Taken on a five-day backpacking trip to the Pioneer Basin in the high Sierra Nevada mountains, California, on July 11th, 2014

Did you know that photography is just like exercise? I found that out myself a few weeks back while on a 5-day backpacking trip in the High Sierra. The first two days were like a warm up: I spent some time stretching, walked miles and miles, but never really flexed my photographic muscles. The two days in the middle were the real heavy lifting: grandiose scenery and divine light, requiring a concentration and effort that left me feeling mentally and physically pooped. The last morning of the trip was a chance to wind down: I rolled out of my tent before dawn and strolled down to the shore of this lake in the Pioneer Basin, where the reflection and lovely morning light made my job as a photographer easy. A nice little way to “cool down” mentally and photographically after a great trip.