49.3

This is a difficult lake to photograph for a number of reasons. I think a lot of photographers avoid it because of its limitations, despite it being so famous and beautiful. To begin with, it is forbidden to approach its shores, as a perimeter of wooden barriers plastered with signs makes clear in no uncertain terms. Therefore, you have to hang back in the trees and either shoot through them or else choose one of three openings that provide a clear shot of the lake.

Then there's the matter of light versus water volume. When the water level is low, much of the beautiful yellow lake bottom and lots of boulders are revealed, as you can see in this shot. The lake is least full in October, which is when I visited. This time of year, however, is also when the sun is always *behind* the mountain range from this vantage point--so you can either shoot right into a high sun or else shoot when the sun is down. In the summer this side of the range gets some great 'golden hour' light, but by then the water in the lake has risen high enough to cover much of that yellow goodness and the interesting boulders on the ground. It's a tough nut to crack, but I was really enjoying the soft, post-sunset light this evening, and I hope you like it too.