Glowing Sunrise, Fallen Leaf Lake, Lake Tahoe Basin

There are rare moments when the light in the mountains is simply spectacular. As I hike out to a location in the dark, I simply don't know what to expect from sunrise. I set up my 8x10 film camera by the light of my headlamp. It's somewhat of a meditative process that I've built over time. Then I wait. As the sun begins to rise, the light builds. And then, sometimes, the light explodes. As the sky lights up, the clouds reflect the light onto the land and everything glows. The rest of the day has a hard time measuring up.