Horseshoe Blue

Photographing during the 'blue hour' is often overlooked by photographers. Our internal wiring works against us when attempting to photograph during the late evenings and early morning. Even so, being mindful of the conditions can lead to some interesting and moody imagery. This particular morning, sunrise was subdued over Horseshoe Park. Prior to daybreak, the sky and clouds put on a beautiful display of blue over Deer Mountain and Horseshoe Park. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24mm TS-E F3.5 L II
Photographing during the ‘blue hour’ is often overlooked by photographers. Our internal wiring works against us when attempting to photograph during the late evenings and early morning. Even so, being mindful of the conditions can lead to some interesting and moody imagery. This particular morning, sunrise was subdued over Horseshoe Park. Prior to daybreak, the sky and clouds put on a beautiful display of blue over Deer Mountain and Horseshoe Park. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24mm TS-E F3.5 L II
Blue is moody, blue is subtle and blue is contemplative. Blue is a color closely tied to emotion, in fact it’s the only color that can be used to describe one’s mood. Blues has its own genre of music, and some of the most legendary jazz musicians recorded under the legendary Blue Note label. For landscape photographers however, blue seems to often loose much of it’s appeal.

I often hear landscape photographers quipping that they need to spend more time adding subjects of blue to their portfolio. Landscape photographers even have a term used to describe the hour or so before and after sunrise and sunset as ‘the blue hour’. This is the time when the sky and landscape are still illuminated enough to cloak ones surrounding in a slight but perceptible blue cast.

Another example of the moody atmosphere present during the pre-dawn hours. A beautiful crescent moon rises over the clouds and Horseshoe Park prior to sunrise. Blue conveys very well the overall feeling in Horseshoe Park this morning. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 70-300mm F4-5.6 L
Another example of the moody atmosphere present during the pre-dawn hours. A beautiful crescent moon rises over the clouds and Horseshoe Park prior to sunrise. Blue conveys very well the overall feeling in Horseshoe Park this morning. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 70-300mm F4-5.6 L

There is good reason for our inclination to avoid and ignore photographing in blue light. Much like auto white balance on our cameras, our brain performs much the same function when the lighting conditions favor the blue end of the spectrum. Our brain and eyes will adjust for the heavy blue lighting cast making the landscape appear more neutral or bland.

Many times while photographing late in the evening or early in the morning I’ll return to review my images wondering why there is such as strong blue color cast present. My recollection of the light is of a more neutral scene. This is because my cameras sensor is capturing the blue present in the atmosphere while my brain and eyes are making adjustments lessening the amount of blue light perceived .

There is another reason that one tends to see fewer photographic images that trend towards the blue end of the spectrum. Our brain is wired and conditioned to be attracted to or fixated towards images that contain vibrant colors like reds and oranges. It’s a fact that the majority of my best selling images are colorful, with images containing vibrant reds being some of my most popular images.

So with our brains wired to reduce and compensate for the amount of blue we perceive early in the morning and late in the day, combined with our propensity to seek and be attracted to vibrant reds and oranges it’s no wonder we see fewer photographs depicting blues. My suggestion is to stay mindful when in the field during the ‘blue hours’ of morning and evening. While your waiting for the sun to rise and set the sky ablaze in reds and oranges, pay attention to the light prior to sunrise and don’t be afraid to experiment with your camera. As always, photograph early, late and often.

