Picture Story

Sunset approaches the granite dells of Watson Lake outside Prescott, AZ. I had seen stunning images of the lake in various photo outlets and finally made the trip to check it out myself. I spent the morning hiking the trail around the perimeter with frequent stops to scramble out on the boulders that jut into the lake. The rocks are simply spectacular. The colors, shapes and sheer number of rocks juxtaposed with the lake create a surreal landscape unlike any other I can remember.

After scoping the lake shore in the morning, I spent the afternoon exploring the lake by kayak. It's easy paddling, and many coves and islands can be checked out. The new perspective of being on the water also made it clear just how large the boulders were. The icing on the cake was the weather clearing up as the day went on. Morning clouds gave way to mostly clear skies by the end of the day, and I had plenty of time to figure out where I wanted to be for the golden hour and sunset.

I chose an island on the east side of the lake near a series of dells jutting out into the water. After an hour of lovely light, the last five minutes before sunset provided the best combination of warm golden light mixed with pockets of shadows that appear as the sun gets low in the sky. It didn't last long, and I'm glad I was able to get a keeper.