lot of insight on how it would be like on the day.
Of course, there were some setbacks along the way too. One being the waterfalls drying out and Glacier Point being closed for the season. While not deal breakers, it was disappointing. Flexibility came in handy when dealt those blows, and the others and I quickly picked different locations to make up for the lack of those particular shots. I think having those back up locations really kept moral high, and made us super-efficient, as we did not lose any time scrambling to see where else we could shoot with the fleeting daylight.
Place's I filmed:
Cooke's Meadow Yosemite Valley View Tunnel View El Capitan Meadow Lower Yosemite Falls Mirror Lake
Favorite spot:
Yosemite Valley View
PROs vs CONs of YOSEMITE
Pros Stunning scenery: Really easy to capture the cinematic feel in your
video because the landmarks are just so iconic and grand.
Sunrise/ Sunset: The golden light looks breathtaking in the wild. Almost heavenly as it filters through the trees and illuminates the mountains.
Space to create: Because the park is so vast, I had ample places to create and move around in the location.
Cons
Light is fleeting: Because you are in a valley, the light is going to come out from the mountains and then back under. That means, there is a smaller time frame to capture golden hour. Definitely takes a little finessing and a grasp n timing. Not a deal breaker but really important to account for.
Other visitors may get in shot : When we were out shooting, there were a few locations where I had to be careful not to get people in the background. While the park was not crowded, I was always aware of my surroundings and making sure to shoot where no one was or shoot with a shallow depth of field.
Gear gets heavy: Hiking with gear can be a hassle. Some of our laions required a bit of hiking and unless you are prepared for that trek, it can dampen the mood. I highly recommend getting used to the feeling of hoofing it with a full backpack, so you know what to expect. Mindset is key for these types of shoots, and you do not want to feel tired and frustrated when you finally are ready to shoot.
Unexpected Locations!
Don't be afraid to look for more locations during your spare time. Once you've shot the scenes you've scheduled, keep an eye out for places of the beaten path! For example, one of my favorite places to explore was a river behind our hotel! Obviously, we were careful as we explored (and respectful to the nearby foliage) but it was one of my favorite places to create in.
Also, finding time to NOT create is very helpful too! We were able to explore a "secret tunnel" location during our free time at the park and were able to really reconnect to the beauty of Yosemite. In between shooting schedules, I think these unexpected locations helped me drop back into my roots and give me a deeper appreciation to where I was.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Yosemite is quite possibly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. I felt so grateful to combine my love of filmmaking and nature into one project and will never forget the joy I felt being there. While it was a job, I allowed the energy of this natural wonder to fill me with creativity and peace, making it a very spiritual experience.
I feel eternally thankful for this awesome opportunity and consider this a huge milestone in my career. I hope to continue to combine travel and filmmaking into my career trajectory. It fills me with such a powerful sense of adventure and joy to meld my two great passions together.
Thank you so much for reading and I hope this inspires your next project! I can't wait to finish the video and share it with you all!
-XOXO Gabriella
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