A muted but still beautiful sunrise takes hold over Rocky Mountain National Park and Sprague Lake. Conditions in Rocky Mountain National Park are quickly transitioning to late spring conditions with many of the lakes at lower elevations thawed or nearly thawed. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 17mm TS-E F4It can be difficult to contain my excitement when I think of summer settling into Rocky Mountain National Park. I can think of no place I’d rather be then hiking back down a trail after shooting sunrise at one of Rocky’s hundreds of backcountry alpine lakes and tarns. The warm sun on your face, the smell of the pines amplified by the morning dew, hopscotching around the puddles on the trail from the previous nights thunderstorms are experiences as close to nirvana as anything I can imagine.
Summer season in Rocky is almost here. Sure there is lots of snow in the high country of Rocky, but conditions are changing quickly. The weather is finally warming and the snow is starting to melt at a good pace. Lakes like Sprague and Cub have mostly thawed and are free from ice. Many of the other lakes around 9000 ft or less have also opened up or are partially open. Grasses are starting to green in both Moraine and Horseshoe park. Summer will be here before you know it, and I for one can wait.
Besides checking out the conditions around Rocky Mountain National Park this week, I also took the time to photograph a few mornings. In particular, I was able to photograph one area that I’ve been eyeing since last fall. It’s an image that was not possible before last Septembers flooding. The flooding while devastating has mostly been mitigated to a point that only small areas of Rocky Mountain National Park are affected.
Stream crossings on many trailheads are missing and many places along Old Fall River road have been washed out, but considering the vastness of Rocky these will only prove to be minor inconveniences for summer visitors to Rocky. The power and scope of the flooding is still evident in Rocky Mountain National Park in many areas however. In particular the landscape along the Roaring River and the Alluvial Fan reveals the intensity with which the flooding occurred. The September 2013 flooding caused a good amount of damage to Rocky. Even so, it has also opened up new opportunities such as this image of Bighorn Mountain and the Roaring River at sunrise. Technical Details: Canon Eos 5D Mark III, 17mm TS-E F4 L
The Alluvial Fan was formed when a man made dam failed at Lawn Lake on July 15th, 1982. Three visitors lost their lives and the dam break flooded downtown Estes Park. The torrent of water pushed boulders and sand downstream forming the Alluvial Fan in Horseshoe Park. Fast forward to September of 2013 and the area saw a near repeat of the Lawn Lake dam break, this time caused by nearly 20 inches of rain over a three day period.
The September flooding once again greatly altered the area around the Alluvial Fan and the Roaring River. At the base of the Alluvial Fan, the Roaring River jumped it’s banks and diverted itself from flowing southward, to instead flowing around the road bridge on Old Fall River road and heading due west prior to resuming it’s southerly course a quarter of a mile downstream. This new course forged by the Roaring River due west has opened up some new photographic potential around the Alluvial Fan.
With the Roaring River now flowing east to west over this newly formed 1/4 mile course, I had been waiting for favorable conditions to photograph this area. A combination of increased spring runoff combined with some nice clouds over Horseshoe Park last week brought just the right conditions to photograph this area.
While I’m used to making attempts to photograph places in Rocky that are often new to me, it’s not everyday that I actually have the opportunity to photograph something new without having to wait the usual thousands of years or so that natures slow pace typically dictates. So out of all the destruction and loss the September flooding has caused, the silver lining is that it has also created new opportunities to photograph Rocky Mountain National Park as well.
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 IIBlue 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
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.
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 LWith 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 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.
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 IIMany 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
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.
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 LBaseball’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
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.
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 IIOne 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.
Sunrise from the summit of Flagstaff mountain was something to behold. Snow had fallen on Boulder and the Flatirons coating them in white. Low clouds from an inversion hung over the eastern plains of Colorado covering Boulder and Denver and allowing for this view of the Flatirons at sunrise. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 24-70mm F4 IS LLight snow had fallen all through the day and into the evening over Boulder. The foothills were coated with fresh snow and the pines had a frosty glow to them. The clouds hadn’t cleared by the time I awoke in early in the morning though the forecast called for clear and sunny skies after sunrise. The fresh snow and lingering cloud cover were promising signs that sunrise could indeed be a good one for photography this morning.
