Sunset clouds reflected in an alpine tarn, Yosemite NP, CA, USA

Sunset clouds reflected in an alpine tarn, Saturday evening. This was a spectacular sunset that seemed to last forever. Believe it or not I actually toned down the pink color – it was pretty intense.

My Hidden Yosemite workshop with The Ansel Adams Gallery ended Sunday evening, and since then I’ve been catching up on work – and sleep! The days are long this time of year, which meant early starts and late evenings during the workshop, but it was all worth it, and we had a wonderful time.

We saw lots of clouds, both before, during, and after the workshop, which made the photography more interesting – though we also had to dodge some rain at times. Just part of the adventure. 🙂 There has actually been a lot of rain in the high country this summer, which has kept the creeks flowing, and the small ponds and tarns full. In many years these ponds would be drying out and showing unattractive bathtub rings by this point in the season, but this year they’re still full and photogenic. We took advantage of this Saturday evening when photographing a spectacular sunset in an alpine basin. Winds made a nearby lake rough and choppy, but we found a smaller pond that was calmer, and provided great reflections of the colorful clouds. I put one of these sunset images at the top of this post; you’ll find more photographs from the workshop below, and that’s just a sampling, so I’m sure I’ll post more soon.

— Michael Frye

Sunset clouds reflected in a pond, Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite NP, CA, USA

Sunset clouds reflected in a pond, Tuolumne Meadows, Wednesday evening – a nice way to end our first day.

Sunlight on Lembert Dome, with Mt. Dana in the background, Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite NP, CA, USA

Sunlight on Lembert Dome, with Mt. Dana in the background, Tuolumne Meadows, Thursday afternoon. An intense thunderstorm forced us to change plans, so we headed to Tuolumne Meadows where we could look back at the storm to the east.

Mt. Conness, Polly Dome, Pywiack Dome, and Tenaya Lake from Olmsted Pt., Yosemite NP, CA, USA

Mt. Conness, Polly Dome, Pywiack Dome, and Tenaya Lake from Olmsted Point, Thursday afternoon. After heading further west to we found some nice light at Olmsted Point.

Creek cascading through a granite bowl, Yosemite NP, CA, USA

Creek cascading through a granite bowl, Friday afternoon.

Peaks, clouds, and an alpine tarn, Yosemite NP, CA, USA

Peaks, clouds, and an alpine tarn, Saturday evening; the beginning of a great sunset.

Sunset at a small alpine tarn, Yosemite NP, CA, USA

Sunset at a small alpine tarn, Saturday evening. As the sunset reached its peak color I captured a five-frame panorama, stitched together with the new Panorama Merge in Lightroom 6.

Negit Island at sunrise, Mono Lake, CA, USA

Negit Island at sunrise, Mono Lake, Sunday morning. A 20-second exposure blurred and smoothed the water.

Related Posts: High Mountain Sanctuary; Photography Weather

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Michael Frye is a professional photographer specializing in landscapes and nature. He is the author or principal photographer of The Photographer’s Guide to YosemiteYosemite 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 5: 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.