by Michael Frye | Mar 18, 2018 | Composition
Sunbeams and morning mist from Tunnel View, Yosemite. While photographing this dramatic light from Tunnel View a few years ago, I zoomed out wide enough (to 40mm) to leave some dark areas between the bright clouds and the edges of the frame.
When you compose a photograph, you put a frame around a piece of the world, at a certain moment, and say, “Hey, look at this.” It’s the frame that creates the composition, and it’s the edges that define the frame. That’s why it’s so vital to pay attention to the edges of your photographs.
It’s always a good idea to run your eye around the edges of the viewfinder before pressing the shutter. Look for anything that might be distracting, and see if you can get rid of it. Look for objects that are cut in half along the edge, and decide whether you should include them or eliminate them.
(more…)
by Michael Frye | Mar 4, 2018 | Composition, Yosemite Photo Conditions
Winter morning, El Capitan and the Merced River, Yosemite NP, CA, USA
The big storm finally ended last night. Yosemite Valley received about four-and-a-half inches of liquid precipitation since Thursday. It started as snow, then changed to rain for awhile, and then changed back to snow, with about a foot of snow accumulating on the valley floor. Precipitation for this water year is still well below average, but this storm was a big help.
The forecast called for snow showers to continue all day Saturday and linger into the evening. But you never know, so I set my alarm for 4:00 a.m. on Saturday morning in case the storm started to break earlier than expected. After getting rudely awakened by the alarm I checked the radar and satellite images, which showed clear skies approaching from the west. But it didn’t look like they would reach Yosemite Valley until at least a couple of hours after sunrise. And besides, showers often linger in the mountains, and all the forecast predictions showed showers continuing in Yosemite all day. I went back to bed.
(more…)
by Michael Frye | Feb 28, 2018 | Light and Weather, Yosemite Photo Conditions
Clearing storm from Tunnel View, Yosemite NP, CA, USA
Storms have been rare in Yosemite during this dry winter. But on Monday evening a small, cold weather system moved down the coast and brushed the area.
I set my alarm for 4:00 a.m. Tuesday morning to check on the weather and see if it might be worth driving up to Yosemite Valley. We had about three inches of fresh snow at our house in Mariposa, but Yosemite hadn’t received much precipitation – less than a tenth of an inch. Most of the rain and snow with this system fell further west.
(more…)
by Michael Frye | Feb 25, 2018 | Composition
Sand waves, Mesquite Flat Dunes, Death Valley NP, CA, USA
Sand dunes are so much fun to photograph. They’re full of interesting lines, shapes, curves, and textures – almost as if they were sculpted for photographers. And they keep changing. Every big windstorm reshapes the dunes, creating new possibilities.
So when Claudia and I traveled to Death Valley last month to photograph the lunar eclipse, I had to make a couple of trips to the dunes during the day as well, just to fill my eyes and viewfinder with all that abstract beauty.
(more…)
by Michael Frye | Feb 18, 2018 | Announcements
Sunset over Yosemite Valley with Cathedral Rocks, El Capitan, and Horsetail Fall, Yosemite NP, CA, USA
I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be having another exhibit at The Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite from February 25th to April 7th this year. Called “Elements,” this show will include a mixture of new work and some classic images. It’s been two years since my last exhibit at the Gallery, so it’s great to have another opportunity to display my work there. It’s always a privilege to show my photography in this unique and historic venue.
Also, I’m honored that one of my photographs, Half Dome and Oaks in Flooded Leidig Meadow, has been accepted into the annual Yosemite Renaissance juried exhibit. This year’s exhibit features work by many wonderful artists, including friends Penny Otwell, Charlotte Gibb, Michael Gordon, Kay Pitts, and Kerik Kouklis. And I want to give a special shout out to three of our workshop participants, Kathy Barnhart, Fran Mueller, and Tony Siciliano, who all have photographs included in the show. Congratulations to Kathy, Fran, and Tony!
(more…)
