Fall in California’s Yosemite National Park Photo Tour (November 1-4, 2025)

Registration is now open

PRICE: 

Early Registration: $849 NANPA Members, $ 1049 non-members by July 30, 2025

After July 30, 2025: $ 949 NANPA Members, $ 1149 non-members

If you are not currently a member, you may want to consider joining NANPA to take advantage of member pricing on all regional events (1 year membership $100)

Maximum number of attendees: 10

Last date to register: September 30, 2025

DATES:

• Saturday November 1, 2025 at 6:45 pm to Tuesday November 4, 2025 at 10 am
• TBD 7-8 pm (Eastern Time) (optional) Pre-event Preparatory Webinar for participants
• TBD 7-9 pm (Eastern Time) (optional) Post event Image Sharing and Feedback Webinar for participants

EVENT OVERVIEW:

Yosemite National Park is a Mecca to landscape photographers with iconic views immortalized by Ansel Adams. This fall join local photographer Franka Gabler as she shares her take on this popular National Park. While we’ll capture Yosemite’s iconic vistas, we’ll also focus on more intimate landscapes, such as trees adorned with fall foliage, serene reflections, and misty meadows framed by dramatic granite backdrops. Some featured locations include Tunnel View, Valley View, Cook’s Meadow, Sentinel Meadow, Leidig Meadow, Ahwahnee Meadow, Cathedral Beach (offering views of El Capitan and Three Brothers), and El Capitan Meadow. 

NANPA is an authorized permittee of the National Parks Service.

 

YOUR TOUR LEADER:

Franka Gabler
Franka Gabler, a native of Croatia, moved to California in the late 1990s and fell in love with the Sierra Nevada and California landscapes. Having lived in the greater Yosemite area for 27 years and spent many years photographing Yosemite, Franka has a deep knowledge of Yosemite.

For many years, she has been drawing her inspiration from subtle, moody, often intimate landscapes – compositions somewhere between abstract and the wider view, beyond mere documentation of a particular location. Expressing mood and capturing the essence is what she strives for in her photography. The light and atmosphere portrayed in her photographs often result in sentimental impact and ethereal feeling.

Franka’s photographs have been recognized internationally. In 2022 she was the overall winner of the Landscape Photography World Awards. In 2021 she received the 2021 First Place award for the ‘Intimate and Abstract category of the Natural Landscape Photography Awards, and in 2023 she was recognized as a Highly Commended Photographer of the Year. Her black & white portfolio “Expressive Yosemite” is published in Issue No. 159 of the Lens Work Photography Magazine. She’s often invited to speak and teach at photography conferences and submit articles in landscape photography magazines.
You can learn more about Franka at her website www.frankagabler.com.

WHAT TO EXPECT: 

The event orientation and “meet and greet” is on Saturday evening, 45 min after sunset. Sunday and Monday, will roughly consist of a sunrise/morning field session, a break for lunch, and a late afternoon/sunset field session. The workshop ends on Tuesday, after the final morning field session.

The itinerary for the photo tour will remain flexible, adjusting to weather, light, and conditions as they unfold. Drawing on her expertise, Franka will position you to create compelling and personal photographs. The goal is to spend a great deal of our time in the field exploring the landscape.

In Yosemite, the first trees to turn color are bigleaf maples, followed by dogwoods, cottonwoods, and finally black oaks.  Additionally, there are dormant grasses with golden hues.  Usually, the waterfalls and river flow are weak in the fall and grow stronger as precipitation builds up; however, there were years with significant rainfall in October, resulting in great water flow.

In early November any kind of weather is possible; conditions such as sunny days, storms and clearing storms, mist, fog, and snow can occur, producing diverse conditions for photography. Occasionally, an early snowstorm that coincides with the fall color can occur – when this happens, Yosemite Valley is magical.

NEAREST AIRPORT:

• Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) about 2 hour 10 min drive
• Sacramento International Airport (SMF) about 3.5 hour drive
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO) about 3.5 hour drive

EVENT TRANSPORTATION:

Transportation to and from the hotel and during the event is not included and is the attendees’ responsibility.

Car Rental:  A regular rental car will most likely be fine; but it’s advised to carry tire chains when visiting Yosemite between November and March, as chain requirements can be enforced at any time.

