On a road trip back to Canada from Southern California with my two and a half year old daughter, San Francisco was a must stop location on our itinerary. With only a day to explore the city, it was hard to see everything. An area I have always wanted to photograph, this beach has arguably one of the best views of the famous Golden Gate Bridge. What I didn’t know at the time the only way of accessing this beach was from a long hike down the bluffs on a trail of a bazillion wooden stairs. Due to the secluded nature of the beach it was locally known as San Francisco’s nude beach. After making the hike down (with all of my camera and laptop gear since I didn’t want to leave it in the car), there was no way I was rushing back up. All I could do is laugh as naked people continuously walked by my little girl. Thankfully she has a one-track mind and was so enamored with digging in the sand, she didn’t notice there were people nearby.
With the lack of snow in the mountains this year, the lakes received a unique opportunity to freeze over without the ice clouding. The water in glacial fed mountain lakes is gin clear, as a result in the right conditions; the ice can form into a block that is nearly invisible. It is a surreal feeling walking onto a lake that gets to over one hundred feet deep and not even being able to see the ice you are walking on. As I walked out on the lake I was able to see fish scatter below my feet. This is a day I will not forget any time soon.
Over the years, I have developed a tremendous appreciation and now cherish the countless hours I have spent driving the countryside in the early hours of the morning. The air is fresh, animals are at their most active and the atmosphere is so quiet. This photograph is a prime example of why I love mornings.
