After photographing the Painted Dunes the evening before, I wanted to get back up Cinder Cone early the following morning for photography, and so the family could experience this incredible place. We all got up early to beat the heat and started the hike together.
Once we reached Cinder Cone, it became more of a “get up at your own pace” kind of hike. My wife and our other two kids took their time, while my eldest daughter and I headed up quickly. She has developed an interest in photography, and we were both keen to get to the top while the morning light was still good.
We weren’t there right at sunrise, but the sun was still low enough to backlight the Painted Dunes from behind.
That light really brought out the contours of the hills and separated the scattered pine trees from the colourful volcanic soil. It was a different kind of light from the evening before. The colours of the dunes were still vibrant, but the backlit pine trees and their shadows gave the landscape a completely different look.
The Painted Dunes had been one of the main reasons I’d wanted to visit Lassen Volcanic National Park for years, so getting another opportunity to photograph them the next morning was something I was looking forward to. Having my eldest daughter interested in photography and crushing the Cinder Cone with me made it even more fun.
If you’re planning to photograph the Painted Dunes, an early morning hike is worth considering, especially in the summer. You’ll beat some of the heat on the climb, and the lower morning sun can give you some great backlighting on the dunes. Just don’t expect to have all morning to shoot. Once the light gets harsh, the dunes begin to lose some of that vibrancy. You’re also quite a ways above them, and the heat reflecting off the dunes creates a “shimmering” effect, which softens the details on the pine trees.
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