Adams drove for four days to Lone Pine, in the winter of 1944, very early in the morning, hoping to be able to capture a picturesque sunrise photograph of the local Sierra Nevada, but faced the heavily cloudy weather and was unable to do so.
[2][3] At the fourth day, Adams finally was able to capture a majestic view of the Sierra Nevada, at a very cold temperature, when the chiaroscuro of the sunrise was still visible.
The foreground of the picture depicts the Mono Lake, formerly in a lush valley, but whose water had been diverted to Los Angeles, which Adams deeply regretted.
Adams explained his reasons to do so: "It is a hideous and insulting scar on one of the great vistas of our land, and shows in every photograph made of the area.
I have been criticized by some for doing this, but I am not enough of a purist to perpetuate the scar and thereby destroy – for me, at least – the extraordinary beauty and perfection of the scene.” The snow covered rocky mountains of the Sierra Nevada and some light clouds are visible in the background.