Check Your Blind Spot

This morning in Rocky did not break exactly the way I thought it wood. I arrived hoping to photograph freshly fallen snow on the landscape but instead found most of the roads in Rocky Mountain National Park were closed. I had to make due with limited access and ended up photographing these two trees along the side of the road. I've passed these two trees thousands of times before and never given them any thought. But conditions and access forced me to take a second  look and find beauty in limitation. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 70-200mm F4 AF ED VR
This morning in Rocky did not break exactly the way I thought it wood. I arrived hoping to photograph freshly fallen snow on the landscape but instead found most of the roads in Rocky Mountain National Park were closed. I had to make due with limited access and ended up photographing these two trees along the side of the road. I’ve passed these two trees thousands of times before and never given them any thought. But conditions and access forced me to take a second look and find beauty in limitation. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 70-200mm F4 AF ED VR

Photography for me is constantly evolving process. Technologies change, equipment change and subjects change. Personally, I find the longer I photograph the more refined my vision has become. After years of trial and error you begin to think you have a good idea of what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to creating images. Overall, I believe this progression and refinement is a positive development in one course as a photographer. Having a good idea of what kind of images you want to create and understanding what works and does not work for your particular style is evolutionary, but it comes with a catch. Whats the catch?, blind spots.

Discernment works well until it doesn’t. Being particular and deliberate in your compositions and locations are great as long as you make sure that you are not ignoring and closing your mind off to less seen compositions or subjects that may also help to improve your creative style. There is fine line between being discerning or ignoring potential.

I found myself guilty of this sin last week while out photographing Rocky. Snow had fallen the night before I headed up to the park hoping to capture snow capped peaks and snow covered pines. Like most photographers, I check the weather, study the predictive infra-red satellite maps all in an attempt to anticipate conditions in the field the next morning. I’ve written many a time how difficult photographing classic winter conditions in Rocky Mountain National Park can be, but this morning looked like one that might hold some potential.

Estes Park had received over a foot of snow in the past 24 hrs and Rocky Mountain National Park had even more snow, especially in the higher elevations. I was feeling pretty confident when I arrived at the Beaver Meadows Entrance station to Rocky in the predawn hours. As I headed up the road into the park I could see from the tracks in the snow that an NPS snowplow had already made its way up the road and into the park.

As some visitors to Rocky might be aware, they don’t typically plow the roads in Rocky Mountain National Park between 7:00 PM and 7:00 AM so the appearance of a plow this early appeared to be a positive development. While I have a 4 wheel drive vehicle and am confident driving in winter conditions and unplowed roads, the frequent winds in Rocky can turn that foot of snow on the road to a 4 ft drift all the while looking fairly benign through the headlights of a vehicle at 5:00 AM. I head up to Rocky in the winter to photograph, not spend hours trying to dig my vehicle out of a snow drift at 5:00 AM so I was happy to see a plow was already out working.

As I made my way past Bear Lake Road I could see the plow had turned left and headed up that way. The plow had closed Bear Lake Road so access to the entire portion of the park was not an option now. Not a big deal I thought to myself, I would just head up Trail Ridge Road and photograph from there. While I blasted through a couple of pretty good sized drifts cutting the first tracks on the road that morning, I arrived at Deer Ridge Jct. to find the Park Service has closed Trail Ridge Road up to Hidden Valley and Many Parks Curve. A little bit of panic started to set in. I now had only a very small portion of Rocky that I would be able to photograph and furthermore as so often is the case the high peaks were shrouded in clouds.

I was beginning to feel a little sorry for myself at this point. I had drive up to Rocky on snow covered mountain roads early in the morning anticipating beautiful winter landscapes only to find I may come away with very little to photograph. I parked in one of the roadside pull-offs and watched as some nice color began to form in the skies to the east of Rocky in anticipation for sunrise.

I might not have a lot of options and while conditions where not exactly how I had anticipated them being, I was now determined to find something to photograph. I thought to myself that ‘any photographer worth his salt could find something to photograph on this beautiful morning’. I grabbed my backpack, got out of my truck and started heading down the road towards a grouping of trees. I figured there has to be something to photograph here and at the minimum the skies are going to be spectacular.

Trudging around in the deep snow I kept looking for a composition of trees and sky that would work. I was getting frustrated when I started looking at two small pine trees located right off the road. I’ve driven by these two pines thousands of times and never given them a second look as they are right off the road and for the most part are unremarkable in appearance.

This morning I had few other options and I was determined to find something to photograph. I set up my tripod on the unplowed road and watched as the sky turned red and orange behind these two pines. A snow squall moved past and as I tripped the shutter on my camera I began to see some potential in the composition and landscape covered with fresh snow.