Original Icons

Locations such as Dream Lake are renowned world wide for their natural beauty. This beauty also attracts landscape photographers from far and wide looking to capture this beauty. For photographers it can feel like a daunting task to photograph these popular locations while putting a unique take or our vision on the image. Photographing these popular locations in varying weather conditions is one way photographers can attempt to make original images of iconic locations. Alluvial Fan Falls or Horseshoe Falls is a popular and often photographed location in the park. Snow falling on a thawing Roaring Brook helped to make this image different than most which are photographed in the summer months. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 24-70mm F4 IS L
Locations such as Dream Lake are renowned world wide for their natural beauty. This beauty also attracts landscape photographers from far and wide looking to capture this beauty. For photographers it can feel like a daunting task to photograph these popular locations while putting a unique take or our vision on the image. Photographing these popular locations in varying weather conditions is one way photographers can attempt to make original images of iconic locations. Alluvial Fan Falls or Horseshoe Falls is a popular and often photographed location in the park. Snow falling on a thawing Roaring Brook helped to make this image different than most which are photographed in the summer months. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 24-70mm F4 IS L
With the advent of digital photography it seems at times that everybody has become a photographer. Photography and specifically the landscape photography genre has seen a large increased the number of people using their digital cameras to capture beautiful and iconic scenes. The internet is now full of terrific images of some of our most famous iconic landscapes. Rocky Mountain National Park is no different than Yellowstone or Yosemite and one can easily fine a plethora of beautiful images of Dream Lake, Longs Peak or Moraine Park.

It can be downright frustrating at times trying to create work that is unique and original, especially when it comes to capturing some of the iconic locations in Rocky Mountain National Park. Even with that being said, there are still plenty of reason why one should make attempts at photographing the iconic locations in Rocky, as well as to search out some of the less known areas of the park. Below are a few quick reminders of what you can do to photograph both the iconic locations as well as some of the less photographed areas of Rocky Mountain National Park. Remember, Rocky Mountain National Park is over 400 square miles, there is plenty of room for everybody.

1. Photograph in poor or varying weather conditions. Your not likely to create an image of Hallet Peak from Dream Lake in a completely unique manner. Let’s be honest, Dream Lake has been photographed six ways to Sunday. Even so, it’s an amazing location and one that deserves to be photographed again and again for good reason, it’s one of the most beautiful locations in the United States. So when do I photograph Dream Lake?. I prefer to photograph popular locations like Dream Lake when the weather looks less than ideal. Fog and rain turn Dream Lake into an unrecognizable icon. If the sun does happen to break through the clouds you will be treated clouds and dramatic light. Your likely to find yourself alone in conditions like these, and even more likely to be able to create images that are unique.

This image was photographed on a cloudy morning at Dream Lake while I waiting for a sunrise that never materialized. Technical Details: Toyo 45 AX, Rodenstock 150mm APO Sironar-S, Fuji 4x5 RVP-100
This image was photographed on a cloudy morning at Dream Lake while I waiting for a sunrise that never materialized. Technical Details: Toyo 45 AX, Rodenstock 150mm APO Sironar-S, Fuji RVP-100 4×5 film

2. Explore the lesser known and photographed areas of Rocky Mountain National Park. Sometimes we photograph the icons because they are slam dunks. People invest lots of time, money and travel to visit Rocky Mountain National Park and most want to return home with images that capture the beauty of the park. Even so, after shooting some of the iconic locations, study a map of Rocky Mountain National Park and look for places in some of the less traveled locations. While you may encounter a dozen or more photographers at Dream Lake during a morning sunrise, another mile long hike to Lake Haiyaha from Dream Lake means you are likely to find yourself in total solitude at sunrise with just as stunning a setting as Dream Lake.

3. Icons are icons for a reason. Loose the guilt and go ahead and photograph from some of the more popular iconic locations in Rocky. Spend time exploring lesser known areas, try to shoot from the iconic locations in the park such as Dream Lake, Bear Lake, the Rock Cut when the weather is dramatic or different. Rocky Mountain National Park is a spectacular location to photograph, start with the icons and then work your way to some of the lesser known areas and features of Rocky. Your time is valuable, use it how you see fit photographing makes you happy. Even for me, photographing a spectacular sunrise at Dream Lake is as thrilling today as it was for me the first time I visited Dream Lake. While even the best images of Dream Lake may get lost in a sea of other beautiful images, the experience of being at Dream Lake and witnessing a beautiful sunrise unfold over Hallet Peak and Flattop Mountain is something even the best photographs cant replicate.

