16th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Morning Light Rays the the Central Cascades

This photo is showing sun rays of the early morning hours streaming across the central cascades leading up to Glacier Peak (the peak in the center of the photo). I had spent the night up in the lookout and got up at 4:30 to photograph blue hour and sunrise in the alpine. I had been up to this lookout many times before, but it was the only time I had seen hazy conditions which created the sun rays! This morning was one of the most unique experiences I have had in the central cascades. Being Washington's most active volcano, Glacier Peak's beauty has always captured my attention.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 07.2018
Date Uploaded: 07.2018
Photo Location: Washington, United States of America
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Copyright: © Nathaniel Cutshall