Mono Lake California

I recently took a trip to the US southwest, travelling between Arizona, Nevada, and California. I flew into Vegas, and drove through Death Valley to Lone Pine, California, Bishop California, and then to Lee Vining California, where the site of this photo was taken. This is Mono Lake, a very popular site for photography, as witnessed by the large number of photographers present. Mono Lake is a very interesting phenomena, as it is a saline soda lake, with no outlet to the Pacific Ocean. It is also believed to be one of the oldest lakes in the United Staes. Calcite deposits, called tufas,  are present at the shoreline, which create the interesting shapes that people like to photograph. The colours range from pure white, to grey, and depending on the light, yellow or red. In the late afternoon and evening, the colours tend to range in the reddish spectrum. The footing can be a little challenging, as the calcite deposits are very hard, and can be sharp as well. There are paths in and around the deposits, and it is discouraged to climb onto the tufas. Very interesting colours can be created by the setting sun, and one can take photos well after sunset. This shot was taken in late afternoon, shortly after I arrived.