El Capitan and the Merced River after a spring snowfall, Yosemite NP, California

Last Sunday another small weather system came through California. This one was colder – cold enough to turn rain into snow in Yosemite Valley toward the end of the storm. It was wet snow, and melted quickly, but it was enough to briefly etch the tree branches in white.

Seeing snow and mist on the webcams, I drove up early Sunday morning to the valley to see what I could see. One thought was to try and photograph dogwoods with snow. The dogwoods started blooming early this year, no doubt because of the strange, warm weather we had in March.

Arriving in the west end of the valley, I looked for dogwoods with snow, but found that the snow sometimes acted like camouflage. The white blossoms blended with the white snow, hiding the flowers. So I tried to find compositions where the blossoms stood out more. It actually helped if some of the snow had already melted off the branches, so the snow wasn’t competing as much with the flowers.

After photographing dogwoods for a while I noticed sunlight hitting the cliffs, so I tore myself away from the dogwoods and looked for a wider view. I ended up along the Merced River, where I could see mist and light on El Capitan, and a dogwood in the foreground (the photograph at the top of this post). This dogwood didn’t have much snow on it, so the blossoms stood out, but other trees in the middle ground still had a coating of snow. That combination worked well to convey the idea of a spring snowfall.

I hung around the valley most of the day, long enough to see a shower briefly coat the trees again with about an inch of new snow. After that additional snow melted, the sunset didn’t look promising, so I headed home. But, as always, it was fun to fun to venture up to the park with some interesting weather going on.

— Michael Frye

P.S. Thanks for all your support of Circle of Light’s new ebook, The Nature of Place! I know Claudia and everyone else in the group really appreciate all the kind comments people have made about the book. As a reminder, if you haven’t already purchased your copy, the pre-launch discount is still available for two more days. Use the code SIXVOICES to get the ebook for just $25 until midnight, April 21st.

The Nature of Place: Personal Narratives in Landscape Photography
296-page ebook with more than 300 photographs
 

Dogwoods along the Merced River after a spring snowfall, Yosemite NP, California

Oaks after a spring snowstorm, Yosemite NP, California

Dogwoods and pines with a dusting of snow, Yosemite NP, California

Dogwoods and pines, Yosemite NP, California

Cathedral Rocks and Leaning Tower, Yosemite NP, California

Related Posts: A Stormy Afternoon; Coming Home to Yosemite

Michael Frye is a professional photographer specializing in landscapes and nature. He lives near Yosemite National Park in California, but travels extensively to photograph natural landscapes in the American West and throughout the world.

Michael uses light, weather, and design to make photographs that capture the mood of the landscape, and convey the beauty, power, and mystery of nature. His work has received numerous awards, including the North American Nature Photography Association’s 2023 award for Fine Art in Nature Photography. Michael’s photographs have appeared in publications around the world, and he’s the author and/or principal photographer of several books, including Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Great Masters, and The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite.

Michael loves to share his knowledge of photography through articles, books, workshops, online courses, and his blog. He’s taught over 200 workshops focused on landscape photography, night photography, digital image processing, and printing.