Yosemite in Film - California's Scenic Legacy

Yosemite in Film - California's Scenic Legacy

Ultramarine Photo heads to California for Yosemite in Film, a celebration of the state's scenic legacy, natural wonders and the traditions of film. 

Photographer Matt Haupt brings a diverse variety of development techniques and film stocks to the table including infrared trichrome, black and white, medium format and 35mm. 

The result is a tour of Yosemite National Park that is equal parts surprising and deeply reverent. You can practically feel the cool mountain air and smell the trees. One look and you'll be wiping waterfall spray from your brow. 

The first of many roadtrips for Ultramarine Photo, we are proud to be on it with an artist of Matt's vision, precision and technique. Flip through and enjoy his behind-the-scenes stories from exploring the park with his significant other.

Color film photograph providing a panoramic view of Yosemite Valley from Glacier Point, showcasing Half Dome and other prominent granite formations, with lush green forests below and a bright blue sky.

Glacier Point

"This is a slide film, Fuji Velvia, which they no longer make, at least domestically. It's pretty much a long-lost film stock. You can tell from the blue. With the clouds and the forest and the greens and the rock formations, I really knew that it was gonna shine."

 

Color film photograph showcasing the powerful Vernal Fall in Yosemite National Park, California, with water cascading down a granite cliff face surrounded by green trees and mist rising from the base under a bright sky.

Opus Magnus

"I would say this is my favorite picture in the collection, that's why I called it 'Opus Magnus'. This is Vernal Fall, it was a brutally long walk, along the mist trail. They call it that because by the time you get to the top of the waterfall you're just drenched from the splashback. It's a steep incline and a steep decline, so you have to be careful on the trail. This was made with Fuji 400 Pro. Anyone who's shot film will say this is one of their favorites, and they no longer make it. You can tell the difference by the saturation, the greens."

 

Panoramic view of Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park, California, showcasing towering granite cliffs, dense forests, and the valley floor stretching into the distance under a clear, bright sky.

Bird's View

"I wanted to show two views of this landscape, color and black and white. With color, it's very hard to control the contrast. It's more fun, but you run into problems more often than with black and white. You need very consistent temperature when you develop it."

 

Stone staircase carved into a granite cliff in Yosemite National Park, California, with misty water rushing alongside and lush green foliage, creating a dramatic and immersive trail scene.

Stairway to Heaven

"What's great about black and white is that it's timeless. It doesn't matter what year it is, it looks the same as it did before."

 

Majestic Yosemite Falls cascading in multiple tiers down a towering granite cliff face in Yosemite National Park, California, with lush green trees in the foreground and a clear blue sky above.

Yosemite Falls

"This was the first day. You have like a half hour from the gate until you get to the main attractions. There's a straight road that shows most of the landmarks along the way. I pretty much ran to this spot to make sure I got it in time."

 

Infrared trichrome film photograph of Mirror Lake in Yosemite National Park, California, with the surrounding granite cliffs and ethereal, pink-toned evergreen trees starkly reflected in its calm waters under a dark sky, creating a surreal and artistic effect.

Mirror Lake Trichrome

"This was another Trichrome shot. Two exposures with filters, one regular, just like the one with Glacier Point. I really like this photo, there isn't as much distortion or confusion."

 

Film photograph of a sparse forest in Yosemite National Park, California, with tall trees (some bare, some with muted green foliage) reaching towards a bright, hazy sky, emphasizing their stark forms and the texture of the ground below, with a dreamlike or ethereal quality.

Naked Trees

"This was on the Glacier Point trail. We stopped a few times in order for me to find a shot. My girlfriend was very patient with me. She's very supportive."

 

Dramatic sunset over Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park, California, with vibrant orange and red hues filling the sky behind towering granite cliffs and silhouetted evergreen trees.

Sunset

"There was a tiny little trail around the hotel. On our way back we spotted a few deer, we tried to photograph them and weren't very successful. But I saw this, and the sunset was starting, and even though I wasn't gonna the whole hotel I was gonna get the best of it."

 

A person is depicted in Yosemite National Park, California, holding a camera, suggesting a focus on photography and documenting the natural environment. The scene emphasizes the act of capturing the park's beauty.

Beauty in Nature

"This is my girlfriend. I gave her that camera and she took some pretty good pictures."

 

View looking deep into a dark, circular tunnel in Yosemite National Park, California, where the entrance is illuminated by light coming from behind the viewer, and the tunnel interior gradually fades into complete darkness in the distance, emphasizing depth and mystery.

Tunnel Vision

"This is a pretty famous tunnel. It's completely dark when you make your way through it. One of my favorite things to take pictures of is odd structures."

 

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Check out the complete collection of 38 photos, now available for licensing.

 

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