Photograph: Desert Pond and Sierra Nevada Dawn

Desert Pond and Sierra Nevada Dawn

Posted on 15 October 2011

Desert Pond and Sierra Nevada Dawn

Morning mist rises above a high desert pond reflecting the lower slopes of the eastern Sierra Nevada near McGee Creek.

On the second morning of my first fall color to the eastern Sierra this autumn, having been less than astonished by this year’s color so far, I decided to head instead out into Owens Valley to shoot back toward the mountains and to shoot some subject in Owens Valley itself. I started at this little lake a few miles east of highway 395, where great reflections of the range lit by morning sun area often seen. This photograph looks across the small lake towards McGee Creek Canyon. (McGee Creek isn’t a bad place to look for aspen color…)

I arrived here before sunrise and was set up and ready to go before the first light hit the peaks in the area of Mt. McGee and Mt. Morgan. As I stood (freezing!) by the shore of this small lake, waiting for the light that I knew was coming, a truck came up the lonely road to this place, passed the pond, made a u-turn, and slowed down by my vehicle, which was parked along the main road. My first thoughts were “this is either another photographer or someone who is checking out my car… for purposes I don’t want to think about.” However the vehicle kept going. A few moments later I discovered that this was a photographer, and he and his dog took up a position along the far shoreline. A few days later I was looking through an online landscape photography forum and I came across a photograph that looked like it had been shot from about that photographer’s position, and in which the conditions looked darn near identical to what I saw that morning. I contacted the photographer and found out that, indeed, he was the person I had seen that morning. (If you wonder why we didn’t touch base on the scene… a) we were both busy shooting the entire time, b) we were on opposites sides of the lake, and c) even though I yelled a greeting he didn’t hear.)

So, if you look very closely at the opposite shore you might be able to make out a fellow photographer and his dog…

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Category: Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Owens Valley, Photographs: Sierra Nevada
Tags: alkali, america, california, canyon, creek, desert, eastern, escarpment, high, hills, lake, landscape, light, lower, mcgee, mist, morning, Mountain, nature, nevada, north, owens, photo, pond, pool, range, reflection, ridge, rise, sierra, slopes, snow, stock, sunrise, usa, valley

3 comments to Desert Pond and Sierra Nevada Dawn

Mike Matenkosky

says:

October 15, 2011 at 1:06 pm

Nice story and excellent capture Dan!

Laura Wrede

says:

October 15, 2011 at 6:32 pm

Stunning shot! I love your story that goes with your photo. It made me feel as if I was there. Really nice work.I am glad to have found your site.

Pat Ulrich

says:

October 17, 2011 at 1:29 pm

This is really stunning, Dan! the way the morning light illuminates the landscape is breathtaking, and I really like that you included the reflection. gorgeous work as always!