Ride Sharing:  We will be starting each day from the hotel. Ride sharing is encouraged to reduce the size of our vehicle presence and improve the traveling/following experience. You are welcome to either drive or ride with someone. This is also a great way to meet people and make new friends during the event!

Note that NANPA does not have insurance for carpooling arrangements and assumes no liability for them. Carpooling, ride sharing or anything similar is strictly a private arrangement among the participants. Participants assume the risks associated with this travel.

LODGING:

Our base for the event will be in El Portal, California. Our hotel, which is located along the Merced River, is just a couple of miles from the West Entrance to Yosemite National Park.

Check in: 4 pm Check out: 11 am

Lodging is not included in the fee, but NANPA is holding a block of hotel rooms for participants at the following rates:

• Mountainview Rooms: Includes 2 queen beds, kitchenette, and standard bathroom at rate of $159.00 plus 13.7% tax and $5 fire assessment fee per night.
• Riverview rooms: Includes 2 queen beds, kitchenette, fireplace, spa tub, and private Balcony at rate of $179.00 plus 13.7% tax and $5 fire assessment fee per night.
• Any rooms reserved for dates outside of the event dates will be billed at the hotel rack rate

A deposit is due at the time of booking. A reservation that is canceled any time after being booked until 7 days prior to arrival is subject to a $15 USD processing fee. Reservations that are canceled within 7 days of arrival are subject to 25% of the first night’s deposit in addition to a $15 USD processing fee. Reservations canceled on the day of arrival or are a no-show will be charged the full amount of the first night.

Details about the event hotel and procedure for reserving rooms will be provided to registered participants.

The last date to reserve in the room block is September 30, 2025.

MEALS:

All meals except dinner on Monday November 3^rd are on your own.  Attendees are encouraged to eat together with their group as part of the overall experience.

The November 3^rd group dinner, which is included in the event registration fee, will be at Yosemite Lodge, Mountain Room Lounge in Yosemite Valley.

PARK PASS:

Anyone entering the National Park will be required to have a park pass.  If you have an Annual, Senior, Military or Access Pass, bring it with you. If you don’t have one, please buy one in advance.

PHOTOGRAPHY LOCATIONS:

Your tour leader is familiar with the areas that you’ll be visiting, and locations will be based on what’s most photogenic at the time, wildlife activity, weather conditions, etc. These will be announced during the Orientation. In general, at the end of each day your leader will announce the location for the next day’s photo shoots.

We hope to be able to capture fall color during this event, but keep in mind that every year is slightly different in terms of peak fall color development because it is closely related to weather conditions, particularly temperature and moisture that occur during the growing season.

Some of the locations that we will most likely photograph include:

• Tunnel View
• Valley View
• Cook’s Meadow
• Sentinel Meadow
• Leidig Meadow
• Ahwahnee Meadow
• Cathedral Beach (El Capitan-Three Brothers View)
• El Capitan Meadow View

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE:

Please note schedules are fluid due to weather conditions, recent wildlife sightings and other variables.

Saturday November 1, 2025

• Dinner on your own
• “Meet and Greet” at 6:45 pm in the hotel’s Roosevelt meeting room for Meet and Greet, welcome, introductions and opening remarks by the leader.

Sunday November 2 and Monday November 3, 2025

• Photographing at sunrise until 10:30 am
• Break
• Photographing from 3 pm to after sunset.
• Optional: midday visit to Ansel Adams Gallery on Sunday or Monday; or image review on Monday, 1 pm to 3 pm, if a meeting room is available

Tuesday November 4, 2025

• Sunrise/early morning photography session
• The event wraps up approximately 10 am
• Hotel checkout at 11 am

HEALTH AND FITNESS

There will be no excessively stressful hiking unless required by the site itself. Most shooting locations will be very close to where we park. Some locations will require a walk. The length of the walk will be up to the participant and how much they wish or are able to explore, there will be photographic possibilities along the way.

WEATHER

Historical average temperatures for the area at this time of year can vary from a low of 25 to a high of 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

In early November any kind of weather is possible; conditions such as sunny days, storms and clearing storms, mist, fog, and snow can occur, producing diverse conditions for photography. Occasionally, an early snowstorm that coincides with the fall color can occur.

