Blues Over Boulder

Moody blue light drapes the landscape of Boulder as sunrise sets the Flatirons ablaze in red. The lightshow this morning lasted only a few minutes, but its experiences and scenes like these that keep me out in the field early and often. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-70mm F4 IS
Moody blue light drapes the landscape of Boulder as sunrise sets the Flatirons ablaze in red. The lightshow this morning lasted only a few minutes, but its experiences and scenes like these that keep me out in the field early and often. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-70mm F4 IS
The theme of late around here seems to be blue. While I’m not making a conscious effort to create images tinged in blue, it seems to be the meme of late and I’m going to just keep going with the flow.

After a week of chilly, cold and snowy weather, It was time to get out on the trail and see what subjects I could find to photograph. Some snow still clung to the pines along the flanks of the Flatirons and the sky above was filled with clouds.

Standard operating procedure on a morning like this is to take the dog out for a walk while scanning the eastern plains for breaks in the cloud cover. While walking the dog I can usually get a pretty good idea if there are breaks in the cloud cover over the eastern plains which might allow for some spectacular early morning drop under lighting.

Conditions were not looking all that promising when I scanned the horizon. The cloud were increasing and most of the eastern horizon appeared to be shrouded in clouds. Even so, I could make out a break or two in the dark skies or as we photographers like to call them ‘sucker holes’. Small breaks in the cloud cover are known as ‘sucker holes’ for their propensity to sucker you into thinking you are going to get some epic drop under light only to be left standing in the cold when the clouds block sunrise and the light fails to materialize.

I learned a long time ago that while it helps to assess and adapt to the conditions when photographing, not making excuses and being in the best position possible regardless of what you think may happen is the best policy for success. So with that I mind, I was going to head out regardless of how unlikely it appeared that the lighting would cooperate.

As is always the case, the minute I hit the trail and start hiking, the pretenses start to fade away and experience and thrill of being out in nature alone in the predawn hours quickly takes hold. Capturing the light is now secondary to the experience of the sights and sounds of the natural world.

Forty minutes later I arrive at my destination. I’m pre-occupied, enjoying the hike in so as not to be paying much attention to the skies over the eastern plains. I know there are plenty of clouds in the skies this morning as the snow covered landscape around me is draped in blue light prevalent in the pre-dawn hours. Trees now block my view to the east preventing a good assessment of whether or not I’ll have any drop under light.

I take off my pack, setup my tripod and camera and wait under the cool blue pre-dawn light. Shortly before sunrise the clouds over the Flatirons begin to take on a slight magenta hue which quickly begins to intensify. Soon the top of the Flatirons joins in and turns red amongst the backdrop of a cool, snow covered landscape. For a few short minutes the sky and the mountains standout against the backdrop of the blue shadows. As I release the shutter and photograph the magnificent scene before me I can only chuckle to myself that I would have even considered missing this opportunity.

Blue Adams

As the seasons transition into Winter in Rocky Mountain National Park, lots of photographers will pack away their gear and avoid heading out to explore Rocky. Sometimes photography during the 'brown season' is not as rewarding as Summer and Fall photography, but with a little imagination and exploration opportunities abound. Adams Falls is slowly giving up its flow of water and freezing over for the long Winter months. Rocks and deadfall freeze over and make for a beautiful scene of water and ice. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-105mm F4 IS L
As the seasons transition into Winter in Rocky Mountain National Park, lots of photographers will pack away their gear and avoid heading out to explore Rocky. Sometimes photography during the ‘brown season’ is not as rewarding as Summer and Fall photography, but with a little imagination and exploration opportunities abound. Adams Falls is slowly giving up its flow of water and freezing over for the long Winter months. Rocks and deadfall freeze over and make for a beautiful scene of water and ice. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-105mm F4 IS L
With Winter and the holidays approaching things around here are slowing down a bit. Work continues to repair damaged roads and property from the historic flooding in September but some sense of normalcy is beginning to return to the Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park and the northern Front Range.

It’s a good time to review images made over the past year and work on some that I may have placed on the back burner awaiting a second look. I like to look for some of my more subtle work to showcase. Photographing and showcasing icons is fun, but for me the real reward is in creating images of moments that may have gone unnoticed.

So as the seasons transition and from the endless opportunities of summer to the completion of the colorful displays of fall, it’s tempting to put the camera away for awhile and find other things to occupy one’s time. Amongst photographers this time of year is known as the ‘brown season’. Ironically, the more I look to photograph during the ‘brown season’ the more beauty and opportunities I find during mother natures demure transition.

