Daybreak

Glacier Water

A reference-photo study of a high valley lake, shallow and brown at the near shore and turquoise further out.

Series

Published

A turquoise lake below rocky, snow-capped mountains, with a sandy shore under a clear blue sky.

SubjectA lake between bare mountain slopes

ReferenceTwo credited CC0 photographs

Looking atHow the water changes colour with depth

Paired withThe sea from Where the Water Stops

In the reference photograph, bare slopes come down from both sides and meet in a notch, where a distant snow peak shows. The water in front is shallow and brown over sand and stones, and it turns turquoise where the lake deepens toward the far shore.

Turquoise water and a sandy shore below rocky mountain slopes
Glinting water in the foreground; the turquoise begins beyond the stones.

Reading the colour

The colour change runs from front to back rather than left to right, so the picture reads like a depth chart. Light from above the frame adds a streak of flare and the sparkle on the near water.

A calm blue sea meeting golden sand under a hazy sky
Different water, the same edge of sand: a companion frame from Where the Water Stops.