Sunrise on a peak in the eastern Sierra, Inyo NF, CA, USA
I made this photograph yesterday morning during my first Eastern Sierra Fall Color workshop. It’s just so beautiful over here! We had a great time, and I’m looking forward to the second one.
With sidelight like this, a polarizing filter can actually lighten a reflection if it’s adjusted correctly. By lightening the refection and darkening the sky the polarizer helped to balance the contrast of this scene, and from there it was relatively easy to process this image in Lightroom using Highlights, Shadows, and the Graduated Filter tool.
— Michael Frye
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Michael Frye is a professional photographer specializing in landscapes and nature. He is the author or principal photographer of The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite, Yosemite Meditations, Yosemite Meditations for Women, and Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Great Masters. He has also written three eBooks: Light & Land: Landscapes in the Digital Darkroom, Exposure for Outdoor Photography, and Landscapes in Lightroom 5: The Essential Step-by-Step Guide. Michael 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.
Very nice Michael. I was there last Sun/Tue. Agree with you on how beautiful it is. Some of my photos…
http://johnchico.smugmug.com/Nature/Eastern-Sierra-Fall-Colors/32824878_PZH8ks#!i=2843250927&k=dRsChcs
Thanks John, and I’m glad you were able to experience the fall color.
Gorgeous shot. I like the way you took this before the sun came completely over the hills and lit up the aspens. Just seeing the bit of warm sunshine on Carson Peak is so nice. My wife and I were there this weekend too. Such great color.
Thanks Kevin. It never occurred to me to wait until the sun hit the aspens, as the light would be much colder by then. Anyway, glad you got to go over there!
Hi Michael,
Beautiful image. You eastern sierra shots are always well executed and on the money. Any update on how Yosemite Valley is coming along in terms of color?
Thanks Mike. I just checked out Yosemite Valley on my way home today, and the color is great right now, especially the maples.