Swinging Bridge

This location is the Swinging Bridge in Yosemite National Park. It crosses the Merced River and is part of the Swinging Bridge Hiking Trail located off of Southside Drive near Yosemite Village. Park in any space you can find in the lot that has a short path leading to the bridge.

Yosemite National Park is always open. However, the summer months are most popular and the colors will be most vibrant at this time.

Shadows will be cast on the bridge from the railings at different times of the day. I snapped this image mid-day at 2:15pm when the shadow fell in a non-distracting place. Typically mid-day light is harsh, but for this shot it might be in your favor. There will likely be lots of people around, depending on how busy the park is when you visit.

Symmetry requires being centered, so try to position your model and yourself accordingly. Try to keep the model's pose or stride natural looking.

The lower you are to the ground, the less water you will see on the sides of the bridge in your shot. I used a 24mm focal length, but you may capture more of the scene if you use a wider-angle lens.

I recommend shooting at eye level or slightly higher to capture the depth of the bridge and capture the lines with diminishing perspective.

Go swimming, canoeing/kayaking or floating in the river! There are lots of hiking and nearby waterfalls to admire.