I’ve always thought that the best portraits result when the subject is unaware that he is being photographed.  Recently, using a telephoto lens, I was able to take such a photo of my husband.  He was perched on an isolated 8,000 foot ridge in the Tahoe National Forest, binoculars in hand, absorbed in the view.  (If his brow appears furrowed, it is because he is trying to determine if a white speck in the distance is Sardine Lookout–a tower miles away but at comparable elevation.  We visited Sardine Lookout earlier that day.)  In the background a bank of clouds lends an ethereal feeling to the image, while in the foreground course dry dirt and brown-edged leaves bring to mind a possible drought.  When I gaze at this portrait, it reminds me of everything I love about my husband and our travels together in the Tahoe National Forest.  It also transcends the personal and alerts me to how deeply I enjoy an elevated viewpoint.  Higher ground.  Lifting my eyes toward heaven.