Mono Lake in winter (snow?)

[soop]

Anyone have any thoughts on whether it would be a good idea to shoot the tufa at Mono Lake in the winter, possibly in the snow? Probably around sunrise time.  Thanks!

[Paul Sumi]

Anyone have any thoughts on whether it would be a good idea to shoot the tufa at Mono Lake in the winter, possibly in the snow? Probably around sunrise time.  Thanks!
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Mono Lake is a very good sunrise location, and it is best to get there well BEFORE sunrise so you can catch the pre-dawn light.  The iconic location is the South Tufa, which is easily accessed by dirt road.

If you can, you might consider being there during the full moon, because there's the chance you will get a nice moon set.

I've never been there in the winter, but at least in the summer and fall there is a strong off-shore wind which springs up in the morning.

If you have a chance visit the Mono Lake Committee, which has a storefront in Lee Vining.  They have a lot of information on Mono Lake and the tufa.  When I was there last August, they had a small exhibition of Mono Lake photography, including some by well-known artists.

Here's a Mono Lake webcam:

[a href=\"http://www.monolake.org/live/monocam2.htm]http://www.monolake.org/live/monocam2.htm[/url]

Best,

Paul

[jdemott]

Mono Lake can be a great location in the winter--great light, interesting cloud formations, etc.  But it is winter in the mountains, which means possibly severe weather, and you need to plan accordingly.  Depending on the particular time you are there, there can be deep snow that makes getting around difficult, bitterly (even dangerously) cold conditions, or thick freezing fog.  In addition to warm clothing, having a flexible attitude would be very helpful.  If nature cooperates and you are able to get a sunrise shot of snow covered tufa, that's great.  But if nature throws something else at you, look around for other photo opportunities--they are all around.

[danmitch]

Anyone have any thoughts on whether it would be a good idea to shoot the tufa at Mono Lake in the winter, possibly in the snow? Probably around sunrise time.  Thanks!
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I have been through there in _late_ winter a couple times, and I concur with the location advice from the previous poster - the classic shots are from the area of and near the south tufa. And getting there well before dawn is a Good Thing since the light right before and at dawn is wonderful at this location - both on the lake itself and on the sierra crest to the west.

Might not be a bad idea to scout it out the day before.

Shooting on the west side of the lake is a morning or day time thing for the most part since the mountains block the sun fairly early in the evening.

Dan

[joedecker]

Anyone have any thoughts on whether it would be a good idea to shoot the tufa at Mono Lake in the winter, possibly in the snow? Probably around sunrise time.  Thanks!
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I've had incredible experiences photographing the lake, the tufa, and the surrounding basin in Winter.  Access to some areas of the lake can be a problem, I've been there at times where the roads weren't open out to the South Tufa viewing area, but even then I've ended up with some remarkable photographic opportunities, particularly the pogonip.

This gallery of images may whet your appetite:  [a href=\"http://www.rockslidephoto.com/cgi-bin/gallery.pl?gallery=5]http://www.rockslidephoto.com/cgi-bin/gallery.pl?gallery=5[/url]

You might also want to consider Richard Knepp's annual workshop on Mono Basin Winter Photography, offered through the Mono Lake Committee in Lee Vining, CA.   Rick is a friend and a mentor, so I admit some bias, but he lived in the area for years, and has an incredible knowledge of the areas and photographic opportunities the Mono Basin has to offer, it'd be a great introduction to the place.  Google should be able to provide links to the both the workshop and Rick's photographic site.