Nature’s blue period: Lake Almanor, southeast of...

Nature’s blue period: Lake Almanor, southeast of Redding, Calif., is a large man-made lake surrounded by the Lassen and Plumas national forests. Howard Hian of La Jolla captured this early morning moment during a family trip. “The shot just says it all,” he says. “It’s a very, very lovely place.” In the background, Mt. Dyer.