Mono Lake, located in the far eastern part of California, covers an area of 60 square miles. It is estimated to be over a million years old, making it one of North America's oldest lakes. It is fed by mountain streams from the Eastern Sierras, which carry fresh water full of salt and minerals. As a result, Mono Lake is 2.5 times as salty as the ocean.

What makes this lake unique are the many 'tufa' towers that have formed over time. These are composed of calcium carbonate or limestone. Walking along the shores of this lake and within these formations can give the visitor a feeling of being in an otherworldly landscape.

During my most recent visit, I noticed some huge cloud formations developing in the late afternoon. Stormy weather was in the early evening forecast, so I headed over to the lake for some moody weather photography.

A great light show began as the sun started to set in the western sky, while at the same time, the clouds were taking on some amazing shapes. The colors in the sky were quickly changing as the golden hour transitioned into the blue hour.

I quickly moved around the tufa formations, finding various compositions to photograph. It was indeed one of the most remarkable evenings for photography that I could recall, as the incredible light seemed to linger forever.

As the wind picked up and the rain started to fall, I packed up and headed back to the hotel. I knew it would be tough to choose which image to submit for this assignment. I eventually settled on this one, as I thought it was the moodiest of the bunch.