“Tufa, Stormy Sky” — Tufa formation in pre-sunrise light, backed by dark clouds above the Sierra Nevada.
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.
“Soft Light, Ellery Lake” — Ellery Lake in early morning soft light.
This spot and this view have long intrigued me. The lines and curves lead from the shoreline forest at left, past that talus-covered slope on the right, across the water to another peninsula, and finally to the massive face rising beyond. The personality of this view can change remarkably — I’ve photographed during storms, under the full moon, in direct sunlight.
“Windblown Trees at Loch Stack” — Two windswept trees backed by Loch Stack and Scottish highlands mountains.
The last few days of our drive around northwest Scotland followed an indirect route. After more or less tracing the North Coast 500 route from Skye toward Durness, our plans had us making a longish detour to the historic lodge at Altnaharra. This meant leaving the NC500 and heading south into the highlands on less-traveled roads. I made this photograph along the detour late in the day.
“Three Peaks, Rain Clouds” — Distant highlands peaks in light rain, beyond tree-covered hills.
Arriving at this spot involved one of the driving adventures that characterized much of our time in northwest Scotland. We followed a main road northward from Skye, and here we diverged to the west toward the coast. As we topped a rise we looked back and saw this spectacular scene — spots of sunlight on nearby hills, light rain falling between us and three distant tall peaks, and a dramatic, cloud-filled sky.
