Plot Twist for Yosemite Photographers

Sunday’s storm added a twist to this year’s fall color story. In my post from September 30th I waxed optimistic about the how the weather conditions—a warm September followed by a cold spell at the beginning of October—might lead to great fall color like we had in 2007. But there’s cold and there’s really cold. Scientists say that the best color comes from sunny days and cool, but not freezing, nights (see Wikipedia and The Buffalo Museum of Science). Temperatures definitely dropped below freezing all over the Sierra on Sunday, as the snow level was down to 5500 feet, and probably reached freezing each subsequent morning in most places above 5000 to 6000 feet.

What usually happens when a cold and windy storm blows through (like we had Sunday) is that trees that have already turned will drop their leaves, and some leaves that are starting to turn will wither and turn brown. I expect that’s already happened to many of the high-elevation aspens in the Eastern Sierra. The good news is that most of the lower-elevation aspens, and virtually all of the deciduous trees in Yosemite, were still green, and were probably unaffected by the storm. The cold weather should start all these trees turning quickly, but during the coming week or so there might not be much color anywhere, as trees that had turned will be bare or withered, and trees that were green will need a week or two to arrive at their peak color. But I’d guess we’ll see some good color among the lower-elevation aspens on the east side in one to two weeks, in the higher-elevation dogwoods in Yosemite (Tuolumne Grove and along Highways 41 and 120) also in one or two weeks, and in Yosemite Valley in two or three weeks. Barring further storms that is.

Since I haven’t been to the east side lately, I’d love to hear from anyone who has, especially if you’ve been there since Sunday and can tell us whether the those high-elevation aspens are bare or withered. Here’s one report from Dan Mitchell that seems to confirm my speculation that some of those upper-elevation trees are past prime.

Two New 2010 Yosemite Photo Workshops

I'll be announcing two additional 2010 workshops with The Ansel Adams Gallery soon—stay tuned for details.

First Autumn Storm

The first significant storm of the season rolled into Yosemite early this morning, dropping about a quarter of an inch of rain in Yosemite Valley, and enough snow above 6000 feet to close the Tioga Pass and Glacier Point Roads and prompt a chain requirement on Highway 41.

The afternoon brought sun, then showers, then sun, then showers, with the pattern continuing until sunset. I found myself at Tunnel View yet again, watching and waiting as several promising breaks in the clouds fizzled. Near sunset I drove through the tunnel to get a view to the west, and saw clear skies near the horizon. The sun would drop below the clouds within minutes.

Back at Tunnel View the scene was gray, the parking lot almost empty, and the rock wall devoid of tripods, but I set up and waited. A few minutes later a faint sunbeam penetrated the valley floor. Gradually the light grew more intense and I composed several frames, including the one above. The parking lot had filled up and half a dozen tripods had joined mine.

Night Meeting

Our mutual interest in night photography led me to cross internet paths with Lance Keimig many years ago—in the late '90s if I recall correctly. We tried to meet on many occasions, but somehow could never make our schedules fit together. We finally arranged to meet at Olmsted Point in Yosemite for a night photography session on Wednesday (two days ago), and it actually worked! Lance and I, along with his co-workshop-instructor Scott Martin, spent a few chilly but enjoyable hours discussing night photography and business (always a popular subject for professionals), and making some images, including this one of a leaning juniper.

Night photography seems like a narrow niche, but there's a surprising amount of diversity. Lance has a very different style from mine. His softer palettes and black-and-white treatments contrast with my bold colors. Lance often includes buildings or other man-made objects in his work, while I usually photograph natural scenes. You can see some of Lance's work on his web site, and more of my night images in my night portfolio.

Another Great Fall?

Fall seems to be progressing at a typical pace in the eastern Sierra. You can find links to various fall color reports in Dan Mitchell’s blog.

Autumn of 2007 was exceptional. The dogwoods around the 5000 to 6000 foot elevation in Yosemite were unusually red, as you can see in the photo above, made along Highway 120 west of Crane Flat in October of 2007. A week after making that image I met a ranger on my way down to the Tuolumne Grove and asked her about the color. She said that conditions were perfect, since we had had a warm September followed by a cool October.

We’ve had a warm September this year, but yesterday the temperatures dropped off a cliff. Monday’s high in Yosemite Valley was 87, Tuesday’s 65. Thursday and Friday are supposed to be slightly warmer, but then the weather is expected to cool off again. Could we have another great fall?

I’ve tried to find information that would back up the ranger’s claim that a warm September followed by a cool October brings good fall color. A Wikipedia entry discusses the anthocyanins that produce reds and purples, and says that “when the days of autumn are bright and cool, and the nights are chilly but not freezing, the brightest colorations usually develop,” but nothing about the effect of warm temperatures followed by cooler weather. If anyone can point to better sources of information about this topic, please let me know! Otherwise we’ll just have to wait and see.

