Click on the Reflection image to enlarge

Reflection

Reflection on Tenaya Lake in Yosemite is an image I took one Spring morning.  A reflection in a lake is always an opportunity for a photographic image.  A reflection in a lake can be challenging.  Morning is always an excellent time to photograph a reflection on a lake as the winds are calm.  Especially on such a large lake like Tenaya Lake in Yosemite National Park.

Yosemite of course is famous for Yosemite Valley.  The waterfalls and granite cliffs are a world famous destination for many.  Outside of the valley in the park there are other very scenic and environmentally delicate locations.  Tenaya Lake on Highway 120 which leads to the eastern entrance of the park at Tioga Pass is one of these scenic and environmentally sensitive areas.

Tenaya Lake is at a high elevation at 8,150 feet in elevation.  Often winds can be strong at the lake, sometimes causing waves and choppy water on the lake.  It is unique to have the lake be calm and allowing for a reflection to be taken of the lake.  This condition of calmness in the morning on this particular spring day allowed for a reflection to be photographed.

I was coming back this morning of the Reflection photograph from a weekend trip over to the eastern sierra.  The snow conditions allowed for the Tioga Pass Road to be open in early May.  I took advantage of the early opening to venture over to the eastern sierra for a Spring photography trip.

I had taken pictures already that morning at Mono Lake.  I had packed up my photography gear and had decided to head back over to Tioga Pass to see if there was still some good light left for photography in the Sierra Nevada along highway 120.  I came upon Tioga Lake and the light of the morning sun was just starting to come over the crest of the mountains and light the trees along the lake in golden color.  The lake was calm, no wind.  A beautiful reflection of the golden light of the trees was mirrored in the lake surface.

I setup my tripod, mounted my Nikon camera with an 80-200 zoom lens and captured the image of the Reflection.  After taking the image of the Reflection in Tenaya Lake I savored the moment.  Enjoying and appreciating such a beautiful Reflection in a high mountain lake on a beautiful Spring morning.