Reeds and reflected trees at Siesta Lake, Yosemite
Good news! Apple approved the update for The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite iPhone app today, so it now works with iOS 5.0 (or any version from 3.1 on). I’m glad that Apple approved the update so quickly; sorry again about the inconvenience.
Meanwhile, autumn has finally begun in Yosemite. Fall color was nearly non-existent a week ago, but every day more leaves are turning. Yosemite Valley is not close to peak color yet, but things are changing quickly, and I think we’ll see some great color within a week. In fact some of the maples are already completely yellow.
We drove over Tioga Pass to Lee Vining this evening, and stopped at Siesta Lake. This roadside pond is also a great spot for autumn color, since the blueberry bushes along the shore turn red. They weren’t at their peak color yet, but this is always an interesting place for photography, so I spent about an hour looking for intimate compositions along the shore, and found the zigzag pattern above.
We’ll be searching for colorful aspens on the eastern side of the Sierra over the next few days, so I’ll let you know what I find. Recent reports sound promising, so I’ve got my fingers crossed that we’ll find some great color. Autumn is so fleeting, and so beautiful, and we have to enjoy it while we can.
—Michael Frye
Related posts: Read This Before Upgrading Your iPhone to iOS5! A Rainy, Misty Day in Yosemite Valley, and a Quick Fall Color Report
Michael Frye is a professional photographer specializing in landscapes and nature. He is the author and photographer of The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite, Yosemite Meditations, and Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Great Masters, plus the eBook Light & Land: Landscapes in the Digital Darkroom. He has written numerous magazine articles on the art and technique of photography, and his images have been published in over thirty countries around the world. Michael has lived either in or near Yosemite National Park since 1983, currently residing just outside the park in Mariposa, California.
Thanks MIchael! It looks like the soonest I can get away is the weekend of November 5th. Despite your expert local knowledge, I know you don’t have a crystal ball, especially for the weather. Still, do you think I have any chance for fall foliage in the valley, perhaps based upon previous years. Also, should I plan on reserving camping or can I get something if I arrive early Saturday as a walk-in. Thanks in advance for your response!
Michael,
I will heading to Yosemite not this weekend but the next? Do you have time for a one day personal workshop on Saturday or Sunday?
Do you think the fall colors would have peaked yet.
Kind regards,
Chandler
Really nice photograph, Michael. I very much like the abstract quality of it, the frame filled with the combination of rippling reflections of the trees catching a bit of late light and the close-in reeds. The wide format works well here, too, I think.
Dan
For eastside color June and the Parker Bench area are at peak color right now. I was shooting there on sat & sun. I think things just turned over the course of a few days last week and should hold barring any wind or hard freeze. Best to get it soon though! 😉
Wonderful abstract, Michael. I like how the grasses and the reflections of the trees intercalate together. I’m hoping for some nice fall color next week! 🙂
Mark, you’re right – I don’t have a crystal ball! There’s a good chance that there will still be fall color on Nov. 5th, as things started turning late this year. If so it will probably be oak trees, as I think the maples, dogwoods, and cottonwoods will probably be done by then. As for camping, I’m not the best person to ask, as I don’t camp in the valley. In early November I’d say you have a pretty good chance of getting a site without a reservation, but I wouldn’t bank on my uninformed guess. Have fun!
Chandler, thanks for inquiring about a private workshop. Unfortunately I’ll be teaching my five-day Digital Landscape workshop that weekend. If I had to guess now, I’d say the color should be pretty good that weekend, but I still don’t have that crystal ball!
Dan, thanks very much – I think this is your style of photo! Glad you like it.
Cory, there’s great color everywhere near Lee Vining right now. I’ll post a report soon.
Thanks Vivienne! As I told Claudia, it’s subtle yet dynamic. 🙂
Hi Michael!
I have your Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite that I got a couple years ago for Christmas. Even though I’m not too far away here in Santa Rosa, I haven’t been to Yosemite for over 4 years. I am really looking forward to going this weekend with my girlfriend. She is going to see Yosemite for the first time! I just wanted to say thank you for all your efforts and the knowledge you share with everyone. I appreciate your passion and you have inspired me to shoot more and more.
I’m crossing my fingers for some fall colors the next few days….
Doug
Doug, thanks very much for your comments – I appreciate that very much. Have fun this weekend! I’m sure there will be some fall color.