Williams Butte and the Eastern Sierra at blue hour under storm clouds, sagebrush in the foreground, Lee Vining, California.

Sage and Storm

Williams Butte, Lee Vining, California

A rare rainy day in a hot August, and the clouds it left behind were the reason to stop. I pulled off 395 near Williams Butte, on the way to Mono Lake, set the tripod among the sagebrush and waited for the last of the light while the cloud moved in over the mountains. Blue hour did the colour; the bushes hold the bottom of the frame so the sky can take up the rest.

Nikon Z 7_2 · NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S · 19mm · f/11 · 13s · ISO 500

August 12, 2026

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