Banner Peak and Thousand Island Lake. Ansel Adams Wilderness, California. July 27, 2007. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved. This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell. Color photograph of Banner Peak reflected in the smooth morning surface of Thousand Island Lake, broken by rocks. My brother and I were fortunate to be at Thousand Island Lake on a completely clear and wind-free morning last summer. (larger) The experience of shooting this photograph was better than the photograph itself. We were camped very close by and we arose before dawn in near darkness and in cold, still air. You lie in your sleeping bag of a minute or two trying to convince yourself that getting up really is a good idea, and then something takes hold and you just get out of the bag and start moving. We grabbed our gear and walked to a nearby peninsula along the south side of the lake and waited in silence as gentle light gradually began to fill the sky and the sun finally began to touch the summits of the peaks to the west. (There is also a black and white rendition of this photograph.)