Convict Lake Road view of Mount Morrison & Laurel

The featured image was taken from Convict Lake Road looking toward Convict Lake, with Mounts Morrison (on the left) and Laurel (on the right). Make your way to Convict Lake Road on Highway 395, approximately 10 miles south of Mammoth Lakes and across the highway from the Mammoth / Yosemite Airport. Turn onto Convict Lake Road and drive for approximately 500 feet. The paved road will make a slight leftward curve before straightening out again and a dirt road will break off to the right. Find a safe spot to park in the dirt where the road breaks off, or continue up a bit more to another dirt road perpendicular to Convict Lake Road and park there. The spot is on the opposite side of where the power lines cross the road.

This spot is accessible all months of the year, and looks amazing at all times of year. The featured shot was taken in July, but I have taken similar shots during winter with snow and they are equally awesome.

The featured image was taken during sunset, although the light at both sunrise and sunset are great. You can catch light on Mount Morrison at either sunrise or sunset. If there are clouds, you will hopefully get a light show at either sunrise or sunset as well!

Be aware of traffic when capturing a road shot and make sure to park out of harm’s way.

Make sure to be on the other side of the power lines so that they do not appear in your scene as they can be distracting. There are also power lines lining the left side of the road that are inevitably going to be in the shot, but thats all part of the scene!

A variable focal length lens is a good idea because you are going to want to experiment with different focal lengths. I had a 24-70mm lens and took the featured photo at 33mm. You can go wide or narrow to create a scene you like!

Mounts Morrison and Laurel create a frame for the road, so make sure to center the road in your shot. The straightness of the road with the slight rise toward the mountains will do all the work to draw those viewing the photo into the scene!

Head down the road you've just been photographing and check out Convict Lake. It is truly a gem! Then you can head into Mammoth Lakes for food, lodging, and entertainment.