Having been over 6 years since I last paid a visit to South Lake Tahoe, I definitely knew this time around what to expect and what [few] images I wanted to grab during a short, little family trip away from the San Francisco Bay Area for Labor Day weekend.
Luckily for us, especially in today's day and age, we are exposed to a number of amazing social media platforms that allow us to fuel our wanderlust, experiment different styles and techniques, and ultimately -- expand on our creative horizons. Of course, these kinds of things always come with their caveats. Too much of anything isn't always the best policy, no matter how good. That said, I was fortunate enough to know what I wanted on a one-night stay in South Lake Tahoe, and given that many photographers and creatives enjoy capturing light primarily in the golden hour, blue hour, and night time, I was still able to fully engage in maintaining presence throughout the normal part of the day.
Bonsai Rock and Emerald Bay were the two locations that were on my list for this little trip, and it goes without saying that both of those locations truly delivered. After experimenting with numerous long exposures at Bonsai Rock - both as the sun was setting and as the milky way was rising, the end products definitely justified the means.
As for Emerald Bay, there has always been a saying that... waking up for sunrise is never fun, but we never actually regret it when all is said and done. Mornings like these solidify that statement for me, and much, much more.
