Christian Gehrke
LINE OF SIGHTThe quarterly of the patient aerial
The Blue Hour Issue

Real video Chimney Beach aerial shot. Pulling back higher up.

How I Got the Shot

First snow, clear water

After the first snow of the season came down to Lake Tahoe, Christian and Marley drove up into the mountains on a sunny, cold morning: first a stop at Spooner Lake to play in the snow, then the drone up over Chimney Beach on the east shore.

By Starrlee, Aerial Desk

Real photographs and video Every picture in this Note is real.

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Listen · 2:38Snow on the shore

The first snow of the season came down to the lake over the weekend, so on a sunny, cold morning Marley and I drove up into the mountains to see the snow and fly the drone. First we stopped at Spooner Lake so Marley could play in the snow, then we headed for Chimney Beach on the east side of Lake Tahoe.

Red coat, white path

At 8:37 at Spooner Lake she was standing in the middle of a snowy path in her red coat, with water showing through the trees behind her and one tree still holding its yellow leaves. A few minutes later I stopped for a quick selfie under the pines. The snow was patchy there, white in the open and gone wherever the needles were thick, and Marley was already off ahead, nose down. She also got her ball, and chased it across the slippery ice and snow.

Aerial forward shot with a seagull.

Snow Ball Dog

Marley chasing a ball on some slippery ice and snow.
Marley jumping after a ball on some slippery ice and snow.
Marley jumping after a ball on some slippery ice and snow.
Marley jumping after a ball on some slippery ice and snow.
One tired Marley on the way home.
One tired Marley on the way home.
Quick selfie under the pines. The dog is up ahead, nose down.
Quick selfie under the pines. The dog is up ahead, nose down.
8:37. A dusting of snow on the path, the dog in a red coat, water through the trees.
8:37. A dusting of snow on the path, the dog in a red coat, water through the trees.

Real photographs

Up over Chimney Beach

Just after nine the drone was up over the shore. From up there the water does things you never see from the beach. Near the boulders it's pale turquoise, then green, then a deep blue where the bottom drops away. You can count the rocks on the lakebed. In a couple of shots the trees on the shore throw long shadows straight out across the bottom, like stripes.

Directly Above

Rocks on the bottom, shading from green to deep blue.
Rocks on the bottom, shading from green to deep blue.
Turquoise shallows dropping off into blue.
Turquoise shallows dropping off into blue.
9:09. Snow between the pines and the granite, tree shadows stretched across the lakebed.
9:09. Snow between the pines and the granite, tree shadows stretched across the lakebed.
Straight down over a sandy cove and its boulders.
Straight down over a sandy cove and its boulders.
9:17. A dusting of snow right down to the water's edge.
9:17. A dusting of snow right down to the water's edge.
9:19. Stones on pale sand in very clear water.
9:19. Stones on pale sand in very clear water.

From up there the water does things you never see from the beach.

Chimney Beach aerial shot. Pushing forward.

The snow had reached the shoreline too. Looking straight down at 9:09 and again at 9:17, there's a dusting of white between the granite and the trees, right at the edge of all that blue.

Going wide

Chimney Beach aerial shot. Pushing forward.

Then I turned the camera for the wide view. The forest runs down to the water in one long line, point after point, and the mountains across the lake already had snow on top. The sky was full of thin rippled cloud. At 9:19 I went straight down into the shallows again: stones scattered on pale sand, the water so clear it barely looks like water.

Above the Trees

Point after point of forest along the shore.
Point after point of forest along the shore.
9:15. Boulders off a small point, rippled clouds overhead.
9:15. Boulders off a small point, rippled clouds overhead.
The wide view: forested shoreline and snow on the far mountains.
The wide view: forested shoreline and snow on the far mountains.
9:04. Granite boulders, a small beach and clear turquoise water from above.
9:04. Granite boulders, a small beach and clear turquoise water from above.

On the drive back down the mountain, Marley was one tired dog.

What I learned: the first snow and a clear, cold morning are worth the early drive. The same shoreline looks completely different from above, and a short flight that goes close, straight down, then wide gives you a whole story to work with.