Dogwoods and reflections along the Merced River, Yosemite NP, CA, USA
The dogwoods put on an exceptional display in Yosemite Valley this year; it seemed like every tree was bursting with blossoms. Participants in my Spring Digital Camera workshop with The Ansel Adams Gallery last week had lots of opportunities to photograph dogwoods, and I was really impressed with some of the compositions they made.
I found time to make the image above one afternoon last week, with dogwoods juxtaposed against reflections in the Merced River. This is good example of the kind of small-scale lighting event I wrote about recently; late in the day the sun hit trees and bushes along the opposite bank of the river, creating multi-colored reflections in the water behind this group of dogwoods.
This past Tuesday was a showery, misty day in the park. My students and I photographed clouds and fog at Tunnel View early in the morning, then later captured Upper Yosemite Fall dropping out of the mist (see the images below). In the afternoon we looked for, and found, dogwoods in fog along Highway 41 (bottom).
While the dogwoods in Yosemite Valley are fading, they still look fresh and beautiful at higher elevations. Look for these higher-elevation trees along Highway 41 between Oakhurst and Yosemite Valley, along Highway 120 between the entrance station and Crane Flat, and in the Tuolumne Grove of giant sequoias.
The Glacier Point Road is now open, and the Tioga Road is scheduled to open tomorrow. The waterfalls are still going strong, though the flow will gradually start to diminish soon. While everything is early this year, it’s been a beautiful spring so far.
— Michael Frye
Related Posts: Light and Mood With Intimate Landscapes; A Beautiful Week in Yosemite
Misty scene at Tunnel View on Tuesday morning
Clouds and Upper Yosemite Fall, Tuesday morning
Dogwoods and ponderosa pine in fog, Tuesday afternoon
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.
Michael, thanks for the updates. You captured some beautiful shots! I noticed this week on the Yosemite Conservancy Webcam it looked like Yosemite Falls was pouring out of the clouds :).
Thanks Bill, and I’m glad YC put up that Yosemite Falls webcam. 🙂
Thanks dear Michael for bringing me back Yosemite Valley every once and while. Your photos touch me deeply. From Portugal with all my kindest regards, Isaura
Thank you Isaura — much appreciated!
Wow, the “Dogwoods” image is just stunning. It’s so reminiscent of an antique Chinese screen. Just terrific in every way. Sorry to gush, Michael, but I love it.
Thanks very much Doug! Gushing is okay. 🙂
Breathtakingly beautiful, Michael! A couple of my friends were there and mentioned they saw you and your students. I love that reflected light on the Merced, and I am such a sucker for those misty scenes – especially when those big icons of the valley are partly hidden.
Thanks Vivienne! I did have a couple of people come up and say hello to me during the workshop, not sure if any of them were the friends you mentioned.
Splendid images, especially the ponderosa pine and dogwoods. I also have filled my folders with new images. I had an amazing afternoon on Wednesday below Pohono Bridge. It was a giant softbox kind of afternoon with little wind! Your workshop participants certainly experienced Yosemite at its finest.
Thanks Hugh, and I’m glad you found some new dogwood images yourself. I look forward to seeing them sometime.
Michel,merci encore une fois pour vos photos.Vous êtes digne d’Ansel Adam.J’aimerais savoir si vos livres de Photos et techniques photographiques ont été traduits en français?Si oui,de quel éditeur.Encore Bravo!
Merci Pierre. I’m pretty certain that my book Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Great Masters has been translated into French. It’s published by Ilex Press in the UK.
Great images capturing great moods, Michael. As a student in your recent Spring Digital Workshop I can not thank you enough for the knowledge & “experience” 😉 you offered all of us. It was a memorable & intensive week. I only wish we had some of the misty foggy weather in your new images. We missed it by just 2 days! Best Wishes, John
Thanks very much John! It was a fun workshop, and it was great to meet you and have you along. I wish you had some of that misty weather too, but it’s hard to order that up. 🙂 Take care, and I hope to see you again soon.
After a while all the dogwood photographs start to run together, but the print buying public seems to like them. I like the golden water here. Adds a lot to the beautiful blossoms. Nice selections.
Thank you David!