Whoa, Bierstadt

One of the most colorful and dramatic sunrises I've been lucky to experience unfolds over a frozen Bierstadt Lake. Lenticular clouds formed east of Longs Peak and the rising sun lit the underbelly of the clouds in rainbow like fashion. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-105mm F4 IS
One of the most colorful and dramatic sunrises I’ve been lucky to experience unfolds over a frozen Bierstadt Lake. Lenticular clouds formed east of Longs Peak and the rising sun lit the underbelly of the clouds in rainbow like fashion. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-105mm F4 IS
What do you do when the scene unfolding before your camera is one of the most intense and colorful sunrises you’ve been lucky enough to witness?. Is it a good or bad dilemma to be faced with?. Is the scene believable?, will your clients think you just went a little to far with your interpretation of the scene in Photoshop? I’ve spent a lot of time in the field photographing some spectacular kaleidoscopes of color, but one in particular from last week takes the cake.

I could tell heading up to Rocky Mountain National Park that there was some great potential for a colorful sunrise setting up over the park. It had been a very windy but mild night. The high winds aloft formed beautiful Lenticular clouds that extended from the Continental Divide eastward over the Front Range but not far enough east so as to impede the light from the rising sun over the plains.

Sprague Lake was a tempting destination, as was Moraine Park for sunrise. The location of the clouds and sunrise would have made either of these a great choices. I really wanted to get out on the trails and into the forest after all the distractions and closures over the last few months and hike. So with that in mind, I decided that Bierstadt Lake would be a good destination.

Looking east over a frozen Bierstadt Lake provided this serene but awesome view of the sky over the eastern plains of Colorado. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 17mm TS-E F4 L
Looking east over a frozen Bierstadt Lake provided this serene but awesome view of the sky over the eastern plains of Colorado. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 17mm TS-E F4 L

I love hiking to and photographing from Bierstadt Lake. It’s been one of my favorite locations in Rocky Mountain National Park since I first visited Rocky in 1998. It was the experience of locations such as Bierstadt Lake that inspired me to become a landscape photographer. The lake is named for Albert Bierstadt, the famous nineteenth century landscape painter from whom I admire and gain inspiration from in my photography pursuits.

Bierstadt Lake holds one of the most impressive views of the continental divide in all of Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s view to the east is more serene and not as pronounced as that of Sprague Lake below. From atop the shelf like plateau Bierstadt Lake is sits on, the sky is all that can be viewed to the east. And although there are no mountains in view when looking east from Bierstadt Lake, the view of the open horizon and sky is impressive.

So after a short but enjoyable 1.3 mile hike up the Bierstadt Moraine to the lake, I setup my camera and watched sunrise unfold. It was the most intense and colorful sunrises I’ve photographed anywhere. Words and images fall short of capturing the intensity of the sunrise this particular morning other than to say it felt as if I had just walked into a scene from none other than one of Albert Bierstadt’s dramatic paintings.

West Side Transitions

A chilly sunrise unfolds over Mount Baldy and the East Inlet on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Snow covers the meadow and the East Inlet has started to ice over for the winter with only small open areas of water left to reflect the colors of sunrise. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24mm TS-E F2.3 L II
A chilly sunrise unfolds over Mount Baldy and the East Inlet on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Snow covers the meadow and the East Inlet has started to ice over for the winter with only small open areas of water left to reflect the colors of sunrise. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24mm TS-E F2.3 L II
Spending time on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park in the offseason is one of my favorite things to do. The crowds are long gone from the west side of the park and Grand Lake. Trail Ridge Road is closed at the Colorado River trailhead and for all intents and purposes the west side of Rocky becomes an island on to itself with miles of open trails and light traffic on the roads.

Snow has begun to coat the high peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park and the meadows and valleys are also seeing the snow accumulate over their trees and grasses. Ice is forming along the edges of the streams and on top of the boulders and winters coming grip is slowly ebbing the flow of water downstream. In short order, feet of snow will begin to accumulate over the land and the streams and waterfalls will completely freeze over.

The transition time between autumn in Colorado and winter is brief and manic. Warm sunny days can quickly morph into full on blizzards which cover the peaks with snow and freeze the many streams and waterfalls.

Winter is coming on quickly along Tonahutu Creek. Water cascades over the boulders along the river while the rounded rocks begin to accumulate ice along their flanks. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 70-300mm F4-5.6 L
Winter is coming on quickly along Tonahutu Creek. Water cascades over the boulders along the river while the rounded rocks begin to accumulate ice along their flanks. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 70-300mm F4-5.6 L

Some years however, the transition from autumn to winter is slow and more pronounced. Ironically, with all the historic weather we’ve had leading up to autumn, this has been one of those years in Rocky. So before winter fully settles into Rocky, I spent time venturing around the west side of the park photographing some of the creeks and falls before they completely freeze over for winter. The combination of freshly fallen snow and ice was perfect. There were still open areas of water, but winter is methodically creeping over the landscape of Rocky Mountain National Park.

The next time I photograph the west side of Rocky, the transition from autumn to winter will be complete. Winter will have asserted her grip on the park and sealed the peaks and streams with a coating of snow and ice, only making for more opportunities to photograph the ever changing seasons.