Last Saturday, I spent some time at one of the more popular lakes along the Wasatch Front. Silver lake is located near the ski resort town of Brighton, Utah, at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon.

This lake is popular with families and fishermen, alike. The surrounding area is laced with trails of varying difficulty that wander the mountainside to other lakes. There’s a family of moose living in the area who frequently visit this lake.

I arrived early that morning, intent on photographing the surrounding mountains reflected from this lake’s water. I had several specific locations in mind, but found my first choice was already occupied by another photographer and a fisherman. I opted for my second site and managed to capture the attached picture.

Of the several images I captured from this vantage, I especially like this one. I made this image just before leaving for another spot, further around the lake. Fortunately, I stayed at this site long enough – watching the light play across the scene in front of me – that the sun surprised me. It broke through the trees behind me and fell across the rock beneath my camera at the base of this scene.

I had to step aside from my camera to keep my shadow from falling on the rock, too. But that little, unexpected splash of light on the foreground rock made all the difference. This scene rocks! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun).

Enjoy!
-Mike.