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Pictures like this taken by Watkins in the 1870s helped draw attention to Yosemite. This specific picture shows the falls, a very popular subject during the late 1800s.

This was only one of Carleton Watkins' many images of Yosemite. Photos similar to these convinced people that California was a natural paradise.

Carleton Watkins was known to be Charles Weed's rival in photography at the time, and was the second person to brave Yosemite. With a newly created custom camera, Watkins focused on similar structures to Weed, such as the mountains and falls.

Images like this one were a little different from Weed's focus solely on nature. Watkins and Weed's photography together contributed to the different ways people saw Yosemite as Watkins expanded his subject matter.

Pictures like this were very popular at the time, with Cathedral Rock still being a well-photographed area. With new types of camera and support equipment, Watkins was able to get many views from up high, along with panoramas.

Images such as this one displayed Watkins' skill with his new types of cameras. He was able to obtain many high up photos, making his pictures quite cutting edge for the time while he became a worthy rival for Weed.

This photo is one of the first images ever taken of Yosemite by Charles Leander Weed. Weed used this image, despite the fact that he as the photographer was largely forgotten, to begin the nation's attraction to the wilderness of Yosemite.

Weed continued his photography into the 1860s, focusing largely on the falls which made him famous. He did however favor Mirror Lake, using the water as a reflective surface in general in his images.

On Weed's second trip into Yosemite, he obtained another set of impressive photos. These photos were still printed as albumen prints, but were now gold-toned, and richer than previous flat-looking salt prints.

As part of Weed's second trip into Yosemite, he took this photo of the South Dome. This is still one of the most photographed areas of Yosemite.