The conditions looked favorable for another inversion. Though the entire area around Boulder was covered in low lying clouds experience was telling me it was likely to be a low cloud deck with clear or clearing skies once one got above the layer of clouds. I figured I’d do what I do most mornings when conditions are similar and take a drive up Flagstaff Mountain to see how high I needed to go to get above the clouds. The clouds from the inversion rested just below the summit of Flagstaff mountain. Hiking to the summit allowed just enough altitude to get above the cloud line and photograph sunrise. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 24-70mm F4 IS L
Two and a half miles up Flagstaff Mountain the clouds broke and I was able to get above the low lying layer of clouds over Boulder. The Moon shone brightly in the sky and illuminated the frost covered pines along the flanks of Flagstaff and Green mountains. Simply put the conditions were breathtaking.
I’ve been having great luck photographing some beautiful landscapes around Boulder this winter due to frequent conditions favorable for inversions. Taking the break in the cloud layer into consideration, a hike to the summit of Flagstaff mountain seemed like as good as anyplace to photograph sunrise this morning. So I parked my truck half way up the mountain and started hiking towards the summit of Flagstaff in the fog.
Hiking through the snow and fog in the pre-dawn hours with a partial moon lighting my was magical. Soon I was above the cloud line and nearing the summit of Flagstaff. The Ponderosa Pines where covered with snow and hoar frost and the fresh untracked crystalline snow shimmered and sparkled. As I hiked continued my hike towards the summit, a section of trail appeared different than any other I had just hiked.Here’s the muddied location where it all went down. The mountain lion took the deer down right at this location, then dragged the deer up the hillside. the drag marks can be seen on the left side of the photo. Blood and the outline of the deer’s head can also be seen just above below the drag marks.
The fresh snow had covered the trail completely. No other footprints could be seen and it was apparent I was the first person who had hiked up through this section of since the snow had stopped falling late the previous night. Something was odd about this section of trail below the summit. The trail was muddied and soft in this section. There was mud splatter all over the otherwise pristine snow. I did not give it much thought other than to think somebody had decided to ride their mountain bike through this section of trail which is typically closed to bikes.
A few paces up from the muddied section of trail an interesting track in the snow caught my eye. Upon inspection there were quite a few of these large animal prints in the fresh snow. This was not a coyote, deer or bear print but that of a mountain lion. I followed the tracks as they meandered through a meadow and towards the summit of the mountain. With sunrise quickly approaching I broke off following the tracks to go find a locations to photograph from. I figured after sunrise I could take my time and study the tracks in more detail when the sun was out.
Sunrise was brilliant and beautiful from the summit of Flagstaff. The low layer of clouds caused by the inversion made for great conditions to photograph both the Flatirons as well as sunrise over the eastern plains of Colorado. Wrapping up, I packed up my camera and headed back down the mountain to explore and investigate the fresh mountain lion tracks I had picked up on my up the mountain.
I picked up the tracks just behind the nature center on the summit of Flagstaff. Following them down through the trees and into the meadow just below the summit until I was back on the trail. The sun was shining brightly now and the fog had burned off so it was much easier to inspect my surroundings. The tracks appeared to stop at the portion of the trail that was muddy, the same area I had thought someone had ridden a bike through on my way up to the summit earlier in the morning.
I stopped and surveyed my surroundings some more in the daylight. Just off to the side of the muddied portion of the trail I could see a large patch of blood on the fresh snow. Looking more closely, my senses peaked I surveyed the hillside along the side of the trail. Inspecting the hillside I could see that something was dragged through the snow. It looked much like a hillside does after someone makes a first pass on a snow sled. The drag marks, peppered with streaks of blood here and there led into a group of Ponderosa Pines. Just up the hill 15-20 yards from the trail the Mountain lion ate the mule deer then cached the remaining portion under pine needles and cones.
My heart beating a little faster, my senses more attuned to the sounds and sights around me it became clear what had happened on this muddy portion of the trail. I was standing more or less on top of a fresh mountain lion kill that had occurred only a short time before I had hiked on through on my way to photograph sunrise from the summit of the mountain.
With freshly fallen snow coating the ground it was easy to see exactly what had unfolded at this location only a short while prior to my arrival. The mountain lion waited for its prey on the hillside along the trail. The unsuspecting mule deer likely never realized there was a cat lying in wait until it was too late. The deadly efficiency of the lion was evident.
While the trail itself was muddied where the mountain lion took the deer down, there appeared to be little sign of a chase, struggle or resistance once the mountain lion had gripped onto the deer’s neck with its powerful bite. After dispatching the deer, the cougar dragged the deer up the side of the hill, 20 yards or less from the trail, ate a portion of it’s meal and then buried and cached the rest of the deer under pine needles, cones and duff for safe keeping.
