Lenticulars Over Topaz Lake

Posted by Don Smith (California, United States) on 31 January 2009 in Landscape & Rural.

Lenticular clouds form over Topaz Lake, which is located on the California/Nevada border, 75 miles south of Reno along the eastern Sierra's Highway 395. I had just finished crossing the high Sierra range through a light snowstorm. These types of storms typically break apart as they travel out over the high desert and away from the eastern crest. I photographed this scene from the parking lot of the Best Western Hotel. This image is a single-frame RAW capture converted in Adobe Camera Raw. To see more of my images, please visit my website at http://www.donsmithphotography.com.

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Comments (11)

Marie LC from Voiron, France

Love lenticulars clouds. Colours are very in harmony, beautiful shot

31 Jan 2009 7:00am

@Marie LC: Thanks Marie - lenticulars are fairly common in this region due to the air mass rising up and over the Sierra Mountain Range.

Scott Schilling from San Martin, United States

Dear Don, these are my favorite types of clouds - especially along the Eastern Sierra - beautiful color on the clouds! Not a bad shot from the parking lot!

31 Jan 2009 8:24am

@Scott Schilling: Hey Scott, I'm back from DV - we had a great time and some interesting weather. I will be posting in the weeks ahead. Been looking at your blog - you have some great images.

Eleftheria from Athens, Greece

Fantastic clouds!

31 Jan 2009 10:16am

@Eleftheria: Hi Eleftheria - interesting cloud formations are always cool to photograph. Hope all is well with you and your family.

zOOm from Paris, France

These clouds are really spectacular... ! A nice landscape with blueish tones.

31 Jan 2009 10:35am

@zOOm: Thank you Florence - warm and cold tones always work well together - they draw my eye.

Ana Lúcia from Leiria, Portugal

That is beautiful! What a great shot.

31 Jan 2009 11:36am

@Ana Lúcia: Thank you Ana.

Marion from Liberty Township, United States

truly wonderful colors and lighting. I wished I could join you on one of your exhibitions! Your shots are all phenomenal...but I guess you know that LOL :)
thanks for sharing them.

31 Jan 2009 1:30pm

@Marion: Thank you Marion. I think the more I progress the more I expect out of myself. Like everyone else, I'm always trying to improve.

EstherK from Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Lenticular clouds...something new for me! This is an awesome shot, Steve....love the way the clouds catches the sun.

31 Jan 2009 2:48pm

@EstherK: Hi Ester (not sure who Steve is), when you see a cloud in the shape of a lens, that is a lenticular. They ususally appear where a moist and/or cold air mass risies up and over a mountain range (in this case the Sierra Nevada Range). Thanks for your comments.

Yonatan from Bronx, United States

From a parking lot! The colors in the sky are beautiful and I like how they abut the dark mountains. I think the Best Western should should purchase this shot from you. They could put it on their website and visitors would flock to them for that view at sunrise/sunset.

31 Jan 2009 4:54pm

@Yonatan: Hi Yonatan - I should hire you as my agent - never thought of that. I was just hoping the manager wasn't going to come out and ask me to leave - I think it was so cold, they just wanted to stay inside!

DarkElf from Perth, Australia

wonderful dreamy shot Ron! love the splashes of colour over the clouds!

1 Feb 2009 5:45am

@DarkElf: Thanks Dark Elf.

Helma from Tehran, Iran

Fantastic !!!!!!!

3 Feb 2009 7:28pm

Double KK Photography from West Richland, United States

beautiful photo great colors

4 Feb 2009 11:51pm

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