Fifteen-second dawn exposure of the Kearsarge Pinnacles reflected in a still Kearsarge Lake before sunrise.

Kiersarge Mirror

Kearsarge Lakes, Kings Canyon National Park, California

4:55 in the morning at Kearsarge Lakes, a fifteen-second exposure in the blue before anything happens. This is the shot the knee-high tripod was born for — at shin height the near shore, the reflection, and the Pinnacles stack into one plane of glass. The day before had been the hardest of the trip: a frozen tent, a resupply hauled back over the pass. Mornings like this are how the ledger balances.

Nikon Z 7_2 · 17-35mm f/2.8D · 17mm · f/5 · 15s · ISO 400

July 4, 2025

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