Frozen Flatirons

A bone chilling sunrise unfolds over Boulder, Colorado and the Flatirons from Chautauqua Park. It was -9 degrees Fahrenheit in the meadow this morning which made it difficult enough just to work my camera. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 17mm TS-E F4 L
A bone chilling sunrise unfolds over Boulder, Colorado and the Flatirons from Chautauqua Park. It was -9 degrees Fahrenheit in the meadow this morning which made it difficult enough just to work my camera. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 17mm TS-E F4 L
It probably goes without saying but if you live in Colorado people just assume you love the snow and cold. While that’s mostly true, there are some days that leave me dreaming of Summer and warmer weather. Winter photography can make even the most mundane landscapes look magical so it’s always worth the effort involved getting out in the field on a wintry morning.

There are some mornings however, when even those of us who enjoy the winter season have to push ourselves out of our warm bed in the morning. Last Friday morning was just one of those days for me. Arctic air had settled in over Colorado earlier in the week. Sub zero cold temperatures had settled in over Colorado and the Front Range along with a daily dose of light snow.

The whether conditions were culminating to a point where it became apparent, that one of these frosty mornings would be conducive to a cold but productive morning of photography.

I crawled out of the warm comforts of bed on Friday morning to find the thermometer reading a balmy -9 degrees Fahrenheit. I checked and scanned the horizon looking for snow and or clear skies. If it was crystal clear or snowing, I could use that as an excuse to crawl back into bed. I’d have no such luck, clouds drifted overhead and the horizon looked clear meaning a beautiful sunrise on the freshly snow covered peaks was looking likely.

No crawling back into bed for me, it was time to hustle, bundle up like a mummy and head out to that cold piece of metal otherwise known as my truck. I figured Chautauqua Park in Boulder would be as good a place as any for sunrise, and even more so since it would only be a short hike out into the meadow on this cold morning.

Arriving at Chautauqua Park, I hiked out into the meadow and began setting up my camera in the stillness of the morning. Even though it was cold, I love being in Chautauqua Meadow overlooking Boulder before sunrise. It’s amazing how even a bustling town like Boulder can be so quiet and peaceful in the stillness before dawn.

On a cold morning like this, waiting for sunrise can seem like an eternity. I was setup no more than 20 minutes before dawn, but the warmth of my truck had quickly dissipated into the chill of morning. Finally the clouds above the Flatirons started glowing with the color of the approaching sunrise.

The first rays of sunlight dapple the Flatirons in pink as clouds glide over the mountain peaks and snow coated pines of Chautauqua Park. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-70mm F4 IS L
The first rays of sunlight dapple the Flatirons in pink as clouds glide over the mountain peaks and snow coated pines of Chautauqua Park. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-70mm F4 IS L

My Achilles heel in cold weather has always been my fingers. No matter how hard I try, or what gloves I try my fingers always end up becoming painfully frozen within a matter of minutes. Obviously I need to work my camera and feather my neutral density filter by hand over my lens as I’m photographing. It becomes quite a task at this point to keep my fingers out of the lens and the shot, and keep my hands warm enough to even hold the filter and fire the cable release.

So in between cursing at the cold and attempting to periodically warm my hands, I was able to photograph the a beautiful albeit frigid sunrise over the Flatirons. When it was over, I barely enough feeling left in my fingers to pack my bag and fold up my tripod. A short sprint back to my truck ensued and I sat in my vehicle frozen like a block of ice for a good 10 minutes before I felt coordinated and thawed out enough to drive back home.

My love hate relationship with the cold always quickly comes to an end when I’m back at home in front of my computer with a hot cup of coffee editing my images. I quickly forget the cold when finding images I’m pleased with. So until the next morning I’m out in the field with no feeling in my fingers, I’ll welcome more opportunities for cold and snow.

