Photographing the iconic Mono Lake tufa formations was on my short list of goals for 2014. I had tried to photograph these awesome limestone towers once before, but did not know exactly where they were. This time however, I planned everything out perfectly.
My wife and I rolled into the Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve about two hours before sunset to get the lay of the land. I walked along the beach for about 20 minutes and found the perfect spot to photograph the tufa formations. When the wood walkway ends, most folks naturally go to the right (east) because there are a lot of easily accessible tufa formations right there. However, I found a small opening in the tufa formations immediately to the left (west) of the wood walkway. Once I made it through, I was completely alone on another beach. There were even a few tufa formations up close which made for some great foreground subjects.
After parking our motorhome, I returned to Mono Lake to the spot I found earlier. Again I was alone with the tufa formations you see in this photo. It was an incredible time with a beautiful summer sunset, still waters and these awesome Mono Lake tufa formations.
So next time you visit, go left!