My Best Tahoe Photos of 2013

It's that time of year again. A time to look back at my adventures and photos of 2013 and pick my best. Here are my top ten photos of 2013, in no particular order. 

A big thank you to photographer Jim Goldstein, who asks photographers every year to submit their top photos of the year. His request has inspired me to post my top ten for the last few years (2012,  2011, 2010) When he lists everybody's best shots in his blog post, I'll update and post a link here: ____ (Update - Best Photos of 2013 by JMG-Galleries Blog Readers link)

Just another incredible moment at Lake Tahoe. I loved the soft pastel purple light, the boulders, and the moon in this one. Also, I got to shoot it with my good friend Tony Spiker of Spiker Photography. You can check out a 30"x40" print of this one at Tony's Vista Gallery in Kings Beach.

"Full Moon Over Lake Tahoe 12" -These boulders, full moon, and alpenglow sunset were photographed at Crystal Point in Crystal Bay, Lake Tahoe.

I've shot this old shack many times. And on occasion, when the first snow falls and the aspen still have their yellow leaves, I drive up to the spot and shoot it before the snow melts. The visit this year provided for some great photos. 

"Shack in the Aspens 4" - Photograph of yellow leaved aspens and an old shack near the summit of Hwy 267 in Tahoe. Shot in the fall while it was snowing.

An incredible sunset that seemed to last forever. Lots of fun to shoot this one.

"Blackwood Canyon Sunset 1" - Photograph taken in Tahoe's Blackwood Canyon of a pine tree and mountain silhouette with a beautiful fiery orange and yellow sunset background.

The golden pebbles and blue Tahoe waters and sky went so nicely together in this shot. This one looks great in print. 

"Pebbles at Whale Beach 3" - These pebbles were photographed along the shore of Whale Beach on the East shore of Lake Tahoe. Whale Rock can be seen in the distance.

A personal favorite. A print of this is pinned on my wall above my computer monitor. I often catch myself looking at it, daydreaming of sitting in the stick shelter's shade on a hot day with a cold drink in my hand...

"Stick Shelter at Lake Tahoe" - This little shelter made of driftwood and sticks was photographed at Whale Beach on the East shore of Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe's blue, aqua, emerald, and green waters are incredible. Secret Cove is a great place to capture the colors. Oh, and a 30"x40" print of this one is currently available at Art Obsessions in Downtown Truckee. I think it looks pretty nice. 

"Secret Cove, Lake Tahoe" - Photograph of a sailboat at Secret Cove on the East shore of Lake Tahoe.

It's hard to go wrong with Lake Tahoe aerial photography. This abstract shot shows the progressions of colors as the water gets deeper. Pretty cool. 

"Lake Tahoe Aerial 5" - Aerial photograph of Lake Tahoe shot from a helicopter with the door removed.

Anther Lake Tahoe abstract aerial. The Upper Truckee Marsh and blue waters made for a really fun and unique Tahoe photo. 

"Upper Truckee Marsh and Tahoe 1" - This abstract like photo of the Upper Truckee Marsh, shoreline, and Lake Tahoe was photographed from a helicopter.

I had been wanting this shot for years and finally got it. Tony Spiker and I hiked up a steep mountain across from Squaw Valley Ski Resort to get this and the hike was worth it (he got a great shot as well). 

"Squaw Valley Torchlight Parade 1" - Long exposure photograph of the torchlight parade at Squaw Valley Ski Resort. Multiple skiers hold torches at they ski down the mountain.

Thanks to apps like Golden Pic and Google Sky Maps, I was able to "predict" this moon rising in the perfect location over Downtown Truckee at sunset. Truckee is always beautiful but this time of year can be magical with all of the Christmas lights (and sometimes snow). 

"Moon Over Truckee 1" - Photograph of a moon rising over Truckee at sunset. An alpenglow sunset and Christmas lights compliment the moon.

There you have it, my top ten photos of 2013. Please click on individual photos for larger views and purchasing information. Available as large fine art prints, photo gift items, and as stock photography. 

Cheers to a great 2014!

-Scott Thompson

New Winter Themed Photography Exhibit

Scott Shots Photography has a new winter themed photography exhibit on display at the Pavilion at Truckee's Old Greenwood. Old Greenwood is a private golf resort community, so unfortunately, unless you are a homeowner there or a member of their Tahoe Mountain Club, you probably won't get to see this exhibit in person. No problem, I took a couple photos of my photos for you.

There are 12 winter themed photos on display, either framed or on canvas, all are available for purchasing. And as always, I have many more photos/prints available at Art Obsessions in Downtown Truckee and at the Vista Gallery in Kings Beach.

While we're on the theme of winter, I went ahead and put together a slideshow of a "few" images that were tagged with either the keyword winter or snow. Many more winter themed images can be found by using my website's search tool. Thanks for looking and I hope you have a great winter season!

-Scott Thompson

Winter Images gallery - Images by Scott Thompson

For the best slideshow viewing experience, click on the full screen icon. For more info about the image or purchasing info, click on an individual image. Large fine art prints, photo gift items, and digital downloads are available. 

Fall Colors in the Tahoe Area, 2013

"Shack in the Aspens 4"

The fall colors in the Tahoe area can be amazing. Some years are better than others, this year has been a good one. Although some early snow and freezing night time temperatures caused some of the aspen to go brown before turning yellow, there has been plenty of aspen and cottonwood trees that did color up and offer some spectacular photo opportunities. 

The slideshow below contains photos that were shot this fall (2013). For the best viewing experience, click the full screen icon on the slideshow. Images are available as large fine art prints, stock photography, and as photo gift items. 

The fall season is still not over, I may add more photos to this slideshow soon... Thanks for looking!

-Scott Thompson

Fall Colors in the Tahoe Area, 2013 - Images by Scott Thompson

Great Place to Photograph Lake Tahoe

Occasionally I get phone calls or emails from people asking me where they should photograph Lake Tahoe. They are usually only up here for a few days while on vacation and don't have a lot of time to explore. I tend to recommend the "must see" and easy locations like Emerald Bay or Sand Harbor. But there are also some great areas around the lake if you are willing to go on short hikes. 

Lake Tahoe's East shore has many short hike areas that are great for photography, one of my favorites is the Chimney Beach, Secret Cove, Whale Beach area. This is about a mile of shoreline that has tons of granite boulders, beautiful pine tree covered points, and aqua blue waters.  

If you only have a little bit of time to photograph the area, I would recommend getting there in the early morning but not too early. The area is popular for hanging out on the beaches, people start showing up in the morning (disclaimer: Secret Cove and Whale Beach are clothing optional). But... if you get there too early, the sun is behind a big mountain and everything is in the shade. The aqua, emerald colors in the water really only show up well when the sun is shining on the water.  Here is a link to a google map showing Chimney Beach and it's parking area: http://goo.gl/maps/ns1dA

Must have camera gear for the area would be a wide angle lens and a polarizing filter. The wide angle views are stunning and the polarizer will help you cut through the glare on the surface of the lake and capture Tahoe's famous blue, aqua, emerald, and green waters. 

Below is a slideshow of images I've captured from the area. Prints, photo gift items, and digital downloads are available. Here is a link to these images on my website where they can be viewed larger and purchased: Tahoe Photos Gallery.  If you have any additional questions about the area, please don't hesitate to ask in the comments section below. 

-Scott Thompson

ScottShotsPhoto.com