by Michael Frye | Oct 27, 2011 | Yosemite Photo Conditions
Reflections of aspen trunks and leaves
Here are a few of my favorite images from our trip to the Eastern Sierra last week. These three photographs share some common themes: all have water, and reflections, and are more about colors and patterns rather than any particular subject. In other words, they’re abstract. I tend to see this way—to look for designs rather than concern myself with accurately portraying a subject. If the opportunity to photograph a grand, sweeping landscape presents itself, great, but if not I try to look for less obvious subjects, and sometimes get lucky and find hidden jewels. (more…)
by Michael Frye | Oct 24, 2011 | Announcements
Sunbeams From Tunnel View, Spring, Yosemite National Park, California
For the first time ever, The Ansel Adams Gallery is sponsoring a special print sale of two of my images at 25% off the normal price. These are two recent photographs that have never been printed before, and both are available in two sizes: 16×20 and 20×24. My signed, 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! The sale lasts for just six days, until Sunday, October 30th, at 6:00 p.m. Pacific time. Visit the Ansel Adams Gallery web site to purchase or get more details.
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by Michael Frye | Oct 22, 2011 | Yosemite Photo Conditions
Dogwood near Valley View yesterday
I taught a private workshop in Yosemite Valley yesterday, so that gave me a chance to check on the autumn progress. The big-leaf maples, which often provide the most vibrant fall color in the valley, are getting there; I’d say they’re about 60 percent turned. The best spots for maples right now are across the river from the junction of Highway 140 and the Big Oak Flat Road (Highway 120), and along Southside Drive underneath Middle Cathedral Rock (and directly across the valley from El Capitan).
The dogwoods are also changing, though not as quickly as the maples. We saw some nice ones near Valley View, aka Gates of the Valley (Location 5 in both the book and app versions of The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite), including the specimen at the top of this post. But there are still a lot of green dogwood leaves, so I’d say they’re about 30 percent turned. The dogwoods at higher elevations, along Highways 41 and 120, and in the Tuolumne Grove, usually turn earlier, so they should be looking good, but I haven’t been able to check them out.
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by Michael Frye | Oct 17, 2011 | Yosemite Photo Conditions
Reeds and reflected trees at Siesta Lake, Yosemite
Good news! Apple approved the update for The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite iPhone app today, so it now works with iOS 5.0 (or any version from 3.1 on). I’m glad that Apple approved the update so quickly; sorry again about the inconvenience.
Meanwhile, autumn has finally begun in Yosemite. Fall color was nearly non-existent a week ago, but every day more leaves are turning. Yosemite Valley is not close to peak color yet, but things are changing quickly, and I think we’ll see some great color within a week. In fact some of the maples are already completely yellow.
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by Michael Frye | Oct 12, 2011 | Yosemite Photo Conditions
Tree, Tunnel View
It rained in Yosemite Valley on Monday afternoon, but my private workshop student Dale and I didn’t mind too much. While we got a little wet, the rain generated beautiful, ethereal scenes perfect for black-and-white photography. To me the mood was reminiscent of those Chinese paintings with misty hills and trees, so I looked for compositions that could emphasize that feeling. Here are a couple of my favorites.
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