Sunrise light on Manzanita Lake seen through pine trunks from the campground, Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Through the Trunks

Manzanita Lake, Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

I was walking in to camp when I caught the light coming off the water between the trunks, with insects working in it further out. It is a photograph about backlight and nothing else — the trees are only there to break the glare into something the eye can rest on. I shot it from where I was standing. Stepping forward would have closed the gaps and cost me the whole thing.

Nikon Z 7_2 · TAMRON 150-500mm F/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD A057Z · 273mm · f/7.1 · 1/1000 · ISO 1600

June 30, 2026

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