Dogwood blossoms and reflections in the Merced River, from May 2012
The dogwoods are just starting to come out in Yosemite Valley. I was up there Tuesday, and saw that perhaps 30 percent of the dogwoods had new, green blossoms. A couple of trees even had fully white – though small – blossoms. Also, the cottonwoods are leafing out with those beautiful new bright-green leaves.
You want to catch the dogwoods early. The flowers last for several weeks, but they start to look ragged after awhile, and they don’t stand out as much after the trees leaf out. With the weather predicted to warm up this weekend I expect the dogwoods will progress rapidly, and many, perhaps even most, will be in full bloom a week from now. Next week or the following weekend might be the best time this year.
Also, there will be a full moon next Thursday, so let the lunar rainbow madness begin! You can visit Don Olson’s web site to see his predictions for when lunar rainbows will be visible from Cook’s Meadow and from the bridge below Lower Yosemite Fall. You can read my tips about photographing lunar rainbows here, and see what it’s like to spend a moonlit evening in Cook’s Meadow with 200 other photographers here.
Spring has arrived!
— Michael Frye
Related Posts: Tips for Photographing Lunar Rainbows; Lunar Rainbow Images, and the Upcoming Annular Eclipse
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 eBooks Light & Land: Landscapes in the Digital Darkroom, and Exposure for Outdoor Photography. 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.
I live in southern California and just read your current information on the dogwoods in Yosemite. I made a reservation in Yosemite for May 9/10 thinking that would be a good time to photograph the dogwoods (based on information I received from the Park Service) but I’m now fearful the blooms will be past their prime by then. Would May 2/3 be a better time, or will there still be plenty of fresh blooms on May 9/10? I do not want to be disappointed since I will be traveling to Yosemite with the express purpose of seeing and photographing the dogwoods. I hope you can give me some sound advice about the time of my visit. I was in Yosemite at the end of October 2012 and the autumn foliage was spectacular. I am hoping to see a spectacular display of dogwoods.Thanks for any information you can provide. I will be most appreciative.
John, there won’t be fresh bloom in Yosemite Valley on May 9th and 10th, so I think May 2nd and 3rd would definitely be better. They are early this year, so the park service wasn’t so far off, but I learned a long time ago to never trust non-photographers about things like this. 🙂
Michael — I’m the guy who interrupted your photo class Thursday afternoon around 5 pm to thank you for posting the info regarding Yosemite dogwood status. First, I apologize for intruding and hope it wasn’t too disruptive. It’s just that I had already resolved to send you a “Thank you” e-mail and, when I you walked up, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to thank you in person. Your information was absolutely spot on – the dogwood bloom was spectacular from one end of the valley to the other – which made my 5:30 a.m. trek down from Menlo Park well worth it. I little breezy, but even when the branches wouldn’t stop moving on occasion to allow the photo I was hoping for, it was well worth it just to be standing there taking in the whole scene. Getting to meet you in person, even if only for a few seconds, was icing on the cake. Thanks again for your blog and books – they’re incredibly helpful and a real joy to read. And, when it comes to Yosemite, you’re a person who can be trusted to get it right every time!
Bill, no need to apologize — it was nice to meet you. I’m glad you had such a good time photographing the dogwoods!