LAKE TAHOE

Chilled To The Stone

Lake Tahoe, NV

Emerald Bay... or Lothlorian?

You decide. Late one day on water's edge, with a lazy breath of mist wafting in the air... Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe, CA shimmered and shifted (in my imagination, anyway) into a gateway to Elven lands. I could almost see the elegant, curved bow of an elven boat carrying Galadriel and Celeborn to peek out from behind the jut of land before me as it headed for open water. "Wait for me!" I'd call out. And I'd wave. They would see me, wave back and smile... and gracefully steer the boat to the shore where I stood, the soundless gangplank extended in welcome. As I'd step on board the magical vessel, I'd feel a shiver of delight, of adventure and of coming home. It only happened in my mind. Or did it? *wink*

Little Red

Lake Tahoe, CA

Peachy Emerald Bay

Lake Tahoe, CA

The Snouth & The Castle

Lake Tahoe, CA

Overlook

Lake Tahoe, CA

Snowy Day At the Pier

Tahoe City, CA A snowy day at the pier is like a powdered sugar carnival. Gallery: Landscapes/Lake Tahoe & Truckee

Stillness of Pier

Kings Beach, CA It's about the light. Always the light. And the snow... and The Awesome, captured. Gallery: Landscapes/Lake Tahoe & Truckee

The Other Side

Tahoe City, CA What wonders, what glorious adventures await, beckoning, on the other side? Gallery: Landscapes/Lake Tahoe & Truckee

The Unbearable Beauty of Bench

King's Beach, California She waited for a long, long time. Until it was simply too cold. Gallery: Landscapes/Lake Tahoe & Truckee

Lone Bench Soaking Sun

Lake Tahoe, CA

West Shore Wonder

West Shore Cafe, Homewood, CA This image pretty much happened by accident. It was taken on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe, California one evening last winter. I'd been out photographing new snow all day, mostly on the East Side. We've been having a drought for 5 years, so having snow to photograph at all was beyond thrilling for a whole host of reasons! I have a wonderful print client (a married couple) who had recently bought several of my photographs and I wanted to create a special thank you for them. I pondered for awhile. At one point some weeks before, they'd asked me if I had any images from the West Shore Cafe. It was their special place... and had even been married here. At the time, I'd never even seen the West Shore Cafe... and being a landscape photographer, it wasn't on my radar. My clients had been married in summer... but I got to thinking that a snow shot of the pier where they'd said their vows might be a lovely gift. They had stood at the very end of this very pier. I got to the west side of Lake Tahoe just in time to realize the sky was going to turn all kinds of awesome colors! We'd been having very ordinary sunsets for weeks. This was like a gift from the heavens. I waited till the West Shore Cafe turned its lights on... and made several compositions before the colors in the sky faded into the dark evening. My feet were frozen when I finished - it was nearly 0 degrees F - but I didn't care. I'd gotten the shot I dreamed of. My clients were completely surprised and ecstatic! They couldn't believe I'd done this for them. For me, it felt amazing to be able to give this moment to two such lovely and generous people. It wouldn't have meant as much to anyone else. I feel that I was given certain gifts in life... and that sharing them in this way was part of fulfilling part of my soul's mission.

Blue. Tahoe. Pier.

Lake Tahoe, CA It's blue. It's Lake Tahoe. It has a pier. And snow. The end.

Round Here

Lake Tahoe, Nevada Round here, things are just cool. Even when they're warm. Gallery: Landscapes/Lake Tahoe & Truckee

Afternoon At The Lake

Lake Tahoe, Nevada After a snowfall... it's opera night in the daytime! Gallery: Landscapes/Lake Tahoe & Truckee

Peek A Blue

Lake Tahoe, NV

Tahoe Snow Day

Lake Tahoe, Nevada There is nothing quite like snow sitting next to the emerald green of Lake Tahoe in winter! Gallery: Landscapes/Lake Tahoe & Truckee

Moods Like This

Lake Tahoe, Nevada Snow! I was so excited to see the white stuff after 5 years of drought in California that I was out to the lake with my cameras at first snowfall. I specifically wanted photos of the granite boulders capped with snow, showing the contrasting colors and tones. I started photographing earlier in the day, then got lost in time and stayed much longer than I intended to. The sunset was a bonus I didn't actually plan on seeing! Normally, this entire area is underwater; further evidence of the toll the drought has taken. Photographically speaking, these conditions offer a unique opportunity to create new compositions of a hugely-photographed area that are normally not possible. Who knows if the weather will change again, leaving all of this submerged for a very long time? No one. But no matter what, I'll have a wonderful collection of what the landscape below the water actually looks like. Plus enough snow-capped boulders to put a smile on my face right here and now!

Rock That

Lake Tahoe, NV

Fannette Island

Oh, everybody and their neighbor's dog photographs Fannette Island on Lake Tahoe. But I figured, "Heck why not?". This was a day I took a day to just get out and go see things I hadn't before and step awaaaayyy from the grind. And hiking down to to Vikingsholme on Emerald Bay was something I'd threatened to do for years. Nevermind that it's closed for the season... the countryside is marvelous. I decided to follow the premise that just because something's been shot a million times, doesn't mean you won't see it differently... and heck, the light is different every day.. not to mention they were doing controlled burns that day. And who doesn't like choking on a little brush smoke when it makes your shot go all Lord of Rings? Cue the smoke! And bring in that old guy riding bareback on the white horse while you're at it! Heh.

Survivor on a Sunday Morning

Lake Tahoe, CA

Tiny Fortress

Lake Tahoe, CA Emerald Bay

Stretched At Her Feet

Ehrmann Mansion, Lake Tahoe, CA

Stepdown

Lake Tahoe, CA