Sunrise At Sheep Lakes

Deer Mountain reflects in the mostly placid waters of Sheep Lakes. The rising sun illuminates the side of Deer Mountain and the skies over Horseshoe Park. Technical Details: Canon 5D Mark III, 24mm TS-E F3.5 L II
Deer Mountain reflects in the mostly placid waters of Sheep Lakes. The rising sun illuminates the side of Deer Mountain and the skies over Horseshoe Park. Technical Details: Canon 5D Mark III, 24mm TS-E F3.5 L II
Many who visit Rocky Mountain National Park are familiar with Sheep Lakes and the bighorn sheep road crossing along Highway 34 in Horseshoe Park. Visitors wanting to see and observe bighorn sheep in the late spring and early summer will be directed to the Sheep Lakes parking area by park rangers.

Aptly named Sheep Lakes is a destination point not only for visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park, but also for the herd of bighorn sheep that call Rocky home. Sheep Lakes is a great location to view bighorns because of the minerals and salts that can be found in the soils around the two lakes. As the weather warms and the shallow lakes evaporate and recede, salt licks form along the muddy edges. For the bighorn sheep which have been subsisting on a winter diet of foods with low calorie and mineral content the salt that forms along sheep lake is a boon to their diet come spring.

During the spring and early summer, the herd of bighorn sheep will make a daily trek down to Sheep Lakes and the salt lick to replenish themselves after the long winter months. This near daily migration down from the hillsides overlooking Horseshoe Park is where most visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park are able to see and observe big horn sheep.

The skies over Horseshoe Park put on an impressive display of color as they reflect in Sheep Lakes. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24mm TS-E F3.5 L II
The skies over Horseshoe Park put on an impressive display of color as they reflect in Sheep Lakes. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24mm TS-E F3.5 L II

I find Sheep Lakes to be a great location to photograph Horseshoe Park at sunrise, especially during the spring season. Sheep Lakes are one of the first bodies of water to thaw out in the park. The lakes offer a stunning view to the east looking back over Horseshoe Park as well as a commanding view of the Mummy Range to the west. Many of the most colorful sunrises will occur over the eastern portion of Rocky, and both Horseshoe Park and Sheep Lakes offer and unencumbered view to the east with Deer Mountain providing a recognizable but impressive backdrop.

Last week, with a nice set of clouds built up over the east side of Rocky and Sheep Lakes thawed, I headed over to the lakes to photograph sunrise. The winds were howling at higher elevations but at Sheep Lakes the winds were not nearly as intense. Sunrise was short and sweet. The lightshow only last twenty minutes or so before the clouds overtook the sun, but it was more than enough time to photograph one of my favorite viewpoints in all of Rocky.

Subtle Signs Of Spring

Colorful skies rise above Moraine Park on a spring morning in Rocky Mountain National Park. The Big Thompson River has finally begun to thaw out allowing for images of moving water and reflections after a long winter freeze. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 24-70mm F4 IS L
Colorful skies rise above Moraine Park on a spring morning in Rocky Mountain National Park. The Big Thompson River has finally begun to thaw out allowing for images of moving water and reflections after a long winter freeze. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 24-70mm F4 IS L
Baseball’s opening day has come and gone. Without a doubt baseball’s opening day is a measuring stick for the end of winter. With the start of baseball spring fever really starts to kick in and speaking for myself, it’s a time to move on from the colder months and look forward to one of my favorite times of the year.

Sure we have a few more months to go before summer is in full swing in Rocky Mountain National Park. There is no doubt we are going to have more snow in Rocky Mountain National Park, and there’s a good chance it could be a big dump of snow or two. Even so, the pendulum has swung and the thaw has arrived in Rocky.

The signs can now be seen everywhere. Mountain bluebirds have returned to the meadows, bull elk are sprouting new sets of antlers and water is transforming from solid back to liquid form and flowing freely through the meadows and parks at lower elevations. Sure there’s still a long way to go before shorts and flip flops but its a start.

Sunrise looking to both east and west along the banks of the Big Thompson river was spectacular. Looking east towards Estes Park the sky was filled with red. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 17mm TS-E L
Sunrise looking to both east and west along the banks of the Big Thompson river was spectacular. Looking east towards Estes Park the sky was filled with red. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 17mm TS-E L

With the spring melt off now on it’s way, photographic opportunities in the park which have not been possible since early fall abound. Crusty winter snow and ice has melted away from the banks of Fall River and the Big Thompson river. Warmer weather this week should also go a long way towards unthawing some of the lakes and ponds which still are quite frozen.

