Coping Strategies, not just pretty pictures: Cottonwood leaves swirling in the Merced River, Yosemite NP, CA, USA

Cottonwood leaves swirling in the Merced River, Yosemite NP, CA, USA



Our country has endured so many disasters lately. The recent fires in California have been devastating – especially the Camp Fire that destroyed the town of Paradise. My mom lived in Paradise for eight years, and although I haven’t been there in decades, I remember the area well. I wonder whether any of her friends were still there. I’m sure her old house was destroyed; I just hope whoever was living there got out safely.

At least two members of our landscape-photography community lived in Paradise and lost nearly everything in the fire: Cindy Hoover and Erin Babnick. Please consider helping them out by contributing to the GoFundMe campaigns that have been set up for them: Cindy’s here, and Erin’s here.

There are many other ways to help; here are a couple of local organizations that need contributions. You can send monetary contributions to the North Valley Community Foundation, and gift cards can be immensely helpful to people who need clothing and other basic necessities, so if you have any unused gift cards you’d like to donate you can send them here:

Bidwell Presbyterian Church
208 W. 1st St,
Chico, CA
95928

It’s hard to think about posting pretty pictures when so many people have suffered such heartbreaking losses, but then I know that nature photographs can provide solace and comfort in stressful times, so I’ve included the photograph above in that spirit.

Rain is finally in the forecast for much of California this coming week. Welcome news!

— Michael Frye

Related Post: Rebirth

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