In the Moment:
Michael Frye's Landscape Photography Blog
by Michael Frye | Feb 28, 2018 | Light and Weather, Yosemite Photo Conditions
Clearing storm from Tunnel View, Yosemite NP, CA, USA
Storms have been rare in Yosemite during this dry winter. But on Monday evening a small, cold weather system moved down the coast and brushed the area.
I set my alarm for 4:00 a.m. Tuesday morning to check on the weather and see if it might be worth driving up to Yosemite Valley. We had about three inches of fresh snow at our house in Mariposa, but Yosemite hadn’t received much precipitation – less than a tenth of an inch. Most of the rain and snow with this system fell further west.
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by Michael Frye | Feb 25, 2018 | Composition
Sand waves, Mesquite Flat Dunes, Death Valley NP, CA, USA
Sand dunes are so much fun to photograph. They’re full of interesting lines, shapes, curves, and textures – almost as if they were sculpted for photographers. And they keep changing. Every big windstorm reshapes the dunes, creating new possibilities.
So when Claudia and I traveled to Death Valley last month to photograph the lunar eclipse, I had to make a couple of trips to the dunes during the day as well, just to fill my eyes and viewfinder with all that abstract beauty.
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by Michael Frye | Feb 18, 2018 | Announcements
Sunset over Yosemite Valley with Cathedral Rocks, El Capitan, and Horsetail Fall, Yosemite NP, CA, USA
I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be having another exhibit at The Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite from February 25th to April 7th this year. Called “Elements,” this show will include a mixture of new work and some classic images. It’s been two years since my last exhibit at the Gallery, so it’s great to have another opportunity to display my work there. It’s always a privilege to show my photography in this unique and historic venue.
Also, I’m honored that one of my photographs, Half Dome and Oaks in Flooded Leidig Meadow, has been accepted into the annual Yosemite Renaissance juried exhibit. This year’s exhibit features work by many wonderful artists, including friends Penny Otwell, Charlotte Gibb, Michael Gordon, Kay Pitts, and Kerik Kouklis. And I want to give a special shout out to three of our workshop participants, Kathy Barnhart, Fran Mueller, and Tony Siciliano, who all have photographs included in the show. Congratulations to Kathy, Fran, and Tony!
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by Michael Frye | Feb 4, 2018 | Night Photography
Lunar eclipse sequence over the Mesquite Flat Dunes, January 31st, 2018, Death Valley NP, CA, USA
As I thought about locations to photograph last Wednesday’s lunar eclipse, I kept coming back to the idea of putting sand dunes in the foreground. Dunes seemed appropriately lunar.
I initially planned to go to the Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley, but as the eclipse approached the forecast called for high clouds moving through much of the western U.S., so I kept a close eye on the forecasts. Two days before the eclipse it looked like the further south we went, the fewer clouds there would be, so Claudia and I headed for the Kelso Dunes in Mojave National Preserve.
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by Michael Frye | Feb 2, 2018 | Yosemite Photo Conditions
Horsetail Fall at sunset, Yosemite. I had this view to myself When I made this image near Northside Drive back in 1995. How things have changed!
Yesterday the National Park Service issues a press release announcing a new permit system for viewing Horsetail Fall. Here are the essentials:
– From February 12th through 26th there will be a special “event zone” between Yosemite Valley Lodge and the El Capitan crossover.
– During that time Southside Drive will be open to two-way traffic, with no parking allowed between the El Cap crossover and Sentinel Bridge.
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by Michael Frye | Jan 30, 2018 | Yosemite Photo Conditions
Horsetail Fall at sunset, February 19th, 2009, Yosemite NP, CA, USA
Horsetail Fall season will be here soon. The best light occurs from around February 16th through February 23rd. During that time, if conditions are right, the waterfall is backlit by the setting sun, while the cliff behind it is in the shade, creating dramatic color and contrast.
Before February 16th, Horsetail can get beautiful sunset color, but the cliff behind it is still in the sun. After February 23rd, the sunlight gets cut off before it reaches its deepest color. Of course the angle of the sun doesn’t change dramatically between the 15th and the 16th, or between the 23rd and the 24th, so it’s possible to capture good images of Horsetail Fall a few days before or after that window. But that period between the 16th and 23rd is, as far as I can determine, the optimal time. (See this post for an in-depth discussion about the timing of this event.)
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by Michael Frye | Jan 24, 2018 | Announcements
I’m happy to announce that The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite app is now available for Android!
The Android version has all the same features as the iOS app, including in-depth descriptions of 40 locations, the locations filter to help you quickly find the best photo spots for any month and time of day, detailed maps and directions, photography tips, and much more. And it’s all fully functional without an internet connection.
Click here to view the app in the Google Play Store.
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by Michael Frye | Jan 14, 2018 | Advanced Techniques, Night Photography
Lunar eclipse sequence, April 14th and 15th, 2014, Trona Pinnacles, CA, USA
In case you haven’t heard, there’s a total lunar eclipse coming up on January 31st. The total eclipse will be visible in central and western North America, Australia, and much of Asia. It will also be a “blue moon,” (the second full moon of the month), and a “supermoon,” (with the moon closer to the earth than normal, so it will look slightly larger). This page shows where the eclipse will be visible, as well as the timing of the event.
In North America the eclipse will occur as the moon is setting in the west just before sunrise. The further west you go, the higher the moon will be during totality, and the longer the eclipse sequence you can see. People in the mountain states should be able to see the entire one hour and sixteen minutes of totality, while those of you in the northwest could see (with clear skies) all of totality plus all of the partial eclipse phase afterwards. Unfortunately, the total eclipse will not be visible on the east coast of the U.S. and Canada.
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by Michael Frye | Jan 11, 2018 | Night Photography
Misty moonrise, Half Dome and the Merced River, Yosemite. 15 seconds at f/4, ISO 1600.
We haven’t had much rain or snow this winter, but on Monday and Tuesday we finally got a decent storm. Though the storm wasn’t as big as initially predicted, Yosemite Valley got a good soaking, with an inch and a half of rain. No snow though, as it was very warm. (This same storm dumped much more rain on southern California, creating devastating mudslides. This state has endured a lot lately.)
On the few occasions when we’ve had precipitation this winter, I always seemed to have some commitment that prevented me from getting out to photograph. But this time I didn’t have any pressing deadlines, so I kept a close eye on the weather, hoping to get up to the valley to photograph the storm clearing.
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by Michael Frye | Jan 3, 2018 | Announcements
The votes are all in and counted, and here are my top photographs of 2017!
We had a great response this year: 370 people looked through my initial selection of 35 images and voted for their favorites here on the blog, Facebook, Google+, and through email. A big thank you to everyone who took the time to look through these photographs and voice your opinions! I also really appreciate all the kind words expressed along with the votes. I wish I could respond to every comment and email, but please know that I’ve read them all and am very grateful for all your support. And also, many thanks to my wonderful assistant Claudia who tallied all those votes!
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