Behind The Image #1 – Foggy Sunrise at Moss Lake

I was present. I waited. I noticed.

This peaceful yet mysterious image was taken on the final morning of a four-day autumn photo trip in the Adirondacks. It’s one of my three favorite photographs from the trip—and not the image I planned to make that morning.

Rarely does a place draw such strong emotion from me. I’m usually pragmatic and calm in the woods. I take it in. I appreciate what I see. But it’s uncommon for something to rise to the surface emotionally.

I hope this photograph conveys what I felt.

The lake was calm, but not empty. Fog slowly convected from the cool shoreline and rose over the warmer water, creating a quiet motion—like nature breathing.

The trees fading into fog suggest mystery, but there’s no unease. Nothing feels hidden or threatening. Instead, the scene feels private. As if the lake allowed me into this moment only because I arrived early and quietly enough.

The warm, golden light seemed to push against the cold blue sky and gray fog. It gave me comfort. A reassurance that the day would be okay.

I felt alone—but not lonely (even if Caden was already lobbying to get back to the car). The moment was meditative. Intimate. The nearby campers slept, unaware of the beauty unfolding just beyond their tents.

Because I was present.
Because I waited.
Because I noticed—even when this wasn’t the plan.

The Work Behind the Image

I scouted this area the previous afternoon and spoke with a woman camping nearby. She mentioned how much she enjoyed watching the island in the center of the lake slowly emerge from the morning fog.

That sealed it.

The sun would rise from the left and—ideally—illuminate a few large White Pines on the island. The location was an easy hike from the trailhead, followed by a peaceful walk along Moss Lake’s shoreline. Much easier than climbing a mountain in the dark, as I had all the previous mornings.

This would be tomorrow’s shoot.

Caden and I arrived early, in the cold, dark morning. We were stealth-camping in the car, and the fog was thick over the warmer lake water. Moisture collected on my jacket and glasses as we walked. Caden ran back and forth along the wave-hardened sand, completely content.

The island was invisible—buried deep in fog. It was clear this would take time.

Many dog treats later, to stop Caden from wandering into the campsites, the eastern sky began to warm as the earth rotated us into position to receive light. The fog transformed the light into a deep gold—not the oranges and yellows I’d seen on previous mornings.

That’s when I noticed two tall, weathered White Pines to my left. Their wispy reflections floated in the still water of a small bay.

The island plan was abandoned.

The Scene

I moved closer to the bay, searching for a foreground element to balance the reflections. Horsetail reeds along the shoreline provided exactly what I needed.

A short sandy bar jutted into the lake. A large White Pine grew from it, with a red autumn maple just in front—adding seasonal context and visual weight to the midground.
Behind them, swamp trees and taller pines emerged through the fog. They filled the frame and added mystery as they quietly revealed themselves through the golden haze.

I set the aperture to f/11, zoomed my 16–80mm lens to 45mm, and made more frames than I care to admit as the sun climbed higher.

The image at the top of this newsletter is the one that stayed with me. The fog was heavier in the second bay, catching the sunlight and creating strong rays beneath the tallest pines.

The fog softened the dark hillside behind the lake, allowing light and shadow to balance across the frame.

Even though the sun was bright, I knew I could crop the edge and lift the shadows beneath the pines and maple without issue.

I enjoy the composition, I feel it is well balanced with the reeds and reflections balancing the foreground, the autumn color of the tree and the fog balances the midground, and large pine and bright sun offset each other with the trees peering through the fog giving the background some mystery—it feels right.

I’d love to hear what you think of the image, composition, colors, or anything else.
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