I had driven by these two trees so many times and never considered photographing them. In my mind the location was pedestrian and there wasn’t much reason to stop and survey the location in the past. Because of the conditions and lack of access to other locations in Rocky, I had to make due with what I was given and not what I though fit my style or preconceived notions for this morning. Being stuck in this location forced me to take inventory of the surroundings and more importantly check your blind spot.

First Of 2017

In what seemed like a long time coming I was finally able to capture my first images of 2017 from Rocky Mountain National Park. With other distractions out of the way, conditions unfolded nicely for a colorful sunrise after a snowy week in the park.   Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-70mm F2.8 AF ED
In what seemed like a long time coming I was finally able to capture my first images of 2017 from Rocky Mountain National Park. With other distractions out of the way, conditions unfolded nicely for a colorful sunrise after a snowy week in the park. Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-70mm F2.8 AF ED

With the 2016 in the rear view mirror and a new start to 2017 just underway, it was about time that I photographed Rocky Mountain National Park for the first time in the new year. With holiday parties and family festivities over, the time was right to get out and start creating some new images for 2017.

Holiday or not, the last month in Rocky Mountain National Park has been a challenge for photographers. Photographing Rocky Mountain National Park during the winter months is always a challenge, but this past December seemed to be particularly challenging. Clear mornings and lots of windy days had made it less than ideal. The month started off very dry and once the snow did start to fall, the storms quickly moved out leaving only high winds and snowless trees behind.

As is the case with both photographing Rocky and photography in general the key when one finds themselves in a rut or at the short end of the stick photographically speaking is to just keep heading out and photographing. Eventually the law of averages will prevail and perseverance will pay off.

Last week I headed up to the park on a day that looked like it might be ok for images at sunrise. The forecast showed there could be some clouds around but overall it also looked as if the chances to walk away with no new images would be just as likely. It had snowed a day before so I figured at least the high peaks of RMNP would look good with fresh snow even if most of the snow had melted and blown from the pine bows in the lower elevations.

As I waited for the sun to rise, conditions were looking less than promising for a dramatic sunrise. It appeared the skies over the continental divide were clear and only a small lenticular cloud had formed just east of the Estes Cone and Lily Mountain. I was going to capture my first images of 2017 regardless and as I setup my camera equipment as dawn was nearing I began to detect the slightest hint of a pink hue in the skies to the south of Rocky.

Thin high clouds were present in the skies and as the sun was rising a beautiful pink glow over the mountains of Rocky Mountain National Park was forming. With fresh snow on the peaks and a beautiful pink hue in the skies my first image of Rocky Mountain National Park for the new year shaped up nicely. All things considered I was quite pleased I decided to head on out to photograph this particular morning as opposed to watching this as a spectator from another location (namely my desk).

Welcome 2017!

The last sunrise of 2016 was a colorful one over the Mummy Range of Rocky Mountain National Park. While most of the skies over Rocky this windy morning were cloudless, a nice set of clouds clung to the top of Ypsilon Mountain adding some nice warmth to the cool morning. I'm looking forward to new pursuits and images in 2017 after a great 2016. Technical Details: Nikon D810,Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM C
The last sunrise of 2016 was a colorful one over the Mummy Range of Rocky Mountain National Park. While most of the skies over Rocky this windy morning were cloudless, a nice set of clouds clung to the top of Ypsilon Mountain adding some nice warmth to the cool morning. I’m looking forward to new pursuits and images in 2017 after a great 2016. Technical Details: Nikon D810,Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM C

Welcome to 2017!. 2016 seemed to just zoom right on past and its hard to believe another year is in the history books. Each year as we pass from one year to the next it’s fun to reflect on the previous year while looking forward to what the New Year will bring.

Almost like clockwork each year, the holidays, shorter days and colder weather slow some of my photography pursuits down and throw me off routine. People who know me well know that I’m a creature of habit and my routines keep me grounded, focused and motivated. I like socializing and sipping a little eggnog as much as the next guy but after a month of festivities, parties and interruptions to my normal daily routines, I’m ready to get back on the horse and start moving forward again.

Photographically speaking 2016 was a very productive year for me. I was able to spend a lot of time in the field photographing new locations in Rocky Mountain National Park and adding to portfolio of images. Furthermore, I had a great season guiding photography clients to all corners of Rocky Mountain National Park and I’m already looking forward to guiding clients in the field again in 2017.

I feeling refreshed and renewed. I have lots of plans for 2017 and cant wait to get out in the field crafting new images to fill my 2017 folders with. While it’s been very windy and mostly mild in Rocky Mountain National Park the last month, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we will have favorable winter conditions over the next few months. Cheers and here’s and to wishing you a happy and successful 2017.