In the Moment:
Michael Frye's Landscape Photography Blog
by Michael Frye | Dec 18, 2016 | Yosemite Photo Conditions
Rainbow and Upper Yosemite Fall from Swinging Bridge, Yosemite, Friday afternoon
On Thursday night a large rainstorm hit California. The National Weather Service predicted minor flooding in Yosemite Valley during the night, so the park service pre-emptively closed all the roads in Yosemite Valley at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.
That was disappointing, since I wanted to drive up to the valley the next morning to see the high water. As it turned out, the Merced River didn’t reach flood stage, everything was fine, and they reopened the roads at 9:00 a.m. on Friday. By that time it was too late to drive up and catch the morning light, so I decided to head to the park in the afternoon.
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by Michael Frye | Dec 11, 2016 | Night Photography, Yosemite Photo Conditions
Misty night, Gates of the Valley, Yosemite
After a long dry spell we finally got some rain. The first storm arrived Thursday, and then a second, wetter system reached us yesterday. Altogether Yosemite Valley received over three inches of rain since late Wednesday. It’s been warm, with the snow levels near 9,000 feet, so there was no new snow in Yosemite Valley, but that warm rain melted generous quantities of snow leftover from previous storms, so the waterfalls are roaring like spring.
Thursday’s storm cleared after sunset, so at about 9:00 o’clock I decided to drive up to the valley for some night photography. I arrived to find plenty of low-lying mist, with the two-thirds-full moon lighting the cliffs above. It was really beautiful, but the moon was high overhead, making the lighting challenging. Then as the moonset approached things got more interesting. Some higher clouds moved in, and those clouds started to catch some color from the setting moon. I couldn’t see that color, of course, but the camera’s LCD screen showed it clearly.
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by Michael Frye | Dec 5, 2016 | Night Photography
Light beam, Milky Way, and arch, Alabama Hills, CA, USA
Landscape photographers usually work alone, or with a few other people. Even during workshops, when we might have 10 or 12 photographers in the same general area, each person is usually working on their own compositions.
But in our night-photography workshops there’s often a lot more collaboration. It’s common for groups of people to work on photographing the same subject, taking turns with light-painting, and exchanging ideas about how best to light and photograph the scene. And often the collective wisdom produces some interesting ideas.
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by Michael Frye | Nov 30, 2016 | Yosemite Photo Conditions
Clearing snowstorm from Tunnel View, Yosemite, 8:53 a.m. Sunday
The first snow of the season fell in Yosemite Valley Saturday night, so of course Claudia and I had to go up and see the snow. Getting to the valley Sunday morning was a challenge; Highway 140 between the entrance station and the valley hadn’t been plowed, and it was a mess. Near the old dam (the junction of highways 140 and 120) there were about eight inches of snow on the ground, and a single track to follow through the snow. We had to wait about 15 minutes while an SUV put on chains in the middle of the road. But we made it through, and once we reached the valley the roads were plowed, and the driving easier.
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by Michael Frye | Nov 28, 2016 | Announcements
El Capitan by moonlight, Yosemite NP, CA, USA
Just a reminder that the special Ansel Adams Gallery print sale ends tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. Pacific time, so you still have time to get 25% off two of my images: El Capitan by Moonlight, and Half Dome and North Dome from the Four-Mile Trail. You can see all the details about the sale in this earlier post, or go directly to The Ansel Adams Gallery’s website to purchase a print here.
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by Michael Frye | Nov 24, 2016 | Announcements
Cottonwood trees and fog at sunrise, San Joaquin Valley, CA, USA
On this Thanksgiving Day I want to express my appreciation to you, my blog readers, for all your support. It’s great to discuss photography with people who share the same passion, and your participation makes writing this blog fun. Thank you so much!
Whether or not you celebrate Thanksgiving I hope you all have many things to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!
— Michael Frye
by Michael Frye | Nov 21, 2016 | Announcements
Half Dome and North Dome at sunrise from the Four-Mile Trail, Yosemite NP, CA, USA
Just in time for Black Friday The Ansel Adams Gallery is sponsoring another special print sale of two of my photographs, at 25% off the normal price. The two images we selected for this offer are Half Dome and North Dome from the Four-Mile Trail, Yosemite, and El Capitan by Moonlight, Yosemite. I’ve posted these two photographs on this blog before, of course – in fact El Capitan by Moonlight was selected by you, my readers, as one of my ten best photographs of 2015, getting the third-most votes. But these two images have never been exhibited at a gallery or sold before.
My signed, matted, limited-edition 16×20 prints usually sell for $325, but during this sale you can get one for only $244. Or you can purchase a 20×24 print, normally $475, for only $356. This is a rare chance to purchase one of my photographs at a reduced price, but the sale lasts just one week, until Tuesday, November 29th, at 6:00 PM Pacific time. Visit the Ansel Adams Gallery website to purchase a print or get more details.
Here are the stories behind the photographs:
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by Michael Frye | Nov 20, 2016 | Photography Tips
Sunset at Tenaya Lake, Yosemite. It’s important to check the red channel in the histogram when photographing warm, saturated colors like this.
Every camera has default settings that seem to have been designed for beginning photographers who are handholding the camera. When teaching workshops I frequently dive into the menus on student’s cameras to change those settings (with their permission of course) to ones more suitable for landscape photographers working on a tripod. And the students usually tell me they wished they’d known about those settings sooner.
So here are six camera settings that I urge you to consider changing. These changes will make operating the camera easier, and in some cases might be the difference between getting the shot and missing it.
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by Michael Frye | Nov 17, 2016 | Announcements
A small waterfall in Yosemite. This photo was used for the fifth example in my Exposure for Outdoor Photography ebook, where I discuss using slow shutter speeds.
Black Friday arrived early at Craft & Vision, and everything is 50% off until midnight on Saturday. That discount includes Exposure for Outdoor Photography, my ebook about understanding the essential technical fundamentals of photography. The book starts with a comprehensive discussion of histograms and the different ways of adjusting exposure, then goes deeper by taking you through ten practical, real-life examples where I’ve used these basic principles to control the exposure, the sharpness, and the photograph’s message. Normally the book is only $5.00, but through Saturday it’s only $2.50, which is quite a steal!
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by Michael Frye | Nov 16, 2016 | Announcements
Ice on Shell Lake, Inyo National Forest; from the 2009 Yosemite Renaissance exhibit
This is a quick post to let you know that the deadline for entering the 32nd annual Yosemite Renaissance competition and exhibit has been extended to November 20th, so you still have time to enter. You can find out all the details and enter online here.
This is a great organization and competition, and the opening reception (February 24th, 2017) is always a really fun event. The competition is “intended to encourage diverse artistic interpretations of Yosemite.” I’ve been honored to have my photographs accepted into the Yosemite Renaissance exhibit a number of times, and always felt I was in good company with many wonderful artists in each show. The photograph above was in the 2009 exhibit.
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