It’s a great feeling hearing the sound of water bumbling and trickling over rocks and boulders again, no longer muffled and frozen in ice. The signs of spring are beginning to gain momentum and emerge from their long winter slumber.

I took the opportunity to explore Horseshoe and Moraine Park this past week. Weather was spring like with a combination of snow, sun and wind and not necessarily in that order. Along the banks of the Big Thompson river I was lucky enough to be party to a beautiful spring sunrise.

With the skies colored in magenta and red, the flowing waters of the Big Thompson were a perfect compliment to the spring sunrise over Rocky Mountain National Park. In only a few more weeks I expect some of the lakes to really start to thaw. I’ll be there, hopefully mother nature cooperates with a few more sunrises like this one.

Windy Companion

A large wave cloud has formed over the eastern section of Rocky Mountain National Park. With sunrise on the way, this lenticular cloud put on a spectacular light show over Horseshoe Park and Deer Mountain. Wind caused the wave cloud to form over the foothills, but without the pesky windy conditions, a colorful sunrise like this one would not have been possible. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 24mm TS-E F3.5 L II
A large wave cloud has formed over the eastern section of Rocky Mountain National Park. With sunrise on the way, this lenticular cloud put on a spectacular light show over Horseshoe Park and Deer Mountain. Wind caused the wave cloud to form over the foothills, but without the pesky windy conditions, a colorful sunrise like this one would not have been possible. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 24mm TS-E F3.5 L II
One of the bigger hindrances to photography in Rocky Mountain National Park can be the wind. As far as I can tell the wind might be Rocky Mountain National Park’s most frequent visitor. Having wind as your companion in Rocky is likely, so its necessary to learn to deal with the likelihood you will encounter wind on any excursion to the park, especially in the winter and spring months.

While more often than not the wind will scuttle opportunities for photography by raking the surface of a smooth lake, shaking the leaves on a aspen tree or worse tipping over your camera and tripod. Wind also can create a few opportunities for photography as well. These opportunities come from the wind causing lenticular or wave clouds to form over the park.

I had just this opportunity occur last week over Horseshoe Park. Weather in Rocky Mountain National Park the past month has made photography difficult and challenging. Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park have seen their fair share of windy, cloudy and snowy days. Calm mornings with little in the way of wind and snow have been a rarity of late.

With the wind blowing at a pretty good clip out of the west and off the continental divide, a perfect wave cloud formed along the eastern edge of Rocky and extended east over the foothills. For photography wave clouds are great. The shape of the cloud is always different and because the tend to extend east from the foothills only a few dozen miles or so, the horizon often remains free of clouds allowing for sunrise to illuminate the underbelly of the lenticular cloud thus making for a brilliant and colorful sunrise.

It’s very rare to have a wave cloud form over Rocky Mountain National Park and not have it coincide with high winds in the park itself and this day was no different. It was quite breezy in the park but not to the point that makes standing in the open difficult. Finding a spot that was somewhat sheltered while giving me a good vantage point to the east would be ideal.

A short hike up Old Fall River road to one of the first switchbacks gives a nice view to the east looking back over Horseshoe Park towards Deer Mountain. This spot at the mouth of Hanging Valley would also offer some shelter from the wind. Frankly, I’m also not sure how possible it will be to access this location in the coming months. Because of the flooding damage, this location will likely be difficult to access once the spring runoff gains momentum as the Roaring Fork river has now run around the road bridge and nearby trail bridges have all been washed out. One will have to be somewhat creative to access this area once the water in the Roaring Fork river really starts moving to cross safely.

So with the wind blowing in my face, I hiked west along Old Fall River road until I reached the first switchback. The coloring of the sky to the east foretold of a spectacular sunrise yet to unfold. The wind was strong, but there was enough of a break between gusts to setup on the rocky outcrop overlooking Horseshoe Park. Within minutes the sky began its colorful procession towards sunrise. The wind continued while I photographed, but with a light show like this one unfolding before me it was easy to ignore the sways and gusts down the valley and instead revel in the sunrise.