Mammoth Lakes—a place where nature’s beauty knows no bounds. During a family vacation, I captured this photograph, “A Creek Runs Through,” after finding myself drawn to a captivating hot spring creek that I had stumbled upon on Instagram just weeks before. It was one of those hidden gems that immediately called to me, and when we finally visited, the mesmerizing blue waters winding through the landscape left us speechless. The creek flowed gracefully into the distance, framed by the majestic Sierra Nevada mountains—a scene begging to be immortalized through my lens.

The next morning, before dawn had a chance to break, I awoke with purpose. Driven by the desire to capture this geological marvel at sunrise, I set out alone, the thrill of the unpredictable morning light guiding my steps. As the sun slowly rose behind me, its rays kissed the clouds above the creek, setting them ablaze with vibrant colors. In that fleeting moment, the sky and water seemed to merge into one breathtaking spectacle—an image that transcended mere photography and became a tribute to nature’s raw and unfiltered beauty.