<p>I woke at 3 AM to catch this moment. The hike in complete darkness with only a headlamp was worth every step. As I arrived at the lakeshore, the world was still wrapped in deep blue twilight. Then, slowly, the mountains began to glow. It&#039;s moments like these that remind me why I carry 15kg of gear up mountain trails.The reflection was so perfect that morning—not a breath of wind disturbed the glass-like surface. I had maybe 10 minutes of this magical light before the sun crested the peaks and everything changed.</p>

This was shot from a viewpoint I discovered after taking a wrong turn on a hiking trail. Sometimes the best locations find you. I spent three mornings waiting for the perfect fog conditions—patience is the landscape photographer's greatest virtue.

The weather had been terrible all week. On my last evening, the clouds finally broke just as the sun set, and I was treated to this spectacular display. The volcanic terrain added an almost alien quality to the scene.