Ansel Adams Gallery Exhibit Continues Through October 4th

There's still time to catch my Color, Light, and Form exhibit at The Ansel Adams Gallery. It will up through October 4th, so if you're visiting Yosemite before then please stop by. The show includes lots of new work, including Willow Leaves and Reflections above.

Early Fall Color Reports

Some fall color reports are starting to trickle in. Dan Mitchell summarized some of them and offered good tips about finding the latest information on his blog. I'll second his recommendation to check out the CalPhoto discussion group on Yahoo. My wife and I made our annual trip to the Millpond Music Festival (wonderful, small, family-oriented festival) this past weekend, and on the way back we drove up to Convict Lake. There's not much color there yet—just a little bit way up high. We saw a few patches of color here and there from Highway 395, all at high elevations. This is typical for the third week of September, so autumn in the eastern Sierra seems to be on a normal time schedule for far, meaning the first good color will probably arrive in about a week at the higher spots.

More Amazing Student Photos

I've posted more student images from June's Hidden Yosemite Valley workshop and July's Full Moon Night Photography workshop. I'm constantly amazed by the level of talent people bring to these classes, as in John Robert's photograph above of a misty sunrise from Swinging Bridge. Click here to go to my workshop page, then scroll down to see a list of workshop slide shows.

Autumn in Yosemite

As the days get shorter and cooler, the photo opportunities in the Yosemite area get hotter. It's time to take a look at what to expect during the next few months.

September

You won't find much autumn color in Yosemite before October, but the indian rhubarb in Bridalveil and Leidig Meadows can add an early splash of yellow, as in this photo from the west end of Leidig. Near the fall equinox on September 22nd, and for a couple of weeks afterward, the sun sets at a good angle for Tunnel View, lighting both El Capitan on the left and Cathedral Rocks on the right. The two or three weeks before the spring equinox are even better, as there's usually water in Bridalveil Fall, but fall can be great in the right weather conditions, like last year when I saw the rainbow at the top of this post.

On the east side of the Sierra Nevada the high-elevation aspens usually start turning yellow in late September. The Bishop Creek area, west of Bishop, and Convict Lake, just south of Mammoth Lakes, are two of the early season hot spots.

October

In a typical year, the aspen color show progresses down the mountainsides on the east side of the range and reaches the lowest elevations near the third week of October. There's no real peak, because the timing of the best color depends on the location. I prefer photographing the larger trees at lower elevations, so the third week is often my favorite time, but there's usually plenty to photograph earlier in the month as well. Some of my favorite spots are Lundy Canyon, Lee Vining Canyon (above right), and the June Lake Loop.

The maples, dogwoods, cottonwoods, and oaks in Yosemite Valley usually turn a bit later. The peak color typically arrives around the end of October or beginning of November. Dogwoods can can often be found turning gold or even red by mid-October at higher elevations along Highway 41, Highway 120 west of Crane Flat, and in the Tuolumne Grove.

Blueberry bushes lining the shores of Siesta Lake along the Tioga Pass Road also turn red and orange near the middle of the month (below). From Taft Point, a one-mile hike from the Glacier Point Road, the late-afternoon sun strikes El Capitan at a great angle.

November

This might be my favorite month in Yosemite Valley. The peak autumn color frequently arrives at the beginning of the month and yellow and gold leaves often linger for weeks afterward. Frost and ice begin forming in the meadows and along the creeks and rivers, and sometimes an early snowfall spices up the landscape. Sunlight has already reached winter angles, raking across the face of Half Dome in the late afternoon and turning El Capitan gold at sunset.

For more detailed information, including directions to most of the locations mentioned here, pick up a copy of my book The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite.

New Fall Color One-Day Workshop

The Ansel Adams Gallery has just announced the new one-day fall color workshop that I'll be teaching for them on October 19th. I'll be taking students to some of my favorite aspen groves on the east side of the Sierras near Mono Lake. For more information visit the Gallery's web site.

2010 Workshops Announced

The Ansel Adams Gallery has announced their preliminary 2010 workshop schedule. I'll be leading the Spring Yosemite Digital Camera Workshop, May 5-9, and The Digital Landscape: Autumn in Yosemite, October 27-31. We'll be adding more classes as we firm up the details, so stay tuned.

