The forecast for a nice sunrise at Lake Tahoe was correct, it was a good one! This location is where Lake Tahoe flows into the Truckee River, near Commons Beach in Tahoe City. I've been to this location a few times before. It's fairly easy in the winter, they keep a nearby parking lot plowed and it's only a five minute walk to this shooting spot.
The clouds were already beginning to get colorful when I arrived. But about 20 minutes later, they exploded with bright oranges, yellows, and pinks. I was happy with the show!
The photo above was my main composition goal. The color also fired off over my right shoulder so I had to move the tripod for a minute and get this shot below.
After enjoying my morning with the camera, I started walking back to my car. This scene caught my eye so I set up again. Big frost flakes had formed on top of the snow were sparkling in the early sunlight. Magical.
All three photos were shot with a Canon 5DS R and a 24-105mm lens. No lens filters were used, the light reflected nicely off the water and the snow so they were not needed.
A chilly morning but totally worth it!
Thank you for looking and I hope you are all having a great day.
Scott Thompson
www.ScottShotsPhoto.com