This photograph was taken just outside of one of the Donner Train Tunnels near Donner Lake, CA (Lake Tahoe area). I was heading back to the car in the late morning almost to the entrance of one of the tunnels when I spotted this mound. The late morning lighting happen to be just right as I did pass this mound earlier in the morning and did not notice because it was too shaded.

I set up my Nikon Z5II with my Nikkor 24-120mm S lens (ƒ/16 - 1/250 - 41mm - ISO100) on my Benro tripod using my NiSI JetMag True Color filter.

The challenge to this was more on the post processing side. This was an easy photograph to take with the camera. However, post processing to really capture the 3 dimensionality of the snow was the challenge. Getting the light to come out under the over hanging part of the snow in the center of the image. Thank God, for Luminar Neo's Light Depth tool.

This photograph makes a great print. I created an acrylic under glass print and it is hanging up at the Artist Co-Op Gallery in Reno. When you see it, you get the sense of peace and serenity that gentle snow gives you. The gentle sloping curves and soft contrast between the white snow and the shadows (actual shadows, not photographic shadows) helps with the feeling of the photograph.

BTW - If you remember a show called "Hell on Wheels" (it was a fictional story based on the building of the transcontinental railway); there were episodes at the end where they were blasting tunnels through the mountains. The Donner Tunnels are those tunnels. They have since been abandoned for a different route. So, now you can hike through the tunnels all year. During winter the snow and icicles are great to photograph. Bring a head lamp because the tunnels do get dark.