Light on the Eastern Sierras
This is my third year trekking the 7.5 hours to Tahoe to spend 4th of July in my friend’s cabin. It’s always a trip I really look forward to and this year was no exception. I’ve met some really fantastic people as there are always a pretty big group of Alex’s friends in attendance. You learn to bring earplugs, and probably to forgo sleep for 6 days.
This year was especially exciting because I got a new car and it’s a hybrid. I drove the whole way there and back and we made it to Tahoe on less than a tank of gas. Basically, it cost less than $50 to go 950 miles. I am thrilled with my Hyundai Ioniq and encourage anyone in the market for a car to check them out. No, Hyundai isn’t paying me to say any of this, but I wish they were. It’s exciting to drive a hybrid that’s actually fun to drive and doesn’t look like a spaceship. This is my third Hyundai, so I guess I’m a loyalist.
Okay, that’s it for my shameless Hyundai promotion. Once in Tahoe, there was a quick stop at an amazing local sushi spot and then on to the cabin. There’s never a lot of time for shooting because it always ends up being much more of a social trip. Last year I focused on firework photos but this year I didn’t even take my camera to the beach and just focused on being present and enjoying the show.
Every year a few of us try and stay one extra day and go on a little adventure to somewhere close by so we can shoot. Last year we did a hike with some awesome views and this year we trekked to Bonsai Rock on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. It's called that because of the three tiny trees that grow out of the top of it. We parked on the side of the road and scrambled down to the lake below. We were not alone. We encountered a bunch of photographers with the same idea as well as some people just enjoying the lake at sundown. Everyone was friendly and we all shared the space and got to see a beautiful sunset. I'm also lucky enough to have friends who just commit to it when I ask them to do super weird stuff like cover themselves in neon lights so I could take their picture once the sun went down...
Here are a few images from the rock and from Tahoe in general: