First and Last Light on Kiva Aspens

There are not many aspen stands that extend right to the crystal clear water of Lake Tahoe, so this one always stands out to me. I waited for peak fall color and calm waters (no wind) to paddle out and capture this moment from the water. After many attempts lying down on my board, with my camera in waterproof housing partially submerged, I settled on this image:

Above and Below Kiva Aspens. Lake Tahoe Basin. October 2024.

Last year I implemented the same strategy, but instead opted for a vertical composition and paddled out to capture the last light of the day hitting this aspen stand. The location, time of year, calmness of the water, and weather was very similar, but the results couldn’t be more different because of how the image was framed and how the location of the sun impacted the scene in the morning compared to the afternoon. Another key and obvious difference is the more golden color of the aspens in the 2023 image.

Last Light on Kiva Aspens. Lake Tahoe Basin. October 2023.