Breakthrough

Taken at Ediza Lake, Ansel Adams Wilderness, California on July 23rd, 2023

Ediza Lake is one of the most beautiful locations in the High Sierra, sitting in a cradle deep under one of the most famous sky lines in the area: the Minarets on one side, Ritter and banner on the other. Yet despite the extraordinary scenic beauty of the place, it has often challenged me to produce a strong photograph. On most of my trips to the location I’ve had crystal clear skies, howling winds, or some other factor that has made it a challenge to come home with a portfolio quality image. But in the summer of 2023 my luck finally changed. Thanks to the massive snowfall of the preceding winter, the High Sierra was covered with snow late into July. Many of the high country lakes were frozen solid months past the date when they normally would be swimmable and fishable. This situation was one of the most unique that I can remember in all of my years of backpacking in the range, and I spent as much time as possible that summer trekking through the mountains. So when my good buddy and fellow photographer Miles Weaver invited me to join him on a two-night exploration of the Ansel Adams wilderness it took no convincing for me to say yes.

Departing from a trailhead near Mammoth Lakes, Miles and I trekked in the half day to Lake Eliza on good trail. As soon as we reached the shore of the lake however, it was like summer ended and wintery emerged. The entire lake was surrounded by feet of snow and the lake itself was still nearly two-thirds frozen over. We set up our camp on one of the few spits of rock emerging from the snow and spent the next 36 hours exploring this winter wonderland in the middle of summer. Despite the huge amounts of snow and ice, the weather was absolutely perfect, and we spent our nights sleeping out under the stars in beautifully warm and comfortable conditions.

We woke early final morning of our trek to find the sky riddled with puffy clouds. Seeing breaks to the east we sensed that that morning slight show could be spectacular. The main question I had at the moment was where to photograph, as we had discovered endless beautiful compositions during our previous day’s rambles. However, one commonality of all these compositions was that they either featured the Minarets, or Ritter and Banner, but not all of them at once. With the promise of a great light show at hand, I decided to attempt a photograph that would feature all of the mountains towering above the lake. Strapping on my crampons, I set out from camp and circumnavigated the lake until I reached its eastern shore. This vantage point afforded me a spectacular view of the Minarets and Ritter and Banner. However, there was still something amiss. The lake had a thin skin of ice on top of it that was distorting and obscuring the reflection of the mountains.

I knew that the mountains would be doubly impactful if I could showcase their reflection in a photograph, so I got to work clearing a patch of ice. I went into the forest and grabbed the longest branch that I could carry. I brought it back to the lake and used it to break through all of the ice along the shore. Then using the branch like a broom I swept the shards of ice out of the way to the left and to the right until I had opened up a small patch of water approximately eight feet wide and four feet across. By squatting down and putting my tripod as low as possible, I was just able to squeeze the reflection of the mountains into this open patch of water. However, the scene was so grandiose that it exceeded the wide angle capabilities of my 14 mm lens. I knew a panorama was the answer.

Flipping my camera to its vertical orientation and leveling my tripod, I watched as the sun rose and turned the clouds pink, and then disappeared. At first, I was afraid that I had missed the decisive moment of the morning. But then I saw that higher in the sky direct light was striking the clouds with a ferocious burning intensity. I knew that as the sun rose that light would slip down the clouds and eventually strike the mountains. I watched as the light dropped lower and lower, and finally the moment I had been waiting for arrived. The sun’s early morning beams struck the Minarets, Ritter and Banner like a fire hose of light. Spinning my camera from left to right, I snapped a sequence of photos at the moment of peak beauty. I knew the photos had potential, but it wasn’t until I successfully stitched them together in post-processing to reveal this panorama, that I knew I had finally captured this magnificent lake in the way that it deserved to be seen.

How to Use Composition, Technique, & Light to Tell Your Story

In the previous lesson we learned to create our story of a place by asking What we like, and Why we like it. Now it’s time to turn that story into a photograph. We can do that by asking a third question: How? “How can I exaggerate the elements of my story using my camera?” […]

Wide Angle Foregrounds

New Zealand is rich with fascinating patterns and objects that can serve as impactful foregrounds in wide angle compositions. To make the most of these, here are some suggestions: Using this simple framework will allow you to create stunning in-your-face wide angle compositions like these.

Wildlife

New Zealand has two kinds of large wildlife: birds, and aquatic animals. We’ll see birds for sure, and in Mt. Cook and Fiordland it’s very likely that we’ll encounter two of my favorites: the kea (mountain parrot), and the fantail. In terms of sea life there’s an almost 100% chance we’ll see New Zealand fur […]

Health, Safety, and Cancellation Policies

Travel, Health, and Camera Insurance Travel insurance is REQUIRED for this trip, which will reimburse you if you need to cancel for any reason, including COVID-19. It can also provide medical coverage, lost luggage coverage, and other benefits while abroad, and policies are generally inexpensive.  IMG and Travel Guard are reliable companies. IMG Plans Travel […]

Acknowledgement of Risks and Image Use Agreement

Acknowledgement of Risks Please download and sign this form, and bring it with you to the initial meeting. You can also email us a digital signed copy.  Image Use  During this tour we may take behind the scenes photos and videos of the tour participants. These photos are used to share among the group, as well […]

Camera Settings You Need to Know

Don’t fight your gear. Here are settings we see people struggle with over and over on our workshops and tours. Practice changing or accessing these settings before the trip and you will have more success in the field. Know how to quickly adjust your aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Even if you aren’t fully comfortable […]

The Four Things Every Great Photo Needs

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Ask WHAT? and WHY? to Create Powerful Stories for Your Photos

Let’s dive into Visual Storytelling. Before we begin, you need to understand that the subject and story is THE MOST IMPORTANT part of any photograph. If you don’t have this you don’t have a photo. And yet, most landscape photographers never consciously think about the story that they want to tell when they are photographing. […]

Visa Information

U.S. citizens do not need a Colombian visa for a tourist or business stay of 90 days or less.  Citizens from other countries should check their visa requirements.

Hotel Information

Our accommodation on this tour is varied. Here’s where we will be staying in each location:  Bogota – luxury 5 star hotel in the nicest neighborhood in the city with easy access to wonderful restaurants and shopping. Mavicure – a rustic guesthouse in the village of El Remanso. Every person has private sleeping quarters with […]

Food, Transportation, LNT, Group Etiquette

Food The food on this trip is absolutely amazing! All food is included (except alcohol) In the city we will enjoy some of Bogota’s nicest restaurants for our meals. When we are in the jungle in Mavicure we will enjoy delicious meals made by our hosts. Expect fresh fish, tropical fruits, rice, potatoes, and beans. […]

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