Finding the mountain lions cache pile on the hillside with the mule deer’s two hind legs protruding from the pile was unnerving. Here I was standing over a mountain lions fresh kill having walked right through the area in the dark and fog only a short time after this had all taken place.
As is always the case when in the presence of a large predator, my senses were now heightened and alert. My eyes scanned every shadow and rock and tree on the hillside to see if the cat was watching me from the brush. The photographer in me wanted to stick around and see if I could photograph the mountain lion or at least catch a glimpse of this elusive animal. I decided it was best if I moved on back down the mountain and my dog Jackson seemed more than happy to move on from the area as well. I had a great morning photographing sunrise from the summit of Flagstaff mountain and there was no need to push my luck or more importantly disturb or stress the lion. I had my share of adventure and excitement for the morning and one I will remember for a long time. One of the many Mountain lion tracks I found near the trail and kill site. I followed the Mountain lion tracks which after leaving the deer headed over the summit, and back over to the westside of Flagstaff mountain. At that point I figured there was no reason to follow them any longer and headed back down the mountain.
Photographing Rocky Mountain National Park during the transitional season from winter to spring can be a frustrating experience. More often than not it will feel more like winter than spring in Rocky. Partially thawing streams make for a good subject even on cloudy and drab days. Here I was able to find a small area of Glacier Creek that had thawed enough to photograph water moving under and around the snowpack. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 24-70mm F4 IS LWith the calendar rolling past St. Patrick’s day spring is nearly here. Spring conjures up images of warmer weather, greening grass and chirping birds. While we can already see signs of spring beginning in the lower elevations of the Front Range, were entering another ‘tweener’ season in Rocky Mountain National Park that can lower ones motivation and cause photographers to find other ways to spend their time in the field.
While finding interesting subjects to photograph between seasons can be difficult, here are a few tips for keeping it fresh and interesting in between the spring melt off and summer in Rocky Mountain National Park.
1. Pay attention to thawing streams and lakes. Water will add a dimension and depth to your image. After a long cold winter, moving water can be hard to come by. By mid March the streams should be starting to thaw in areas which are exposed to the sun allowing for photographers to advantage of reflections or foreground subjects. Lakes may also allow for reflections or interesting subjects for leading lines. Don’t expect to find any of the lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park thawed an open this time of year. Check the inlets and outlets of lakes at various altitudes. Moving water will cause the inlets and outlets to thaw and run first. Use extreme caution this time of year when working around water and ice. Poor judgment and a misstep can cost you more than just your camera equipment.
3. Continue to embrace your winter mojo. Why does one need to embrace winter when we are talking about landscape photography as we transition to spring?. Simple really, spring in Rocky Mountain National Park has lots of stops and starts. Spring in Rocky is much more likely to provide winter like conditions than those of the summer so it’s important to keep your mindset open to photographing in snowy conditions. Some of my best winter/snow images have been made during the spring season. March and April are some of our snowiest months so your certainly going to have the opportunity to photograph the landscape covered in white, so you might as well take advantage of it.
So while many have cabin fever setting in or are dreaming of heading to warmer locations south of Rocky Mountain National Park, the ‘tweener’ season still presents plenty of opportunities for photographers to make dynamic images in the park. Like always, keep and open mind, come prepared and most importantly make sure you get out in the field to create images.
A beautiful winter sunrise unfolds over Glacier Gorge and Longs Peak. Snow has covered the pines as the first rays of light illuminate the sky above Longs Peak and Otis Peak. A few hours earlier, the entire sky was covered with clouds. The skies quickly began to clear at sunrise but enough clouds hung over Longs Peak and Glacier Gorge to compliment the fresh snow. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 24-70mm F4 ISAs landscape photographers we find ourselves constantly chasing both the light and the weather. These two ingredients are at the heart of what makes a successful, dynamic landscape image. The trick is of course attempting to take advantage of these conditions when it may be favorable to do so. That of course is much harder said then done. Like a golfer sinking a 40 foot birdie put on the eighteenth hole after an awful round of golf, nailing a shot in dynamic weather and light quickly makes us forget past failed attempts and has us searching again for that next image.
Weather is dynamic on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. It’s constantly in flux, especially as we move towards spring. Weather changes happen quickly here in Colorado and in ways that can be both helpful to your photography or a detriment.