Night Photography Workshop

With the road closures and smoke from the Big Meadow fire, I didn't know what to expect during last night's Full Moon Night Photography Workshop. We had our share of smoke, but it seems that when one photographic door closes another always opens. From our perch on Sentinel Dome we watched the sun turn into a red fireball as it set through the smoke, and later saw the scene above—the misty peaks of the Clark Range and Mt. Starr King underneath a smoky orange moon. We light-painted every suitable tree and ended up thoroughly enjoying ourselves despite the fire.

Tioga Road Closed by Big Meadow Fire

Smoke from the Big Meadow Fire has reduced visibility on the Tioga Pass Road and forced its closure. The Big Oak Flat Road between Yosemite Valley and Crane Flat (Highway 120) has been closed since last Wednesday.

If you 're planning to head to Yosemite you should check current road conditions by calling 209-372-0200. The best information about the status of the fire, including maps and photos, seems to be at the Incident Information System web site.

The photograph above was made last year during the Telegraph fire as smoke drifted up to Yosemite from Mariposa. The trees you see were actually burned in 1990 during the A-Rock fire. This area burned again last week when the Big Meadow fire got out of control; I guess enough brush had grown since 1990 to fuel the new fire.

I posted this photo to show that despite the smoke, there are still good photographs to be made in Yosemite. Any unusual conditions can provide wonderful opportunities. Here's another example on The Ansel Adams Gallery's blog.

Nice Review of The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite

Joe Decker posted a nice review of The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite on the photocrati blog.

Last Night's Reception

The reception for my latest exhibit, called Color, Light, and Form, was held last night at The Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Valley. I got to meet some nice people—thanks to all of you who attended. I know many folks couldn't make it because of the Big Meadow fire; in fact El Portal was being evacuated at the time! El Portal seems safe for the time being, so that's good news, but the Big Oak Flat Road between Yosemite Valley and Crane Flat is closed, and likely to remain so for at least a few days. You can find more information about the fire on the park service's web site and the Yosemite Blog.

Photographer's Guide Available Again!

The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite is back in stores! Amazon doesn't have it yet, but you can order online through The Ansel Adams Gallery. You can also pick up a copy in Yosemite at the Gallery or next door at the Visitor Center.

The Wildflower Season

Back on June 15th I wondered whether the unusually wet early-summer weather might provide us with a better-than-average summer wildflower season. In short, the answer turned out to be no. I'd rate the bloom as about average this year. But an average flower year in the Yosemite high country is still very nice! I made the image above—including corn lily, lupine, paintbrush, yampa, cow parsnip, and fireweed—near the Glacier Point Road on August 1st. Let's hope for a wet winter and an exceptional wildflower season next year.

Color, Light, and Form Exhibit at The Ansel Adams Gallery

My next exhibit at The Ansel Adams Gallery, called Color, Light, and Form, will be on display from August 20th through October 4th. A reception for the artist - yes, that's me - will be held on Friday, August 28th, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. The Gallery is located next to the Visitor Center in Yosemite Valley. Hope to see you there!

We're still designing the show, so I don't know exactly which images will be displayed, but there will be a lot of new work, almost certainly including Late October Aspens, June Lake Loop, above. Let me know if you have a particular favorite, old or new, that you'd like to see.

High Country Lakes

The Tioga Road passes several beautiful lakes, including tiny Siesta Lake, Tenaya Lake, and, just outside the park, Tioga and Ellery Lakes. Short hikes can bring you to May Lake, Elizabeth Lake, Dog Lake, Gaylor Lakes, or Granite Lakes. East of Tioga Pass you can hike to Shell and Fantail Lakes, or take a boat taxi across manmade Saddlebag Lake to Greenstone Lake, Steelhead Lake, and all the other bodies that comprise the Twenty Lakes Basin.

Out of this long list, Middle Gaylor is one of my favorites, along with Shell and Fantail. Another great spot is Greenstone Lake, shown above in mid-July 2006, at the east end of the Saddlebag Lake taxi. But all these places provide great photo opportunities, and relief from the summer heat in the lowlands.

Full Moon Night Photography Workshop

Monday's Full Moon Night Photography Workshop proved to be a lot of fun. After dodging mosquitos at Tenaya Lake we headed to Olmsted Point and it's photogenic collection of junipers—perfect subjects to light up at night. I demonstrated some light-painting techniques using simple flashlights, then the students set off to try it on their own. They took to it like ducks to water! It was fun to see people collaborating. Often two or three people would frame a view of the same tree and take turns handling the flashlights, discussing the results after each exposure. Digital cameras certainly make the learning curve much easier.

This outstanding photograph was made by one of the participants, Kyle Jones. Clearly Kyle is a quick learner and a talented photographer.

We're planning to do another of these one-day workshops before the summer is over—probably on September 2nd. When the details are worked out it will be posted on The Ansel Adams Gallery's web site and blog.