Tufa towers on the shore of Mono Lake at South Tufa in soft light before golden hour, calm water and thin cloud, California.

Low Drama

South Tufa, Mono Lake, California

Most tufa photos go for drama — sunset fire, Milky Way, storm light. This one is the opposite on purpose. I walked South Tufa in the hour before golden hour looking for a composition that felt calm: the towers standing in flat water, soft light, nothing shouting. It's the quiet frame in a set of loud ones, and this shore rewards that as much as it rewards the spectacle.

Nikon Z 7_2 · NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S · 14mm · f/11 · 60s · ISO 31

August 13, 2026

Back to Landscapes

More from South Tufa, Mono Lake, California

Tufa towers reflected in Mono Lake at golden hour, receding storm clouds lit warm over South Tufa, California.The Milky Way over the tufa towers of South Tufa, Mono Lake, during the Perseid meteor shower, reflected in still water.

More from Landscapes

Convict Lake at midnight under the Milky Way, Mount Morrison and Laurel Mountain lit by long exposure, California.Hot Creek winding through its gorge, faint steam over the water and morning light on Mammoth Mountain, California.Williams Butte and the Eastern Sierra at blue hour under storm clouds, sagebrush in the foreground, Lee Vining, California.Landscapes photograph by Danil Zanozin (AC11398)