Photography is all about light. Other factors matter, but without the right light, a photograph is usually bland. This is why serious photographers are out on location before dawn and after sunset. These are the times when the light can be magical. And if we are lucky enough to have a sky with clouds that reflect the light, well, it just doesn't get much better. The top photo is looking west over Lone Pine Peak and Mt Whitney. The next one was taken from the same spot, looking east. It pays to look around.
When the grand vista is not available, it is time to search for smaller scenes. On a morning with so much cloud cover that the sky stayed gray, a shaft of sunlight nudged its way through to illuminate this small portion of the Alabama Hills.
We spent two days photographing at Mono Lake, with its unique spires of calcium-carbonate know as tufas. Its a popular spot to photograph and we arrived early enough to catch the glow of the low sun...
and stayed late enough to capture the post sunset color. Most people leave as soon as the sun sets, thinking the show is over, but we were patient and waited for the clouds to lift just enough to display radiant light in both the sky and the lake.
Early the next morning we were back at Mono Lake for the sunrise. These two shots were taken before the sun cleared the horizon, while the sky was still a deep blue and the water was mirror still. Beautiful light.
For the evening shoot, we set out for Olmstead Point, an over-look about 20 miles into Yosemite on Tioga Pass. When we arrived, the valley was completely socked in and rain was falling. Optimists that we were, we set up our tripods, protected our cameras as best we could, and bid our time. Unbelievably, the clouds gradually thinned and revealed what we were waiting for: a view of Half Dome. This is another of my favorite photos. I love the natural gray scale with just a tinge of pink.
Next morning we were back at Mono Lake, but at a spot called Black Point on the north shore. To get here, we hiked through tall grass, over sand & into the muck of the shore... in the dark.
The tufas on this side of the lake are not tall spires, but low lying mounds. Our trek in paid off. We were rewarded with a fabulous eastern sky full of intense light.
This last photo was taken from the same spot on the same morning looking south. We were quite literally surrounded by beautiful light. Once again, I favored these more muted hues.
Continued...
Photography is all about light. Other factors matter, but without the right light, a photograph is usually bland. This is why serious photographers are out on location before dawn and after sunset. These are the times when the light can be magical. And if we are lucky enough to have a sky with clouds that reflect the light, well, it just doesn't get much better. The top photo is looking west over Lone Pine Peak and Mt Whitney. The next one was taken from the same spot, looking east. It pays to look around. 
When the grand vista is not available, it is time to search for smaller scenes. On a morning with so much cloud cover that the sky stayed gray, a shaft of sunlight nudged its way through to illuminate this small portion of the Alabama Hills.
We spent two days photographing at Mono Lake, with its unique spires of calcium-carbonate know as tufas. Its a popular spot to photograph and we arrived early enough to catch the glow of the low sun...
and stayed late enough to capture the post sunset color. Most people leave as soon as the sun sets, thinking the show is over, but we were patient and waited for the clouds to lift just enough to display radiant light in both the sky and the lake.
Early the next morning we were back at Mono Lake for the sunrise. These two shots were taken before the sun cleared the horizon, while the sky was still a deep blue and the water was mirror still. Beautiful light.
For the evening shoot, we set out for Olmstead Point, an over-look about 20 miles into Yosemite on Tioga Pass. When we arrived, the valley was completely socked in and rain was falling. Optimists that we were, we set up our tripods, protected our cameras as best we could, and bid our time. Unbelievably, the clouds gradually thinned and revealed what we were waiting for: a view of Half Dome. This is another of my favorite photos. I love the natural gray scale with just a tinge of pink.
Next morning we were back at Mono Lake, but at a spot called Black Point on the north shore. To get here, we hiked through tall grass, over sand & into the muck of the shore... in the dark. 
The tufas on this side of the lake are not tall spires, but low lying mounds. Our trek in paid off. We were rewarded with a fabulous eastern sky full of intense light.
This last photo was taken from the same spot on the same morning looking south. We were quite literally surrounded by beautiful light. Once again, I favored these more muted hues.
Continued...
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