Lake Askoti
Lake Askoti is a quiet, reflective lake tucked inside Harriman State Park, best photographed from the pullouts along Seven Lakes Drive where the road runs close to the water's edge. The lake's still surface makes it an ideal subject for reflections, particularly of the surrounding forested hillsides, which shift from deep greens in summer to vivid oranges and reds in fall. Early morning is the strongest time to shoot here, when mist often rises off the water and the light is soft and directional before wind picks up and breaks the mirror surface. A wide angle lens works well for capturing the full sweep of the lake with the treeline, but a short telephoto lets you compress the layers of hills in the background for a moodier feel. Park safely at one of the roadside pullouts and work the shoreline to find gaps in the vegetation for a clean foreground. (Rockland County, New York, United States)
