This has been a really rough year for California, especially due to the drought and number of fires across the state. Yosemite has had a number of fires near by, including the Walker fire, which is just south of Lee Vining. If you want to see some really great photos of the fire, please visit Michael Frye’s blog by clicking on the following link. The blog entry for August 23rd, “Dodging the Walker Fire”, has the photos:

http://www.michaelfrye.com/landscape-photography-blog/

While I enjoy technology advancements in photography, there is one that is causing a lot of problems for fire fighters: drones. Various media outlets have been using these small remote controlled devices to get in close and get the best images they can of the fires. The one really bad drawback is that it can cause extremely dangerous situations for fire fighters flying in helicopters and airplanes that fight the fires. The pilots are concerned that they may run into one of the drones and possibly have a major flight accident. It is obvious now that restrictions on these little airborne devices need to be put into place.

Have a great week everyone!