Crunch Time

This time of year one has many options when photographing in Rocky Mountain National Park. With the seasons transitioning from summer to fall one can chose to photograph summer like scenes as well as scenes more representative of autumn. Of course the trick this time of year is doing so before the weather sets in and alters ones plans. Last week I was able to photograph this summer like sunrise at Ouzel Lake in Wild Basin, while at the same time photographing some early fall color as well. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 16-35mm F4 ED VR lens
This time of year one has many options when photographing in Rocky Mountain National Park. With the seasons transitioning from summer to fall one can chose to photograph summer like scenes as well as scenes more representative of autumn. Of course the trick this time of year is doing so before the weather sets in and alters ones plans. Last week I was able to photograph this summer like sunrise at Ouzel Lake in Wild Basin, while at the same time photographing some early fall color as well. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 16-35mm F4 ED VR lens

It’s happening one again. The seasons of change are sweeping over Rocky Mountain National Park and our summer season is transitioning towards autumn. Whether it be the sounds of a bull elk bugle in a meadow or sets of aspen leaves turning golden yellow it’s becoming more apparent by the day that summer in Rocky Mountain National Park is nearing it’s conclusion.

For photographers this is both and exciting time of year as well as a hectic time of year. For many landscape photographers, fall is their favorite time of years. The changing seasons, the vibrant fall color, shorter and cooler days all tend to energize and inspire landscape photographers to get out and create images.

While this transition season is an exciting and inspiring time of year, it’s also hectic. Speaking for myself I find that I am both trying to extend the summer season and anticipate the coming fall season. Access to Rocky’s backcountry is still easy before snow and freezing temperatures set in allowing for me to continue to work on summer like images and access much of the park. At the same time I’m keeping an eye on the subtle and not so subtle changes associated with the onset of fall. It’s certainly great to have a lot of options at hand, but it creates stress in that decisions need to be made on what subjects to photograph.

On the hike out of Ouzel Lake I was able to find quite a bit of fall color in the forests of Wild Basin like this group of aspen trees. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-120mm F4 VR ED lens
On the hike out of Ouzel Lake I was able to find quite a bit of fall color in the forests of Wild Basin like this group of aspen trees. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-120mm F4 VR ED lens

One would think that having lots of options would be a good thing, and for the most part it is. What makes the decisions difficult is not having options, but trying to time and guess just how long one will have these options available. Timing is everything this time of year and one early season snowstorm or cold snap can quickly alter both your options and your plans.

A cold snap, wind storm, or snow can strip the leaves from the trees, cover the trails in snow and cause the surface of the lakes to freeze. In one fell swoop both your options to photograph summer like scenes as well as autumn scenes and fall color can vanish for the year. This urgency to beat out the unknown is what makes the transitional season from summer to autumn so tricky to time out and photograph.

Worrying aside, right now is about as good as it gets to photograph in Rocky Mountain National Park. Leaves are starting to change on aspen trees, streams are flowing freely and access to Rocky’s backcountry as well as Trail Ridge Road is unfettered. It’s time to take advantage of this great time of year and make the most of the photographic opportunities.

I’ll keep one eye to my cameras viewfinder and the other on the weather reports and fall color reports. As always it will be hectic, stressful, fun and a productive time to photograph in Rocky. But as they say in sports, it’s crunch time.

Rocky’s Summer Snow

Storm clouds roll off the high peaks of the aptly named Never Summer Range in Rocky Mountain National Park. The calendar says its August 19th, but the conditions in Rocky this morning appear more winter like. While it can snow at anytime in Rocky Mountain National Park, this is the earliest I've been able to photograph a healthy dusting of snow on the high peaks. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Sigma C150-600mm F5.6-6.3 DG OS HSM lens.
Storm clouds roll off the high peaks of the aptly named Never Summer Range in Rocky Mountain National Park. The calendar says its August 19th, but the conditions in Rocky this morning appear more winter like. While it can snow at anytime in Rocky Mountain National Park, this is the earliest I’ve been able to photograph a healthy dusting of snow on the high peaks. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Sigma C150-600mm F5.6-6.3 DG OS HSM lens.

This time of year photographers are always anticipating the upcoming autumn season. For many photographers this is their favorite time of year. Trips are planned, notes on locations are exchanged with other photographers and topographic maps are scoured in an attempt to find new vistas and locations to photograph. Typically by mid August there is a detectible change in the air in Colorado. While it’s still quite warm during the day, the nights begin to cool quite a bit. The sun rises and set’s a little earlier each day, grasses begin to turn from vibrant greens to browns and golds. The Elk begin to migrate back towards the lower elevations in anticipation of the ‘Autumn Rut’ and the sounds of bugling in the meadows increases in frequency. Even the quality of light begins to noticeably change. The shadows grow longer in the valleys and canyons while the sunlight burns a little warmer lower in the sky. If your paying attention this slow turnover of seasons becomes readily apparent.

