I’ve encountered some problems in moving the blog from one host to another. I hope to having everything up and running again soon, but in the mean time, I apologize for the inconvenience. Please come back in a couple of days!
– Michael Frye
Waves and Reflections in the Merced River
Some great events coming up! Here are a few highlights:
Reflections on Yosemite Exhibit
The Ansel Adams Gallery, April 18 – May 25
I’m busily printing and matting images for this show, which starts on Monday. We’ve picked the photographs and layout, and I think it will look great. The exhibit will include lots of new work, as well as a few of my classic Yosemite images. Regular readers of this blog will recognize many of the photographs, but there’s nothing like seeing actual prints.
I hope some of you will get to stop by the gallery (next to the Visitor Center in Yosemite Valley) during the show, or better yet come to the reception on Saturday, May 7th, from 3 to 5 p.m.
Autumn Sunrise, Half Dome and the Merced River
How do you give your photographs impact? How do you convey the grandeur of the landscape in a small, two-dimensional image? You have to find your focus. I’m not talking about turning the ring on your lens—I’m talking about focusing your composition on the essentials and finding a strong design.
My latest article in Outdoor Photographer magazine discusses exactly how to do that. Titled Find Your Focus, it shows you how to communicate your vision by simplifying, finding focal points, creating depth, and looking for patterns. The article is scheduled for the May issue, due out next month, but it’s already on the OutdoorPhotographer.com website—a sneak preview. I hope you enjoy the article!
My next exhibit at The Ansel Adams Gallery, titled “Reflections on Yosemite,” opens on April 18th and runs through May 25th.
The show will feature images of Yosemite, a place I’ve photographed for over 25 years. Since my last exhibit at the Gallery in 2009 I’ve made a lot of new images that I’m excited about, so I’m looking forward to presenting some of this new work, as well as selecting a few of my classic Yosemite photographs to include in the mix.
Join us for the artist’s reception on Saturday, May 7th, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Gallery (next to the Visitor Center in Yosemite Valley). Early May is a great time to photograph dogwoods and waterfalls in the park, so you could combine a weekend of photography with a visit to the reception. Hope to see some of you there!
Steve Bumgardner did a great job with this latest edition of Yosemite Nature Notes about Horsetail Fall. And it features an interview with yours truly, as well as Ansel Adams’ son Michael, Tony Rowell, and a number of un-named photographers—maybe some of you!
If you haven’t seen Horsetail Fall in person, watching this video is the next best thing. And if you have seen it, this is a great way to show your friends what it’s like.
Ansel Adams was born on February 20th, 1902—109 years ago today. For his 100th birthday, in 2002, Outdoor Photographer magazine asked me to interview four photographers who had been influenced by him—William Neill, John Sexton, Galen Rowell, and Chris Rainier—as well as write about his influence on my own work. It was an interesting assignment, and I certainly felt honored to be included in the company of these outstanding photographers.
Bill Neill is an old friend, and I’d met John, Galen, and Chris before, but the assignment was a great excuse to ask them questions. All the interviews were conducted over the phone except Galen’s, which I did in person at his office in Bishop. Without exception they were gracious, open, and generous with their time. In short, it was a lot of fun—although editing the interviews down to 500 word segments later was a lot of work!
Sadly, Galen died in a plane crash soon afterward, in August 2002, so that interview was the last time I saw him. And I never got to meet Ansel: I began working at The Ansel Adams Gallery in 1985, shortly after Ansel passed away in the spring of 1984. But I almost feel as if I knew him because I’ve heard so many stories and read so much of his writing.
I think the article highlights the tremendous impact Ansel had on the way all of us photograph today. Here’s a link to a PDF version of the article, titled Ansel Adams at 100. Hope you enjoy it—and Happy Birthday Ansel!
Did you ever meet Ansel Adams? Has your photography been influenced by him? I’d love to hear about your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
I’ve been using Lightroom since Adobe released the beta version in 2006. Over the years I’ve learned many shortcuts, and in this video I share some of my favorite tips – things I use all the time to streamline my workflow:
