Late in the afternoon I was photographing autumn aspen trees in a deep valley along the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada. Not long after I arrived there developing clouds began to block the light that best shows the intense colors of the trees. I continued working and found ways to photograph effectively in the soft light, but I was a bit disappointed by the cloud cover. And then it occurred to me that the cloud line would end as they dissipated out over Mono Lake.

I knew the sunset time and how long it would take me to find a lake overlook, so I worked the trees a bit longer before loading up the vehicle and driving down the narrow dirt track towards the lake. I arrived as the very last ray of direct sun were striking the highest peaks of the distant desert mountains, and I was pleased to find that the clouds were centered directly over the part of the lake I wanted to photograph.

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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.
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