This spectacular view over Lake Wanaka, New Zealand, is seen from Coromandel Peak: private land on Mount Roy, a 1,578m/5,177ft peak between the town of Wanaka and Glendhu Bay. The peak of Mount Roy itself is a popular Instagram spot involving a strenuous hike to the top, whereas this vantage point, slightly lower down, is not open to the public and can be accessed somewhat more easily by helicopter.
The low hanging clouds over the lake and beneath the surrounding mountain peaks made this particular morning exceptional. The pre-dawn mood of the scene was impressive enough, but as the sun rose above the mountains, the side-lighting of the clouds and subtle lighting of the lake below was irresistible. What’s more, the sunrise kept on giving, creating an ever-changing dynamic scene with the clouds below us moving, breaking up, thinning out and re-forming again.
Apart from the grandeur of the vista, this scene offers up compelling compositional elements for the photographer: a natural S-curve and of course its depth – a view stretching into the distance past the bays and islands of Lake Wanaka, all the way to the delta of the braided Makarora River, some 50km away. The compression effect of a telephoto lens brings these distant details into closer view.