My Friend The Tree

A lone ponderosa pine tree welcomes a new day from atop its perch over Four Mile Creek in Boulder. Tree's like this one inspire me to photograph what to some may be the most mundane locations. Tree's tell stories and add character to any locations and make for endless opportunities for photographers. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 70-300mm F4-5.6 IS L
A lone ponderosa pine tree welcomes a new day from atop its perch over Four Mile Creek in Boulder. Tree’s like this one inspire me to photograph what to some may be the most mundane locations. Tree’s tell stories and add character to any locations and make for endless opportunities for photographers. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 70-300mm F4-5.6 IS L
If you stop by here on occasion to read my blog or view my galleries you likely know that I’m a big fan of tree’s. Tree’s are one of, if not my favorite subjects to photograph. The variety, shapes, colors, and textures of trees make for limitless opportunities. For me tree’s epitomize a location as much as any mountain or sea would ever.

For me, tree’s not only take on a sense of place, but tree’s have their own stories, and struggles. The have a uniqueness, personality and will that shows through in their shape and form. When I’m photographing tree’s this is what I am hoping to convey in my images.

This Krumholtz tree is also one of my favorite subjects in all of Rocky Mountain National Park. Perched within Glacier Gorge, this particular tree has a shape and form that is unique. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24mm TS-E F3.5 L II
Another example of a tree with great character. This is also one of my favorite subjects in all of Rocky Mountain National Park. Perched within Glacier Gorge, this Krumholtz tree has a shape and form that is one of a kind. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24mm TS-E F3.5 L II

In my opinion, photographing beautiful mountain peaks is different that photographing trees. There are few mountain peaks that have not been photographed countless times before. While there are certainly iconic images of individual tree’s such as the Grand Teton National Park’s ‘Old Patriarch’, I have found some of the most beautiful trees in some of the least dramatic settings.

What I love best about tree’s is that ultimately no matter the time, season or place, tree’s continue to inspire me to get out my camera and create images. Tree’s are like Polaris was to mariners and explorers for me. No matter my location, familiar or not, my old friend the tree helps me navigate, learn and create images of the landscape.

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.

Navigating Through Autumn

Historic Flooding, cold and snow and a government shut down have all contributed to making photography in Boulder, Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park very difficult. While autumn has not lived up to its usual hype here in Colorado because of these events, one is still able to find beautiful scenes even in the midst of difficult times. Ironically, the flooding and heavy rains caused this seasonal puddle to form in Boulders Chautauqua Park. The tree's in Chautauqua Meadow were peaking as a beautiful sunrise unfolded over the Flatirons. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 17mm TS-E F4L
Historic Flooding, cold and snow and a government shut down have all contributed to making photography in Boulder, Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park very difficult. While autumn has not lived up to its usual hype here in Colorado because of these events, one is still able to find beautiful scenes even in the midst of difficult times. Ironically, the flooding and heavy rains caused this seasonal puddle to form in Boulders Chautauqua Park. The tree’s in Chautauqua Meadow were peaking as a beautiful sunrise unfolded over the Flatirons. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 17mm TS-E F4L

In a nutshell, the last few weeks have been a hard go here on the Front Range of Colorado. In what is typically my favorite time of year for photography, conditions and circumstances beyond control have placed a damper on many of the places and locales I often photograph between Estes Park and Boulder.

At time like these, landscape photography can seem trivial compared to the damage and devastation the flooding in and around Boulder has caused to peoples homes, business and communities at large. Even so, I look to my photography as a temporary diversion to the reality of the situation that will now accompany us for sometime.

A triple whammy would be the best way to describe what’s happened here this autumn. First the historic flooding that inundated Boulder and Estes Park which in turn closed roads and trails. Secondly, a spate of wet, cold and windy weather over the Front Range at the end of September combined with an above average year for moisture tempered the fall colors rendering many tree’s leafless, brown or still green. And the lastly, our good friends in government provided us with first hand kabuki theater and shut down the government, or at least thirty percent of it making access to National Parks and in particular Rocky Mountain National Park, impossible.

I can only describe the last month in one word, frustrating. It would be hard for me to believe that cabin fever could settle in over the month of September, but that’s what its felt like for me. Not being able to access places I find vital to my soul has been difficult. I daydream in envy thinking of the herds of elk, or solitary black bear trudging through the meadows or back country of Rocky Mountain National Park with nary a human for miles. A return to primal times is what it must feel like in all these once so easily accessible locations.

