Home»All Photographs»Landscapes of the American West»Mono Lake

The weird, naturally formed tufa towers of Mono Lake, California always have a way of presenting themselves in compelling way. Sitting as it does at the base of the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, the highly alkali lake seems perfectly situated for dramatic light displays at both sunrise and sunset. Add to that the ingredients of other natural phenomenon, like a full moon rising over the lake, and you have a photographer's playground. I visited the lake for a second time in early October, part of a trip to chase autumn foliage in the river canyons that extend off Highway 395 into the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada.