In the Moment:
Michael Frye's Landscape Photography Blog

Along the Klamath River

by | May 29, 2016 | Light and Weather

Foggy sunrise along the Klamath River, Redwood NP, CA, USA

Foggy sunrise along the Klamath River, Redwood NP, CA, USA

Claudia and I are in Crescent City scouting for our upcoming redwoods workshop. I love coming back here. The lush forests and wild coast are such a contrast to our mountain home in the central Sierra. The subjects here allow me to try some alternative techniques and approaches to photographing the landscape, but above all I’m trying to convey the feeling of this area, which is very different from Yosemite. The Sierra Nevada, or “The Range of Light,” as John Muir put it, seems like a bright, new, shiny jewel to me, while the temperate rainforests of northern California have a primeval mood that makes you feel as if you’ve traveled back in time a few million years.

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Over Tioga Pass

by | May 22, 2016 | Yosemite Photo Conditions

Ice and reflections in Ellery Lake, Inyo NF, CA, USA

Ice and reflections in Ellery Lake, Inyo NF, Wednesday evening

Claudia and I love going over Tioga Pass on the day it opens, whenever possible, and we managed to tear ourselves away from our desks on Wednesday afternoon and do just that. I photographed some beautiful puffy clouds and reflections from Tuolumne Meadows late in the afternoon. Towards sunset the clouds started to dissipate, so we headed over the pass to Ellery Lake, which had some great ice patterns.

Tenaya Lake was totally free of ice, while Tioga Lake was almost completely frozen. Ellery Lake just right, with a photogenic mixture of ice and open water. But I’m sure that will all melt soon, while Tioga Lake should be getting more open patches of water.

Meanwhile, the park did get some showers on Friday and Saturday, with a dusting of high-elevation snow. The Tioga Road has been closed off and on since Friday night, though as I write this it’s open. With showers in the forecast over the next few days it’s possible that the road may close again temporarily.

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Focusing in the Dark

by | May 19, 2016 | Advanced Techniques, Night Photography

Lunar rainbow from Cook's Meadow, Yosemite NP, CA, USA

Lunar rainbow from Cook’s Meadow, Yosemite; from June, 2011, a very wet year

Lunar Rainbows and the Milky Way

There will be a full moon this Saturday, and I’m sure many photographers will be heading to Yosemite to photograph the lunar rainbow. Astronomer and “Celestial Sleuth” Don Olson has updated his website to include predictions for when the moonbow will appear on Upper Yosemite Fall from Cook’s Meadow, in addition to his previous predictions for Lower Yosemite Fall.

I think there should be enough spray to make the rainbow visible on Upper Yosemite Fall this month, but probably not in June, when there will be less spray. The Lower Yosemite Fall bridge might work in June, because you don’t need as much water to see a rainbow from that spot, but I expect the bridge will be rather wet this month, which will make it hard to keep spray off the front of your lens. Of course the weather always plays a role, and there are showers in the forecast for this Friday and Saturday nights, so the moonlight might get blocked by clouds. But if you want to try your hand at either location, here are some tips for photographing lunar rainbows.

This is also the beginning of Milky Way season here in the northern hemisphere. The brightest part of the Milky Way can now be seen rising just after 10:30 p.m. here in central California, and will be visible in the evening sky through September.

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Tioga Pass is Open!

by | May 18, 2016 | Yosemite Photo Conditions

Mammoth Peak reflected in snowmelt pond, near Tioga Pass, Yosemite NP, CA, USA

Mammoth Peak reflected in snowmelt pond, near Tioga Pass, Yosemite, from 1993

Tioga Pass opened today. I love photographing the Yosemite high country when there’s still snow on the peaks and ice covering the lakes, so this is a great time to go up there. However the forecast calls for snow on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in the higher elevations of Yosemite. The park service has been ultra-cautious about the Glacier Point Road this spring, closing it when there’s any chance of snow. They’ll probably be even more cautious with the Tioga Road, so I expect it will close again on Friday, and probably remain closed through the weekend. 🙁 I could be wrong, but if you have a chance to go up today or tomorrow, take it!

— Michael Frye

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Upcoming Exhibit at The Ansel Adams Gallery

by | May 17, 2016 | Announcements

Swirling mist from Tunnel View, Yosemite NP, CA, USA

Swirling mist from Tunnel View, Yosemite

I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be having another exhibit at The Ansel Adams Gallery from June 5th to July 31st this year. Called “Elements,” this show will include mostly new work, mixed with a few earlier images. It’s been several years since my last exhibit at the Gallery, so it’s great to have another opportunity to display my work there. It’s always an honor to show my photography in this unique and historic venue.

The Ansel Adams Gallery is located next to the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center in Yosemite Village. Summer hours are 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., seven days a week. If you’re in Yosemite during June or July I hope you’ll stop by the Gallery and see the exhibit. Or maybe the show will give you another excuse to visit the park – as if you needed one!

— Michael Frye

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