Things are starting to look up however. Roads are starting to reopen including Colorado highway 119 through Boulder Canyon. This will make getting to the Peak to Peak highway and Estes Park much more convenient. I’m holding out hope that our federal government can come to some sort of compromise on funding and Rocky Mountain National Park can reopen sooner than later.

So until Rocky Mountain National Park reopens and many of the trails on Open Space and Mountain Park property in Boulder are repaired, I’ll be looking for other opportunities to photograph and keep the rust off, including a quick trip back east for fall color. Patience will be paramount, but sooner than later we can all put these bumpy few months behind us and start returning to our usual haunts.

100 Year Flood

Pioneers like Abner Sprague endured many difficulties and hardships during their early years in Colorado. Even with the hardships settlers like Abner Sprague endured, the flooding that has pummeled Colorado in the last week is something very few have witnessed. Like Sprague, Coloradans will endure hardships and move forward. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24mm TS-E F3.5 L II
Pioneers like Abner Sprague endured many difficulties and hardships during their early years in Colorado. Even with the hardships settlers like Abner Sprague endured, the flooding that has pummeled Colorado in the last week is something very few have witnessed. Like Sprague, Coloradans will endure hardships and move forward. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24mm TS-E F3.5 L II

When my alarm sounds long before dawn to wake me for a morning in the field, I’m tempted to hit snooze or shut the alarm off. There is a little voice in the back of my head however, that pushes me out of bed and gets me moving. Part of that voice is telling me not to take for granted the opportunity before me. It reminds me that nobody promises you tomorrow.

When out photographing and hiking it’s always there in the back of my mind. It’s the big ‘what if’. What if a major forest fire destroyed large areas of Rocky Mountain National Park, or Chautauqua in Boulder?. What if a microburst sends 4 inches of rain down one of these mountain canyons?. What if these public lands were no longer public or accessible?

Over the last few years we’ve had a little of all of these things happen periodically. Threats to shut down park operations through sequestration and budget shortfalls, The Fern Lake fire in Rocky Mountain National Park, and then the disaster of this past week cemented my worst fears.

Beginning on September 8th, rain started falling over Boulder, Estes Park and the foothill communities of the northern Front Range. It rained and rained and over the course of the next few days it became apparent that this was going to be more than just a wet week. Over the course of the week Boulder received over 16 inches of rain, blowing away the previous record of just under 8 inches. Communities in the foothills received over 20 inches of rain in this same timeframe.

The amount of rain falling on the mountains over the course of the week was nothing short of biblical. The water streamed down mountainsides and funneled into the nearest stream, creeks and rivers which quickly became raging torrents sweeping downhill obliterating everything in it’s path.

The amount of destruction caused by the flood is staggering. Entire neighborhoods have been destroyed by the flooding. The roads in the foothills are in total disarray. Many canyon roads are washed out for miles and miles. This has nearly isolated communities such as Estes Park from the outside world and has made travel to these areas impossible except for residents and essential services.

Currently there are no timelines regarding repairs to roads and highways. Engineers have yet to survey the damages but its a safe bet it will be years until Boulder, Estes Park and the foothill communities are returned to pre-flood condition.

My photography will take a back seat for awhile as things sort themselves out and a clearer picture of the devastation unfolds. There is lots of help required here in Boulder and until the road situations improve, Open Space proprieties reopen along with Rocky Mountain National Park, there are few options available for photography.

Towns such as Estes Park are faced with a difficult predicament. Access is limited, and the town needs time to cleanup, reopen and cope with the loss in the community. At the same time Estes Park business depend heavily on seasonal tourist travel with the month of September being one of the towns busiest. People visit Estes Park from all around the country this time of year to view the fall colors and watch the Elk rut. It appears that much of that business will be lost for the season, leaving many business owners to fend for themselves over the slower winter and spring months.

When access to towns like Estes Park improves all of us who love visiting the town and Rocky Mountain National Park need to do our best to help the local business out. We need to show support by visiting the town, spending money and letting people know Estes Park is open for business.

Down the road, the damages will be repaired, towns will reopen for business and visitors and homeowners will return to their normal routines. Nobody will forget the flood of 2013, but Colorado has a long history of hardy inhabitants who weather the forces of nature, brush the dust off and climb right back on their horse and move forward. I expect things will be no different this time.