I’ve been watching this change play out in Rocky Mountain National Park over the course of the last few weeks. An aspen branch here turning yellow, and Elk Bugle off in the distance there followed by a hard frost here or there. I did not expect however, to be greeted by a nice dusting of snow in Rocky Mountain National Park on the morning of August 19th!. Sure it’s possible to get snow in Rocky Mountain National Park pretty much any month of the year. I’ve seen a light dusting of snow before near the summit of 14,259 ft Longs Peak in both July and August but typically it’s hardly noticeable and it melts off well before the sun even reaches the mountainsides.

The Earth's shadow paints the sky over Specimen Mountain and The Poudre River in pastels after and August 19th snowstorm has coated the mountains and hillsides with snow. Techncial Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-120mm F4 AF VR lens
The Earth’s shadow paints the sky over Specimen Mountain and The Poudre River in pastels after and August 19th snowstorm has coated the mountains and hillsides with snow. Techncial Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-120mm F4 AF VR lens

So imagine my surprise when in the predawn hours of August 19th, I rounded the sharp curve near the Forest Canyon Overlook on Trail Ridge Road to see the hillsides coated in what looked like snow. My first reaction was to do a double take. I thought to myself, ‘that cant be snow, its mid August?’. It had rained hard during the night and the temperature in Estes Park was thirty-seven degrees fahrenheit when I made my way through town but it was after all still August. I then thought to myself that must just be dew on the grasses and small pines at this elevation. After a night of rain, pines take on a silvery like sheen when wet, surely thats what this had to be. Confirmation that it was snow quickly arrived as my tires began making the unmistakable crunching noise tires make when driving on granular frozen snow and ice.

After thinking to myself thats its just to darn early for snow, I next had to decide where to shoot. Trail Ridge Road was slick and dicey as it was covered with snow and ice above Forest Canyon. Typically the National Park Service would have closed Trail Ridge Road at either Rainbow Curve or Many Parks Curve when they expected snow or icy conditions early in the morning from a previous nights storm. I have to believe much like myself, The National Park Service was not expecting snow this early in the seasons either and Trail Ridge Road remained open.

This created what I’d consider a rare circumstance. While Trail Ridge Road was icy and slick, it remained open which would allow for images that typically would be nearly impossible to capture. When the NPS was anticipating dangerous road conditions on Trail Ridge Road because of incoming weather. The road was open and I should with some careful driving by able to get to whichever overlook was yielding the most dynamic conditions.

Rare and beautiful all at the same time. A fresh August 19th snowstorm coats the Never Summer Range in Rocky Mountain National Park. Technical Details: Sigma C 150-600mm F5.6-6.3 DG OS HSM lens.
Rare and beautiful all at the same time. A fresh August 19th snowstorm coats the Never Summer Range in Rocky Mountain National Park. Technical Details: Sigma C 150-600mm F5.6-6.3 DG OS HSM lens.

The overlook that appeared to be yielding the most favorable conditions was Medicine Bow Curve. Specimen Mountain as well as The Never Summer Range had a good coating of snow combined with some residual clouds that still remained. Furthermore the pines in this area had nice dusting of snow and there was some fog still hanging above the Poudre River valley below. So after diligently navigating Trail Ridge Road I setup my tripod and camera and worked the compositions as the light and clouds rapidly changed with the approaching sunrise.

It was a cold morning standing at the Medicine Bow Overlook. Certainly much colder than one would typically expect during the month of August in Rocky Mountain National Park. The cold fingers were certainly worth it and it will be a morning in Rocky I wont soon forget. Hopefully were now back to Summer and I cant start dreaming about what I want to photograph in Rocky when Autumn arrives much sooner than later.

Summer’s Back Nine

The summer photography season in Rocky Mountain National Park is currently in full swing. To borrow a golf phrase we are entering summer's back nine in Rocky. Wildflowers still look great in the park and now is the time to get out and hike to your favorite backcountry destination. I photographed this beautiful sunset last week on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. The beautiful colors of sunset reflect in the placid waters of the Colorado River as seen from the Kawuneeche Valley. Technical Details: Nikon D810, 16-35mm F4 ED VR
The summer photography season in Rocky Mountain National Park is currently in full swing. To borrow a golf phrase we are entering summer’s back nine in Rocky. Wildflowers still look great in the park and now is the time to get out and hike to your favorite backcountry destination. I photographed this beautiful sunset last week on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. The beautiful colors of sunset reflect in the placid waters of the Colorado River as seen from the Kawuneeche Valley. Technical Details: Nikon D810, 16-35mm F4 ED VR

I apologize for the recent lack of postings to my blog in recent weeks. It’s full on summer seasons here in Rocky Mountain National Park and it’s been keeping me quite busy. Between guiding clients on photography tours, or getting very early morning starts to head up and out to some of the lakes far in the backcountry it’s been difficult finding sometime to sit down and write up a blog post.

In a nutshell Rocky Mountain National Park is absolutely spectacular right now. Rocky is still very green from all the moisture we had this spring and early summer and the wildflowers in the higher elevations are still looking very good. Wildflowers such as Columbines and Paintbrush look spectacular in the higher elevations and I highly recommend getting out and searching for them while you still can. It may be hard to believe but I’ve already seen frost on the grasses in the higher elevations above treeline and on the alpine tundra already. This means it’s only a matter of time before the wildflowers bid adieu for another season.

