Wallowa Lake Fine Art Photograph

Description

Wallowa Lake Fine Art Photograph

Sunrise Reflection on the Wallowa Mountains

Oregon’s Beautiful Wallowa Lake was formed by glacial moraines which rise high above this lake, located on the northeast edge of the  Eagle Cap Wilderness. This 3.5 mile long lake is located near the town of Joseph, Oregon, at 4,300 feet of elevation.  The town of Joseph was named for Chief Joseph, former leader of the Nez Perce tribe who’s grave is located near the lake. During a recent landscape photography adventure to Northeast Oregon, I camped at Wallowa Lake State Park. I quickly realized that wildflower season on the shores of the lake was well past prime, so I scouted for alternate compositions near the lake for a sunrise photography session.

I’ve been on multiple backpacking trips to the Eagle Cap Wilderness and have been enchanted by this small, vertical mountain range. The Wallowa Mountains have a very different feel than the Cascade Mountains in the Three Sisters Wilderness Area adjacent to my home in Bend, Oregon. During this trip, it was a little too early for a backpacking trip into the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area, so I focused on some surrounding areas, including the Imnaha River and the Zumwal Prairie.

The first morning would be a bonus shoot, without the bonus of abundant wildflowers. After a couple of hours of scrambling around on the shores of the lake, I found an attractive composition that made me excited for the 5:00 am sunrise. I arrived well before sunrise, as attractive clouds were forming over the Wallowa Mountains. As if on cue, the wind died down and warms rays of sunlight illuminated the summits of Bonneville and Chief Joseph Mountains. What an incredible morning bonus!!!