Stormy Chautauqua

Just enough drop under light illuminates the Flatiron formation at sunrise in Boulder. Silver Lupines blooming in Chautauqua Meadow combined with the dark ominous clouds made for a brief but awesome morning of photography with the help of a little storm lighting. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 16-35mm F2.8 L II
Just enough drop under light illuminates the Flatiron formation at sunrise in Boulder. Silver Lupines blooming in Chautauqua Meadow combined with the dark ominous clouds made for a brief but awesome morning of photography with the help of a little storm lighting. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 16-35mm F2.8 L II
The parade of wildflowers continues in Chautauqua Park in Boulder. Are wet spring is providing enough moisture to keep the meadow green and the flowers blooming. Currently the flavor of the day in Chautauqua Meadow is Silver Lupines and if things go as they usually do, I would expect the Sweet Pea to start blooming just west of the Ranger cottage shortly.

As I’ve stated before in my blog, I’m a sucker for storm light. Pretty much any subject looks good in storm light, including fast food joints, garbage cans, and even proverbial eyesores like strip malls and cell phone towers.

Some may wonder what exactly constitutes storm light. Clouds of any sort always help to add depth and perspective to landscape photography. Having clouds in your image alone does not constitute storm light photography. For true storm light we need a little bit more than just some wafting and drifting clouds in the sky.

For true storm light we need ominous dark clouds swirling above or around our subject. Dark ominous clouds alone are not enough. We then need the special ingredient of some ‘drop under’ light. There needs to be a small break or opening in those ominous clouds that allows just enough of the sun’s magical first or last light of the day peak through and bathe our subject with intense, colorful, long angle lighting.

Storm lighting is short lived and fleeting. Your only going to have a few seconds or minutes to take advantage of the conditions. This was the case when I photographed the Flatirons from Chautauqua Meadow last week. I had a little over 2 minutes of light this particular to make this image work. It was a fleeting moment, but the storm light over the Flatirons this morning more than made up for the duration of light. Now where are those fast food joints, cell phone towers and strip malls!.

Worth The Wait

What's better than this after a long winter?. It's be a long wait, but worth it for images like these. The sky errupts with color over Chautauqua Park and The Flatirons of Boulder on a beautiful spring morning. Golden Banner fills the meadow below the iconic rock formation. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 17mm TS-E F4 L
What’s better than this after a long winter?. It’s be a long wait, but worth it for images like these. The sky errupts with color over Chautauqua Park and The Flatirons of Boulder on a beautiful spring morning. Golden Banner fills the meadow below the iconic rock formation. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 17mm TS-E F4 L
There are few more iconic and beautiful locations in Colorado that Chautauqua Meadows at the base of the Flatirons in Boulder. It’s a beautiful location anytime of year and a place that has a magical quality about it.

Spring in Chautauqua Meadows is particularly special. Flowers bloom in the meadow and the sweet smell of the Ponderosa pines that line the hillsides fills the warming air.

It’s almost as if Chautauqua Meadows puts on slow motion show of changing displays of wildflowers and colors. The Golden Banner will cede to Silver Lupine, which will regress for Wild Iris, then finally the pink, reds and purples of the Sweet Pea as the days warm and summer settles in.

After a spring that has been masquerading as winter, it’s nice to finally have some warm weather and to watch things finally begin to green up. Were at least a good two weeks behind the norm in Boulder as far as the foliage goes so I’ve been eagerly awaiting the first flower blooms in Chautauqua Park.

In a typical year, Golden Banner is the first significant bloom to propagate Chautauqua Park in the spring. That’s true of this year as well.

With nice healthy clusters of Golden Banner sprinkled throughout Chautauqua, I was treated to a spectacular sunrise over the Flatirons last week. Spring has been slow to the party but the wait was well worth it.

Walker Ranch Whiteout

Snow starts to fall hard on these Ponderosa trees of Walker Ranch. The conditions quickly deteriorated this day, but I was able to sneak away with an image that typified the experience for me on this day at Walker Ranch. Technicial Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 70-300 F4-5.6 L
Snow start to fall hard on these Ponderosa trees of Walker Ranch. The conditions quickly deteriorated this day, but I was able to sneak away with an image that typified the experience for me on this day at Walker Ranch. Technicial Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 70-300 F4-5.6 L
Located west of Eldorado Canyon State Park lies Walker Ranch. Situated on Boulder County open space property, Walker Ranch is the site of a former homestead from the turn of the century. Portions of the property skirt the banks of South Boulder creek which makes for great hiking and fishing.

