One of my Lake Tahoe landscape photographs — "Tahoe Lupine at Sunrise 4" — is featured on the cover of Tahoe Quarterly's Best of Tahoe 2026 issue, hitting newsstands on May 1, 2026. It's one of the most meaningful milestones of my career as a fine art photographer based in Truckee, California, and I wanted to share the story behind the image.
How it started: a text, cold water, and flooded lupines on the North Shore
It started with a tip from a fellow photographer. He'd noticed something rare: the lake level at Lake Tahoe had risen quickly enough to flood the lupine wildflowers growing along the shoreline at Lake Forest Beach on the North Shore. In June, the lupines along the Tahoe shoreline are already one of the most spectacular seasonal sights in the Sierra Nevada. But submerged, surrounded by still water, reflecting a pastel sunrise sky? We knew we had to be there.
We arrived well before first light. Shoes came off, tripods went into the lake, and the cold water barely registered once the light started to change. What followed was one of those rare mornings that reminds you exactly why you chase this kind of landscape photography. The lake was glassy and calm, perfectly mirroring the colors building above the mountains. Purple lupine blooms surrounded us at water level, and every direction you pointed a camera, something extraordinary was happening.
I came home with hundreds of frames. One of them became the image now on the cover of Tahoe Quarterly.
The cover: Tahoe Quarterly Best of Tahoe 2026
Tahoe Quarterly — Best of Tahoe 2026. Available on newsstands May 1, 2026.
Seeing this image on the cover of Tahoe Quarterly — and specifically the Best of Tahoe issue — is an honor I won't take lightly. Tahoe Quarterly has been the voice of this region for decades, and the Best of Tahoe issue is their annual showcase of everything that makes the Lake Tahoe region exceptional. To have my work representing that on newsstands across Northern California and Nevada is something I'm deeply grateful for.
Pick up a copy at select retailers starting May 1st, or visit tahoequarterly.com for more information.
Behind the scenes at Lake Forest Beach
Early morning at Lake Forest Beach, North Shore Lake Tahoe — shoes off, feet in cold water, making the most of a fleeting moment.
This behind-the-scenes shot was taken the same morning. Two photographers, standing in a cold alpine lake in pre-dawn light, surrounded by wildflowers. No assistants, no elaborate setup — just a tip-off, an early alarm, and a willingness to get your feet wet. These are the mornings I live for as a Tahoe landscape photographer.
Why this scene was so rare
The lupines that grow along this stretch of the North Shore shoreline only appear during drought years, when low lake levels expose the sandy shoreline long enough for them to take root and bloom. Most years, that ground is completely underwater and the lupines never appear at all. That June, they'd grown in beautifully along the shore — and then the lake level rose just enough to flood the blooms closest to the water's edge, creating an otherworldly reflection scene that lasted only a matter of days.
If you weren't there in that window, you missed it entirely. That's the Lake Tahoe I try to capture — fleeting, luminous, and impossible to repeat.
Own a fine art print of the cover image
"Tahoe Lupine at Sunrise 4" is available as a fine art print through my website, and it's stunning at large format. The image has the color depth, tonal range, and fine detail to shine on any medium — metal prints, acrylic, canvas gallery wraps, fine art watercolor paper, or lustre photo paper.
Large format metal or acrylic prints make this image a stunning focal point in a living room or great room.
The soft purples and warm sunrise tones make this image a natural fit for a calm, beautiful bedroom.
Also available on mugs, greeting cards, throw pillows, and more — perfect for gifting or keeping a little piece of Tahoe close.
Prints are available from smaller shelf-sized pieces all the way up to large and custom statement sizes. If you'd like to see it in person first, a 20" x 30" metal print is currently on exhibit and available for purchase at Art Truckee Gallery, 9950 Donner Pass Road, Downtown Truckee.
Shop “Tahoe Lupine at Sunrise 4” and all fine art prints →
A special offer to celebrate
Use code TAHOECOVER20 at checkout for 20% off
Valid through May 20, 2026. No minimum purchase required.
A note on this place
I've been photographing the Lake Tahoe and Truckee region for a long time, and moments like that June morning are why I keep coming back to the shoreline, the mountains, and the trails of this region with a camera. The light here is like nowhere else. The seasons bring entirely different versions of the same landscape. And occasionally, the conditions align in a way that simply can't be repeated.
That's the Tahoe I try to capture. That's the Tahoe I want to bring into your home.
Thank you for being part of this community, and thank you to Tahoe Quarterly for this incredible honor.
— Scott
Scott Thompson is a fine art photographer based in Truckee, California. His work is available as prints, canvas, metal, acrylic, and more at TruckeeTahoePhotos.com. Original prints are also on exhibit at Art Truckee Gallery, 9950 Donner Pass Road, Downtown Truckee.
