The light on this scene was a surprise. I had left my campsite high in the Sierra Nevada while it was still dark, arriving at the shore of Mono Lake well before sunrise. For a moment I was the only person there before others began arriving. There were lot of clouds — which can be a blessing or a curse for sunrise photography, depending on where they are and whether there are breaks in the right directions. I expected to arrive at this formation in fairly dismal light, then go look for compositions and set up for sunrise.
To my surprise, a pair of conditions produced this light. First, far to the east high clouds were starting to glow in the first light, sending diffused and warm-colored light toward this formation. Secondly, there was a surprisingly thick bank of clouds over the Sierra crest to the northwest. The contrast between the soft light on the tufa and the dark light beyond was dramatic. I paused my search for other sunrise shots — this wold not be one of them — and set up to make a couple of exposures in the soft light.
COMMENT OR QUESTION? Scroll down to the comment form.
Prints are available. Read about licensing and print sales.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.
Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email
All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.