CLOTHING

The weather can vary widely, so bring clothing for both warm and cold weather (include a warm hat and gloves), as well as rain gear. It’s preferable to dress in layers as temperatures can change significantly and quickly.

Clothing for this time of year should include:

• Rain Jacket & Rain Pants
• Hat
• Gloves
• Hiking Boots – preferably waterproof. Hiking boots with ankle support are recommended.
• Wading boots or sandals – for photographing in the water.

CAMERA GEAR:

• Camera – DSLR or mirrorless, full frame or cropped sensor. Also, bring the camera manual should you need to consult it. Cellphone camera as backup is better than no camera and good for snaps of your group.
• Lenses – There will likely be photo opportunities for your full range of lenses, from extreme wide angle to telephoto and macro. We will use lenses from 10-400 mm.
• Non-abrasive Lens Cleaning Cloth and Wipes.
• Tripod – we will be shooting at dawn and twilight and light levels are too low to photograph properly without a sturdy tripod. A lightweight carbon fiber tripod with a ball head is recommended.
• Lots of Memory Card Storage – We use fast 64GB cards, good for stills & video.
• Camera Battery Charger and Extra Batteries.
• Sensor Cleaning Tools
• Polarizing filter(s) to fit each of your lenses.
• Neutral Density Filters, Graduated Neutral Density Filters
• Shutter Release – You can use a locking cable release, a wireless remote, or the camera’s self-timer (except in BULB).
• Rain Cover – For camera and lens protection. A camera rain protective sleeve may be handy.
• Laptop Computer – for downloading, processing and viewing your images.
• Image Processing Software – Good choices include Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or Elements.
• Back-up device – Such as an external hard drive.
• Flash Drive – For sharing images.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS:

• Small flashlight or head lamp – preferably with a red light, or cover with a red filter, to limit distracting others if doing night photography sessions.
• Battery-powered Alarm Clock/Watch – In case cell phone service isn’t available. It’s better to bring your own alarm than miss a morning shoot!
• Cell Phone
• Water bottle/snacks/medicine
• Energy bars or other snacks

GENERAL:

This event is designed for nature photographers at all levels of experience. This tour is open for 10 participants to give each plenty of time with the leader and to retain flexibility based on weather and the best opportunities.

For the best experience, please know your camera before you arrive, and bring your manual in case we need to look up something.

Assistance will be available in the field for those who wish to improve their photographic skills. If you already have plenty of photography experience, Franka will ensure you get to the best locations at the best times to capture those perfect shots.

Please keep in mind this NANPA Event is designed to be a photo tour, not a photo workshop. In other words, there are no formal instruction sessions planned, there are no assignments, you will not be receiving any handouts or the like. That being said, your leader Franka has experience as a photography workshop leader and is available to answer questions and give you guidance. If you need help, please advocate for yourself and speak up and ask for help – Franka is happy to help. Be aware that many of your fellow participants may also be accomplished photographers and may be able to help you too.  Part of the regional event experience is the camaraderie that comes from sharing experiences and lessons learned among participants. If you notice someone with the same or similar camera, perhaps they can help you with an issue you’ve been wondering about, and maybe you can return the favor.

Attendance and participation at NANPA Photo Tours is limited to registered attendees only.  Anyone wishing to participate in any portion of, or travel with a registered attendee during the group event must contact the NANPA office and pay the full registration fee.

RESOURCES:

• Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Event Cancellation and No Refund Policy:  

NANPA will not offer any refunds for registrations for this event regardless of when the cancellation is made or the reason for the cancellation. NANPA reserves the right to cancel any event or activity due to insufficient registration or any unforeseen circumstances. NANPA will offer refunds if NANPA has to cancel the event. It also has the right to substitute presenters if those originally scheduled cannot attend. Registrants may purchase event insurance as part of the registration process through NANPA’s partner, Allianz. More information on this option will be shown during the checkout process for the event registration.

NOTE:  If you do not purchase event insurance at the time that you pay for your registration, you will NOT be able to go back and purchase it with Allianz later.

If you choose to purchase travel insurance separately, you can do so with your own insurance carrier, or NANPA members can receive a special travel insurance rate through USI Affinity/Travel Insurance Services