"My husband and I were just completing a 14-month backpacking journey around Southeast Asia and the South Pacific—Nepal was the last country we visited. We were heading down from Everest Base Camp after having trekked 26 days from Jiri without a guide or a porter. I was exhausted and sick when my husband woke me up to see this beautiful sunrise. It took every ounce of dedication to get dressed and brave the freezing elements to take this shot. I had seen many sunrises during our journey, but never one with such an intense quality of light.

—Andrea Hagg Johnson
Portland, Oregon

Photography Notes

• Camera: Nikon N90
• Film: Fuji Velvia
• Lens: 28-85mm
• Shutter speed: 1/60th
• Aperture: N/A
• Time of day: Sunrise

"Although Nepal is a photographer's dream, trying to capture its essence was challenging. The feelings I experienced while taking this photo—awe, power, mystery and breathtaking beauty—I hardly dared to think would translate on my slide. Especially since I only took one shot, handheld!"

Critique
"Obviously the most impressive aspect of this image is the dramatic light effect the photographer captured. This is the type of shot that one needs to plan ahead of time, working around nature's schedule. Professional landscape photographers plan their shots this way. The mountain range is tack sharp, and the light coming up between the two peaks is perfectly centered. It looks almost extraterrestrial. An improvement would be to put a person in the shot—perhaps a silhouette of someone—to show scale."

—Deputy Photo Editor Nell Hupman