It’s not uncommon to have the skies clouded over and snow still falling only a few hours before sunrise, to then find the skies at sunrise cloudless and clear with only fresh snow on the pines and granite to attest to latest storm. While this is great for skiing, snowshoeing, and other outdoor activities it doesn’t jive well with the bad weather equals good photographs meme.
Many a time it’s a race to see if the clouds can hang on just long enough to add color to the skies above the peaks. Clouds add interest and bring an important element and dimension to an image, so whenever possible having clouds in the photograph is a benefit. But when one of our quick moving storms starts moving out the skies can clear in a very short period of time.
This was the case after our last storm. Snow fell at a good clip the day the before. Weather forecasts indicated that the snow that was falling hard on Friday, would indeed move out quickly with clear skies predicted for sunrise Saturday morning. Of course the weather forecasts interpretation of clear skies can be different than a photographers so there is a possibility that some of the clouds and fog from the storm could linger around the high peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park for sunrise.
When I left my house on Saturday morning on my way to Rocky the skies were completely clouded over. By the time I arrived at entrance to the park, the skies had started to clear considerably and there were now large breaks in the cloud cover with the stars shining above. After parking my vehicle at Bear Lake and throwing on snowshoes for the hike up towards Dream Lake, the skies had cleared even more that when I had arrived at the entrance. It was becoming obvious that the cloud were quickly on their way out and the race was going to be on to see if any would stick around long enough to make sunrise.
I hurried up the trail through the virgin powder towards Dream Lake, all the while watching the sky and clouds hoping they would hang on long enough. The conditions were perfect and a beautiful sunrise with colorful clouds over Longs Peak would be the icing on the cake.
By the time I reached the ridge just below Dream Lake which gives a commanding view of Glacier Gorge and Longs Peak there were only a few clouds still hanging over and around Longs Peak. Hold on is all I could think as I setup my camera and tripod. A few more minutes and the sun would be up. Hold on just long enough the clouds did making for a beautiful late winter scene over Rocky Mountain National Park and another great morning in Rocky.
Unsettled weather continued this week over Rocky Mountain National Park and the Front Range of Colorado. Even with our unsettled and snowy weather, signs of spring are slowly starting to show. Mill Creek has thawed enough to flow through these frozen and snow covered willows near Hollowell Park. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 70-300mm F4-5.6 LAnother winter storm, another weekend of interesting conditions here on the northern Front Range of Colorado. With our current weather pattern and the timing of storms hitting the state, winter is taking on a groundhog day like feel to it. Rinse and repeat is the order of the day with the current weather pattern. No complaints from me as the current setup is working out quite nicely when it comes to photography along the Front Range.
Snowy weather continued over Rocky Mountain National Park Friday night into Saturday night. It’s seems all it has been doing in Rocky for the last month or so is either snowing, or the wind is howling, or a combination of both has been occurring. Even so, it still sets of good opportunities for photography if you can find a window between the snow and heavy winds. Cold air inversions have been commonplace the last month or so over Boulder. After a storm moves out, clouds and cold air remains over the plains and valley’s. An expedition up Flagstaff Mountain gets one above the clouds for sunrise views like these. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 17mm TS-E F4
As harsh as the conditions have been in Rocky Mountain National Park the last month or so, spring is definitely creeping into the air. Streams are starting to thaw in pockets, the birds are getting a little nosier each morning and every now again one can catch a whiff of that organic, earthen smell that tells you things are starting to thaw. Even the snow takes on a different quality as the temperatures increase slightly and the flakes grow larger with moisture.
As has been the pattern the last month or so. These storms that move over Colorado with moisture from the Pacific, pull down cold arctic air as they move through the state. As the storms have moved out, the cold air remains settled in the valley’s and low spots of the Front Range. This pattern has been perfect for allowing for cold air inversions over the lower valley’s and plains after the snow has moved out.
That being the case, an expedition up Flagstaff Mountain just west of Boulder has been the perfect spot for taking advantages of the inversion by getting up above the cold layer of air entrenched below. Having an inversion setup over the foothills west of Boulder allows for many images that one normally could not photograph. The cloud cover caused by the inversion covers the city like a blanket covering all the man made objects below and beneath the cloud cover.
So I’ll take the rinse and repeat aspect of the last few weeks. Sure I cant wait for summer to settle in, but the repetitive conditions have really made for some fun expeditions and allowed me to create images that ordinarily may not be possible. As for this weekends forecast?, stay tuned as it’s again looking snowy and unsettled.
