Month: January 2015

Happy Birthday Rocky Mountain National Park!

Happy 100th Birthday Rocky Mountain National Park. It's special day to celebrate in Rocky Mountain National Park today. 100 years ago today Rocky officially became a National Park. Because of forward thinking people like Enos Mills, we now get to freely enjoy and access beautiful views and wilderness like this one looking over Upper Beaver Meadows towards Longs Peak. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-120mm F4 ED VR
Happy 100th Birthday Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s special day to celebrate in Rocky Mountain National Park today. 100 years ago today Rocky officially became a National Park. Because of forward thinking people like Enos Mills, we now get to freely enjoy and access beautiful views and wilderness like this one looking over Upper Beaver Meadows towards Longs Peak. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-120mm F4 ED VR

Today marks the 100th anniversary of Rocky Mountain National Park. While it’s true the area we now call Rocky Mountain National Park was here long before people explored and populated the region, the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park is a true testament to what can be accomplished when people work together for a common cause and goal. While millions of people are now able to freely visit, explore and enjoy Rocky Mountain National Park, differing circumstances and goals could have easily lead to the area we now know affectionately as ‘Rocky’ as being off limits, exploited, and reserved for only the few.

There are many people to thank and be grateful for when celebrating this milestone today. The cast of characters responsible for helping to preserve the area and bring awareness of the beauty of Rocky reads almost like a movie script, or fictional western novel. If it was not for the grit of early pioneers like Abner Sprague, who played host to early visitors and tourists to the area who knows what we have become of the park. Surely, Abner Sprague’s strong dislike of The Earl of Dunraven and his attempts to turn the valley into his own hunting reserve played a part in eventually freeing up huge swaths of land once the Earl threw in the towel and moved on from his attempts to buy up the Estes Valley.

Perhaps it was Enos Mills chance encounter on a California beach with John Muir that charged Mr. Mills to champion a cause and make it his life’s work to lobby for the creation of what would become Rocky Mountain National Park.

While some have played larger parts than others in creating Rocky Mountain National Park, all of those who have fallen in love with the area have become champions and stewards of this beautiful landscape. Those of us who have followed in the footsteps of these great pioneers and have fallen in love with Rocky Mountain National Park have a duty to continue to protect, preserve and educate people on the value of free and open lands and wilderness.

It is important to not only continue to protect and preserve places like Rocky Mountain National Park, but to protect and steward other important and sensitive locations no matter how large or small. Wild places are continually being destroyed and impeded upon. In the spirit of Rocky’s 100th birthday we should take it upon ourselves to be forward thinking, to make an attempt to protect a place for future generations to enjoy and preserve much like we are able to do when we visit Rocky Mountain National Park today.

Winter Fatigue

It's that time of year again. Were fully immersed in the winter season and winter fatigue may be starting to set in for some. It can be hard to be motivated to get out when the weather turns cold and snowy, but this time of year can yield some beautiful images and classic Colorado scenes. It was a cold and snowy day when I photographed these beautiful Ponderosa Pines on the side of Flagstaff Mountain just west of Boulder. Sure I'd take some warm weather, but being out in the elements during a Colorado winter is exciting and rewarding. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-120mm ED VR
It’s that time of year again. Were fully immersed in the winter season and winter fatigue may be starting to set in for some. It can be hard to be motivated to get out when the weather turns cold and snowy, but this time of year can yield some beautiful images and classic Colorado scenes. It was a cold and snowy day when I photographed these beautiful Ponderosa Pines on the side of Flagstaff Mountain just west of Boulder. Sure I’d take some warm weather, but being out in the elements during a Colorado winter is exciting and rewarding. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-120mm ED VR

Cold, snow, ice and wind. That’s how 2015 has been progressing so far here on the Front Range of Colorado. 2014 ended on a cold chilly note and 2015 picked up the baton from 2014 and has been providing much of the same. My personal mantra as well as many other landscape photographers I know’s of ‘bad weather = good image’ holds true as ever. Commitments have prevented me from taking full advantage of this unsettled weather and unfortunately I have not been able to get out in the field to take advantage of this winter weather to make images.

Fortunately for me my schedule should be freeing up shortly and I am planning to take full advantage of my time and get out in the field early and often in the coming weeks. 2014 was one of my most productive years as a photographer and I plan on carrying and building on that momentum right through 2015. It doesn’t feel quite right watching the snow and wind howl from the comforts of a heated office while I should be out in the elements with frozen fingers and toes doing what I love to do and attempting to capture the essence of winter here in Colorado. So while winter fatigue may be setting in and daydreams of beaches, chaise lounges and margaritas cloud your mind, take advantage of the winter weather and immerse yourself in it. I know that’s what I’ll be doing soon enough.