I arrived here before dawn on an early October morning, planning to find a spot above a lake where I could photograph colorful aspens, the lake, and the forest and mountains beyond. I began photographing as the first sunrise light struck the peaks, and continued as the reflected light lit nearby aspens and the peaks’ mirror image appeared in the surface of the lake. Eventually the light in front of me became less appealing, and I turned my attention elsewhere.
In almost the opposite direction the light was just beginning to strike a small rise above the lake, a spot with few trees aside from some small aspens that had already lost their leaves and a few sad-looking conifers. However, the light on this little vignette was compelling, and the skeletal trees stood out against the cool blue tones of the shadows.
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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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