Autumn Sunrise, Half Dome and the Merced River, Yosemite – one of the examples in my latest article for Photograph magazine

We can’t control the weather. We don’t determine where trees grow, mountains form, or rivers flow. In landscape photography we have almost no control over our subjects, so we have to adjust to the conditions at hand.

Craft & Vision just released Issue 15 of Photograph magazine, which includes my piece called “The Art of Being Flexible.” I think flexibility is an essential skill for landscape photographers. Since we have so little control over our subjects, we have to be willing and able to react to changing weather and conditions, and try to take advantage of whatever opportunities present themselves, even if those opportunities weren’t what we expected. The article discusses this subject in depth, and includes several examples showing how to anticipate the weather and light, recognize possibilities, and take advantage of the opportunities you’re given.

Aside from my own article, I think this issue might be particularly interesting to my readers since it’s dedicated to the art of the landscape. I was thrilled to see my friend Charles Cramer’s portfolio in the magazine. Charlie’s images have such a beautiful, quiet luminosity to them, qualities which come through nicely in this portfolio. And I also loved Ray Collins’ portfolio of wave images.

Guy Tal wrote a thoughtful, interesting article (as usual) called “The Natural Landscape as Metaphor,” about our often unconscious associations with nature, and the healing power of wild places. This may seem esoteric, but it’s not. I think it’s fundamental. We make our best photographs when we feel connected to our subjects, and for landscape photographers that means understanding and experiencing wild places.

There’s much more, of course – more beautiful portfolios, more interesting articles (including a great one by David duChemin about “Audience” that should be must reading for all of us in the age of Facebook and Instagram). Issue 15 of Photograph is normally $8.00, but as usual they’re offering a launch discount of 25% until midnight, March 16th, making it only $6.00. (No discount code is required.)

I hope you enjoy this issue!

— Michael Frye

Related Posts: My Portfolio in Craft & Vision’s Photograph Magazine; The Power of Visualization

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: 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.