The area around Walker Ranch is going through a transition of sorts. In 2000, the Walker Ranch fire burned through much of the property and it’s forest. In 2013, the Flagstaff fire again burned inside portions of the Walker Ranch area. Many of the tree’s inside of Walker Ranch have been affected by these two most recent fires.

Even with the recent burns in the area, Walker Ranch is still a spectacular location for photography. Our long dry spell seems to have temporarily abated in the last couple of weeks. Snow has become a common occurrence once again in and around Boulder.

During a recent snowstorm, I took the opportunity to head up to Walker Ranch to see what subjects I could find. It was snowing hard, and the wind had really begun to pickup as I headed out in search of images. I found this group of Ponderosa pines weathering the storm.

Though it was snowing hard, it was quiet and peaceful as I photographed. Not another soul was to be found. The parking lots were empty and people remained in the comforts of the inside returning this popular location back to a place of wildness and solitude.

I was only able to photograph for a short time. The winds and blowing snow soon made it to difficult to keep the front of my lens snow free. I packed up and headed back to the car. Though I’m a photographer, experiences like these are never about recording images to a memory card. For me, it’s the experience of committing special days like this to my memory.

Sunrises Over Boulder

Boulder Sunrise over the High Plains
Each sunrise over Boulder and the Front Range is unique from the previous one. This particular morning the pastels, pinks and magentas really popped before the sun rose over the eastern horizon. I love mornings like these because I know no two sunrises will ever be alike. Technicial Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 70-200 F4 IS L
Sunrises on the High Plains of Colorado are often magnificent. No two sunrises over the plains are ever alike. Each sunrise is as unique as fingerprints are to one’s hand. The intensity of the colors, the shape of the clouds, and the richness of light are always changing and varied.

In this day and age of digital photography and the use of software to enhance and refine imagery, some may be skeptical of the intensity of the colors and light that some of my sunrise images exhibit. When photographing a location, it is never my intent to reproduce an exact carbon copy of the scene. There are tweaks and adjustments made to some of my images, but sunrises photographed over the Front Range and High Plains rarely need much work after they are photographed.

When photographing sunrises, I prefer to head out long before dawn on mornings when there is a good amount of cloud cover overhead. Before the sun appears, the light show begins. Clouds will begin to pickup the colors of the sun and the hues an intensity of the light will change rapidly as sunrise approaches. Like a kid in a candy store, I use this time to vary my compositions and experiment with my exposures. My advice, get out early, capture the intensity of the sunrise and spend less time in front of the computer after your shoot.

Welcoming In 2013

First Sunrise of the 2013 new year over The Flatirons of Boulder,Colorado
Here’s to hoping that the first sunrise of 2013 is a sign of things to come in the new year. It was a spectacular start to 2013 as a beautiful sunrise unfolded over the Flatirons of Boulder, Colorado. What a way to welcome in the first day and sunrise of 2013. Now if I could only get every sunrise in 2013 to unfold like this. Technicial Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 40mm F2.8 STM
Happy 2013 to everyone. Here’s hoping to a healthy and productive year to all. I managed to keep my tradition of shooting the first sunrise of the new year this morning. This gets easier to do the older I get, as in some years past I probably would be going to bed as the sun was rising.

This year I wrangled myself out of bed and made the short drive over to Boulder and the Flatirons Vista trailhead to photograph the first sunrise of 2013. It was a chilly morning with temps in Boulder hovering around 12 degrees, give or take a few degrees depending on your location.

It had cleared off to the east over the high plains of Colorado but a nice set of clouds remained over the Front Range, and the Flatirons. The conditions were coming together to form one of our classic and intense sunrises here in Colorado. I hiked the few miles back to my location in the pre-dawn light and waited in the stillness and silence of the morning for the light show to unfold.

This mornings sunrise was more amazing than any fireworks show celebrating the new year and as I stood their watching it unfold there was no better place to be to start 201