I spend a good deal of my education time dispelling the myth that Yosemite is a solely “wide angle location.” (Just so we’re clear, I acknowledge that Yosemite is indeed a great wide angle location.) But I’m afraid the implication behind most Yosemite wide angle assertions is that Yosemite is a poor telephoto location. In fact, I’ve actually heard well-intentioned advice to leave the telephoto home.

While the breadth of Yosemite’s vistas demands wide angle lenses, their depth is best captured with a telephoto. A good example is Yosemite’s most popular photo spot, Tunnel View. From Tunnel View, a single photo with a wide lens can include El Capitan, Half Dome, Bridalveil Fall, and Cathedral Rocks. Has anyone who’s ever been to Yosemite with a camera failed to come home with that shot?

Unfortunately, a too-wide lens also takes in a whole lot of much less interesting scenery. The cliffs left of El Capitan and right of Bridalveil Fall and Cathedral Rocks aren’t nearly as interesting as the scene’s primary subjects; the trees in the Tunnel View foreground can be a downright distraction; and unless there are interesting clouds, the sky adds very little (and often detracts, particularly given the profusion of jet contrails scarring the sky above Yosemite).

Given all that, and if we go with the assumption that it’s best to tighten an image down to its most interesting elements, we can already eliminate the widest wide angles from your Tunnel View arsenal. Instead, start with a moderate wide angle to capture the traditional Tunnel View shot (you’ll still need to figure out how to handle the foreground trees).

But don’t jump in your car just yet. Twist a telephoto onto your SLR, or zoom your point-and-shoot, and isolate the scene’s most compelling subjects. El Capitan and Half Dome are often capped with swirling clouds that become lost in the expanse of a wide angle view—a telephoto can turn these phenomena into a one-of-a-kind photo. And Bridalveil’s mist plays games with the wind that is best emphasized with a telephoto. Even lacking these ephemeral weather conditions, using your telephoto to highlight the textures and designs of Yosemite Valley’s granite walls provides an opportunity to create something unique.

I'm not trying to discourage you from using your wide angle lens at Yosemite—wide angle Yosemite shots have become cliché for a reason. But with the proliferation of photographers spawned by digital photography, it’s becoming even more difficult to capture distinctive views of Yosemite. In many cases, creative use of a telephoto gives you the best opportunity to capture unique photographs in one of the most photographed places in the world.

© Gary Hart