by Michael Frye | Jan 24, 2012 | Yosemite Photo Conditions
Clearing storm, dusk, Tunnel View, 5:30 p.m. Saturday
Those of you who live in California know that our two-month winter drought finally ended, with storms arriving on Friday and Sunday. Yosemite Valley received over five inches of rain total, and at higher elevations most of that precipitation fell as snow.
For photographers this meant that for the first time in months we had the opportunity to photograph clearing storms. Not only that, but both storms were considerate enough to time their clearing perfectly and break up just before sunset.
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by Michael Frye | Jan 12, 2012 | Photography Tips, Yosemite Photo Conditions
Moonrise from Glacier Point Saturday evening
In my post last Thursday I mentioned that there might be a good opportunity to photograph the moonrise from Glacier Point on Saturday evening. So Claudia and I went to Glacier Point that night, where we met lots of photographers. It was nice to see familiar faces, and meet some online acquaintances in person. Thanks to all of you who came up to me and said hello!
Of course in between socializing we all photographed the moon rising behind Half Dome. My favorite image from this evening is the panorama above (stitched together from five separate frames). If you were there, I’d love to see the images you made, so please post a link in the comments. And if you photographed the moon somewhere else, I’d like to see those images too!
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by Michael Frye | Jan 5, 2012 | Yosemite Photo Conditions
Ice with reflections of cliffs at sunset, Yosemite, January 1st, 2012
It’s been a strange winter so far in Yosemite. Actually the word “strange” doesn’t do it justice—try weird, wacky, or even freakish. No measurable precipitation has fallen in Yosemite Valley since November 20th. There’s little snow in the high country, and the Tioga and Glacier Point roads are still open. The previous record for the latest closing date for Tioga Pass was January 1st, so with every snowless day that passes we’re setting a new record. And there’s no precipitation in the forecast for the next week.
But, as always, unusual conditions bring unusual opportunities. You can find interesting ice abstracts along Bridalveil Creek and the Merced River, like the one shown above that I made a few days ago while teaching a private workshop. And we have unprecedented access to the high country in January, and a chance to make some unusual moonrise images over the next few days. (more…)
by Michael Frye | Dec 19, 2011 | Announcements, Yosemite Photo Conditions
Ice mollusk, Tenaya Lake
If you’ve been wondering if I’ll ever do another photo critique, the answer is yes—look for one tomorrow. Sorry it’s been so long, but it’s just been a crazy busy fall!
In other news, both the Tioga and Glacier Point roads in Yosemite are open. This is rare for December, but the weather has been so dry and mild that there’s little snow up in the high country.
Any unusual conditions bring interesting photo opportunities, and the cold temperatures combined with lack of snow means that there are some great ice formations along the Tioga Road, like this natural ice sculpture I photographed at Tenaya Lake about 10 days ago.
Also, I hear there’s some great ice skating up there on Tenaya, Tioga, and Ellery Lakes! There’s no sign of snow in the forecast, so these roads should stay open for at least another week.
Another item: congratulations to friends of this blog David Hoffman, Jon McCormack, William Neill, Penny Otwell, and Greg Russell for having their work accepted into the 27th annual Yosemite Renaissance exhibit. It’s nice to be in such good company! And an extra congratulations to Jon, who won a “Commended” award in the prestigious Travel Photographer of the Year competition. Great stuff Jon!
And another thing… the end of the year is approaching, so once again I’ll be asking for your help in choosing my best images of the year. Look for something within the next couple of weeks.
I hope you’re enjoying the holiday season, and not rushing around too much getting ready!
by Michael Frye | Nov 15, 2011 | Announcements, Yosemite Photo Conditions
The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite is now a universal app, built for both iPhone and iPad. The new iPad version takes advantage of the bigger screen to give you easier access to all the information.
Since we were able to make this a single universal app, this iPad-optimized version is a free update for those who have already purchased the app. Just go the app store on your iPad and tap on Updates. The app is fully functional right away, but hi-resolution images for the iPad download when you open the app and connect to Wi-Fi.
If you haven’t already purchased the app you can do so here.
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by Michael Frye | Nov 8, 2011 | Yosemite Photo Conditions
Reflections along the Merced River
Last Thursday night a weak storm brought rain and snow to the Sierra. Before going to bed I checked the satellite and radar images online, and it looked like the storm might clear by sunrise, so I set my alarm for some ungodly hour. When the alarm went off I looked at the satellite photos on my iPhone without even getting out of bed. At moments like these, half asleep, warm under the covers, I almost hope those little animated images will show lots of clouds, so I can just roll over and go back to sleep. But alas, it looked like it was clearing. I got up and looked out the window: stars. The only thing worse than getting out of bed in the dark on a cold morning is missing a great sunrise. Time to get dressed.
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