Lake Wakatipu, Mount Creighton, Otago – New Zealand

Many people think of winter as a cold time… a dead time. However, it would be far more accurate think of it as a time of rest and restoration. In the winter, there’s a stillness and a tranquility that isn’t there in quite the same way the rest of the year. The chill in the air makes the world feel incredibly clean. The winter’s silence is so much more than just simply “quiet”. It really does feel at times as if Mother Nature is taking a pensive moment to herself to think, regroup, and plan her next symphony.

The day this shot was captured at New Zealand’s Lake Wakatipu felt exactly like that. The air was crisp, chill, and pure. The sun would disappear behind the mountain peaks for the night in just a few moments, but first it cast its perfect light over the lake’s placid reflection – the day’s final gift. Just off to the right, the scenic road that connects Queenstown to Glenorchy waited quietly in coils, dreaming of next spring.