Since I recently posted some information here at the blog about photographing the wonderful eastern Sierra Nevada fall colors – chiefly aspens – I’ve received email and comments from a number of readers. I’ll continue to post on the general subject from time to time over the next few weeks, but today I want to share a tip that might be useful in your search for great aspen color, especially if you are not already familiar with the eastern Sierra.
Once you get to the eastern Sierra for the first time, you’ll quickly notice a few things: there are lots of photographers there shooting the aspens, the aspen groves are spread all over the eastern Sierra from Owens Valley up to and beyond the highest road access, and aspen conditions vary wildly depending upon a whole range of factors. Sometimes it can feel like everyone else must be finding great aspens to photograph but that you just aren’t in the right place at the right time.
A few years ago I figured out that there is a sort of ad hoc spontaneous information network that springs up on the “east side” during aspen season. You are seeing the beginnings of it already when you read my blog and those of others posting aspen hunting advice, speculation, and current reports. But another component of this occurs on the scene.
Despite all of the predictions and reports about the aspens, in the end no one knows for certain which areas will peak when or which will be great this year or fail to produce – there are a ton of variables that make this less than completely predictable. Fortunately, with so many photographers in the eastern Sierra, the word can spread fast.
While I don’t recommend going around and pestering photographers who are intently focusing on photographing a particular scene, I do recommend saying “hi” and generally being friendly with other photographers you meet. In addition to making some new friends and maybe picking up a tip or two, quite often each photographer knows a bit about the evolving puzzle of where to find the best color. I often ask, “How is the photography going? Where have you been shooting?” In many cases, the answers can help you start to develop a picture of how the aspen color is evolving and where to look for it. You might get an answer like “I was up at Sabrina yesterday and wind had blown down many of the leaves, but I just talked to someone who says that the color at the upper end of North Lake is great – but this morning I saw 12 vans carrying workshop participants up there! While I was at Sabrina I met a woman who said she had found a great grove along the road up McGee Canyon…”
Speak to enough other photographers in the field and you’ll pick up a ton of useful information. In addition, you have a pretty good chance of running into other photographers at the restaurant in the evening or in your campground, at coffee shops very early in the morning, or even at places like the Whoa Nellie Deli or Starbucks, etc during the day. Some folks even set up impromptu meetings during the “boring light” midday hours – watch on various photo forums and you may pick up on some of these.
And if you see me up there shooting, please do say “hi!”
