Sunrise over Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe

Growing up in California, I was very fortunate to have a family house in Tahoe. As a child I remember building forts in the woods behind our house and jumping in the beautiful yet chilly water that makes up Lake Tahoe. As a photographer, this area of California is amazing. One of my favorite locations is Emerald Bay, located near the south end of the lake. While extremely popular for visitors and photographers alike, there are still plenty of opportunities for unique compositions if you look hard enough. While I usually prefer dramatic skies, the clean feel of this image is what I enjoy the most.

Emerald Bay at Sunrise in Lake Tahoe, California — “Leaving Emerald Bay” – Lake Tahoe, California 2009

Image Information:
CAMERA: Canon 5D Mark II
LENS: Canon 24-70 2.8L
ISO: 200
EXPOSURE: f / 9.0 at 1/125 Sec

Post Processing:
I balanced the light reflecting off the water with the sky by using Lightroom’s local adjustments (brush) as well as the split toning feature. I cleaned up a few ripples in the lake via content aware in Photoshop and then slightly enhanced the color of the image using +Nik Software‘s Viveza 2.

About the Author

Colby Brown

Colby Brown is a photographer, photo educator and author that specializes in landscape, travel and wildlife photography. His photographic portfolio spans the four corners of the globe and all 7 continents. He has worked as a photo instructor for National Geographic and founded The Giving Lens, an organization that blends photo education with support for various non-governmental organizations (NGO) and causes around the world, such as child education, clean drinking water projects, and women’s rights.

Additional Articles Worth Checking out...

A Photographers Guide to Navigating The Pandemic

Guide to Color Management for Dell XPS Laptops

The Guide to Color Management for Photographers

GEAR REVIEW: A PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKE ON THE BENQ SW271 4k Photo Editing Monitor

Upcoming Photo Workshop Adventures...

Aurora Over Skogafoss in South Iceland from Colby Brown's Iceland Winter Photo Workshop

Iceland Winter Photo Workshop – Ice Caves & Auroras

March 4th – 11th, 2024

Winter in Iceland is one of those unique experiences that everyone should have at least once in their life. With this workshop, we will focus our time on the South of Iceland, focusing our time on Ice Caves, Northern Lights, and glaciers, but we will also photograph a number of waterfalls such as Gullfoss, Bruarfoss, Seljalandsfoss, Skogarfoss and more.

Discover Cuba

February 1st – 8th, 2025

With this adventure, our focus will be on capturing the beauty of the Cuban people, culture, and architecture throughout the Island of Cuba. From the classic cars and ocean side highways in Havana to the cobblestone streets of Trinidad and everything in between. With so much uncertainty in the US/Cuban relationship, NOW is the time to go!

Wildlife Photography Workshop in Brazil Jaguars of the Pantanal

July 31st – Aug. 7th, 2025

The Pantanal region of Brazil is known as the land of the Jaguar. Nowhere else on Earth is there a higher concentration of these elusive big cats than this remote region of Southern Brazil, close to the Southern Amazon Basin. In addition to Jaguars, you will see Caimen, Capybara and a wide assortment of birds.

Uganda Photo Safari – A Trip of a Lifetime

July 27th – August 3rd, 2024

Uganda is one of the most unique wildlife destinations on the planet. Here you can find the endangered Silverback Gorilla along with amazing troops of Chimpanzees and the world-famous tree-climbing lions, which are found in a single area of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Join us on an adventure of a lifetime that offers some of the most intimate and incredible wildlife experiences on the planet.