I’m not exactly sure what we expected when we got off the highway in Georgetown. Perhaps just to explore a small mountain town… It was snowing pretty good that day, so the sky was full of clouds, and all the trees were getting a nice coating of white. Approaching the ‘Georgetown Express’ we noticed the creek down below, and I carefully scampered down the wet and slippy rocks to get this shot of the railway crossing the creek.
John Muir was a great explorer and purveyor of all things outdoors. He’s been coined the ‘Father of the National Park,’ and we’d be without many of the US’s greatest wilderness areas without him.
The mountains are calling, and I must go. ~ John Muir
Into the Fog
Although this is a relatively simple image, it conveys a lot to me. The shadows of distant trees, clouded by fog and snow, making only the slightest appearance. Finding beauty in it’s simplicity is where I find this photos charm.
I’m continually inspired by my friends, their styles, their techniques, their compositions or subject matters. I think it’s pretty natural to find what you enjoy of others work and put your own little spin on it. Casey McCallister has been putting up some awesome mountain shots here lately, and it definitely get me going on a few that I had in the queue.
From some distant mountain in Colorado, the lights and shadows dance on the snow covered peaks.
The more I force myself to rise for sunrise, the more pleasantly surprised I am. It’s being able to see the landscape come to life around you, that moment when the colors turn and the sky comes to life.
On the Edge of Daybreak – Colorado National Monument
After rising early at the rest stop in Grand Junction, we quickly made our way toward the Colorado National Monument to find some scenes for sunrise. There was a storm moving in, and the sun coming over the Rockies lit up the rain on the valley. Waiting for that perfect moment when the sun crests the horizon for a little sunburst just topped it off.
I did have one mishap, not checking my messages before going to bed. A friend, Jacob, had invited us to stay the night at their place in GJ, and I’ll admit a bed would have been a little more pleasant than the bed of an SUV, but I may have been a little more tempted to sleep thru sunrise, which in this case would have been a tragedy.
If you haven’t been there recently, the TUTORIALS section of the website is getting a bit of an overhaul. The flow is getting streamlined and new content is being constantly added as I learn and implement new techniques.
Picture Perfect Reflections
Sometimes, getting the shot means getting involved. And sometimes involved means in the lake. The first shot that I tried from the bank included more foreground than I was interested in, and took away some feeling from the reflections. Also, as you can see in the shot to the right, I wanted to get as low and close to the water as possible. Here’s a tip, when you’re shooting reflections, the closer you are to the reflective surface, the more mirrored your reflections will be. It’s not always possible, but sometimes, as the saying goes, you’ve got to get your feet wet.
One small problem with getting in the water, though, was disturbing the water’s glass like surface. I wanted to make sure that there were as few ripples as possible, so I ended up standing perfectly still for several minutes waiting for the water to be calm. It took a little more time, but the end result was worth the effort.
I think I’m going to try and put a video together of all my shots from 2012. Not ALL of them, but all the published shots. It should be fun! I also put together an album of favorites over on facebook. Check it out HERE.
Is Anybody Out There
Every once in a while it’s fun to think about what might be wandering around at other reaches of our universe, maybe even looking back towards us. These little buildings were speckled around the top of Mt. Evans, outside of Denver, Colorado. It’s a great pit stop if you’re in the area and have an afternoon to fill. The beauty of the Rocky mountains is indescribable, and one that’s been captured in photographs for ages. Just remember, as you ascend the nearly 2 miles to the summit, the temperature will drop a bit, so don’t be like me and wear shorts… 🙂
