The postcard cliche' location for Colorado. Still it didn't stop me from trying to beat out the groves of hikers for one of the two remaining parking spots. Luckily I had my time zones mixed up for sunrise and arrived an hour earlier than I planned and was the first photographer on site. I was on my way back from fieldwork in California but got in too late to scout ahead of time. Composing in the dark becomes even more difficult when you have never visited a location before but I was more than satisfied with the experience.
Single exposure shot pre-sunrise. Long exposure revealed the subtle glow that the Maroon Bells were starting to take on. I prefer this one over the direct light from sunrise. My intent was to showcase the beautiful color on the mountains and slight fall color perfectly reflected in the lake, which did not last long as an impatient beaver obliged us photographers long enough and swam across the whole lake disrupting the reflection for several minutes.
Nikon D3200, 18-55 mm