Pines, sunbeams, and mist, Cook’s Meadow, 6:13 a.m.

Yosemite got some rain yesterday. In fact we’ve had a lot of unsettled weather this month, with frequent showers in the afternoon, especially in the high country. Tioga Pass opened May 4th, but has since closed and reopened several times due to snow. The total precipitation hasn’t amounted to much, but every bit helps, and we’ve even had enough rain here in the foothills to keep the grass from turning brown – at least in some places.

I haven’t had much time to get up to the park and photograph the weather, but after the rain yesterday it seemed likely that there would be mist in the meadows this morning, so Claudia and I rose early and drove up to Yosemite Valley. When I say early, I mean really early. Sunrise is at 5:40 a.m. these days, which meant leaving home at 4:30!

But it was worth it, as it turned out to be a beautiful morning. I tried to follow the sun to be there when it first reached different parts of the valley. When the sun hit the moist ground and trees it generated lots of mist, but only for a short period of time. Here’s a mini-portfolio of images from this morning.

– Michael Frye

Oak and Upper Yosemite Fall, 6:08 a.m.

Half Dome, North Dome, and the Merced River, 6:24 a.m.

Oak in Chapel Meadow at sunrise, 6:43 a.m.

Oak, mist, and sunlight, Stoneman Meadow, 7:56 a.m.

Related Posts: A Good Year for Dogwoods; Snow?!

Did you like this article? Click here to subscribe to this blog and get every new post delivered right to your inbox!

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, Yosemite Meditations for Adventurers, 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 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.