Sooner than later autumn color will start to settle into the park and the Elk rut will be underway. Any day now somebody is going to post an image of an aspen tree turning yellow early and make a proclamation that fall season is underway early this year. As is the case every year there is always one or two trees that will begin to show their autumn colors early in Rocky Mountain National Park. So before the autumn season settles in and we begin to lament just how quickly summer comes and goes I highly recommend that you get out into Rocky Mountain National Park and enjoy the back nine of the summer season.

Black And Green Lakes

It was July 10th at Green Lake deep within the backcountry of Glacier Gorge but the lake still has yet to completely thaw out. The Spearhead formation rises above Green Lake as clouds streak above and over this famous formation. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 16-35mm F4 VR
It was July 10th at Green Lake deep within the backcountry of Glacier Gorge but the lake still has yet to completely thaw out. Residing in the shadow of 14,259 ft Longs Peak prevents sunlight from reaching this glacial basin and slows the thawing process. The Spearhead formation rises above Green Lake as clouds streak above and over this famous formation. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 16-35mm F4 AF VR

Summer is officially in full swing in Rocky Mountain National Park now. The trails are nearly snow free and almost all the lakes in Rocky have thawed. Wildflowers are out in abundance and the display this year of flowers is by far the best I’ve witnessed in years. It’s a great time to get out into parts of Rocky Mountain National Park that are difficult to access much of the year when covered with snow and ice.

While summer has officially arrived, the dynamic weather that has benefited the streams and wildflowers continues to make conditions for photographers interesting as well. Last week was filled with dramatic sunrises, rain, wind and clouds. All the elements landscape photographers keep their fingers crossed for when planning an outing.

After spending a week in New York visiting with family it was time for me to get out into the backcountry and take advantage of the summer conditions in Rocky’s backcountry. Black and Green Lake deep within Glacier Gorge seemed like the perfect jaunt to check out conditions.

Green Lake has been on my list of locations to photograph for sometime. I’ve photographed Black Lake numerous times before but had not yet made it up to Green Lake. Green Lake requires quite a bit more effort to access than Black Lake as most of the hike above Black Lake is cross country travel without a defined or maintained trail. Green Lake lies at the base of the famous Spearhead formation which I’ve also wanted to photograph close up.

So I started up the Glacier Gorge trailhead at 3:30 AM to give myself ample time to make the 5:40 AM sunrise at Black Lake. While I would have been happy to hike all the way to Green Lake for sunrise, the area around Green Lake proper does not receive the first rays of sun because it resides directly below and behind Longs Peak. Even during the summer months it takes sometime for the sun to get high enough above Longs Peak to illuminate the Spearhead.

When I started my hike up to Black Lake it was raining lightly. The forecast showed the skies would clear and the rain would stop by sunrise. Basically conditions looked promising for both the chance of clouds and possibly some breaks with sun.

Before heading up to Green Lake, I first photographed Black Lake at sunrise. Some nice clouds partially obscured McHenry's Peak as it reflected in the smooth waters of Black Lake. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 16-35mm F4 AF VR
Before heading up to Green Lake, I first photographed Black Lake at sunrise. Some nice clouds partially obscured McHenry’s Peak as it reflected in the smooth waters of Black Lake. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 16-35mm F4 AF VR

The weather as it had most of the week did not disappoint. Sunrise was stunning at Black Lake and the wind held off just long enough so that a reflection was possible, that changed shortly after sunrise however. As the wind picked up and the sun ducked in and out of the cloud cover I left Black Lake and continued on towards Green Lake.

When I arrived at Green Lake I was surprised to find much of the lake still had ice and snowpack on it. While most of the lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park had already thawed, Green Lake still was partially frozen as of July 10th. The wind was howling pretty good and the clouds were whipping over and around the Spearhead. The sun would periodically move in an out of the clouds illuminating the Spearhead in dappled lighting. While it was raw and chilly in the winds at Green Lake the conditions were just about perfect for spotlighting and photographing the Spearhead. Because your not going to get first light on the Spearhead, these kind of dynamic conditions with the clouds and light are about the best one can ask for.

So after spending an hour or so photographing the varying light and clouds at Green Lake I packed up my gear and headed back down towards the parking lot. With the streams running and wildflowers of all varieties to be found it finally felt as if summer, my favorite season in Rocky had indeed arrived.

Cruising Trail Ridge Road

A beautiful end to and evening on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. The sun is seen setting over Shipler Peak as clouds and some virga drift over the Colorado skies. The snowpack still present on the mountains of Rocky Mountain National Park this late into June was an added bonus for photographers. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 28-300mm F4.5-5.6 ED VR lens
A beautiful end to and evening on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. The sun is seen setting over Shipler Peak as clouds and some virga drift over the Colorado skies. The snowpack still present on the mountains of Rocky Mountain National Park this late into June was an added bonus for photographers. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 28-300mm F4.5-5.6 ED VR lens

Last week I was able to spend a few evening on Trail Ridge Road for the first time this season since it opened on June 2nd. Normally the National Park Service tries to have Trail Ridge Road open the Friday of the Memorial Day holiday but because of all the snow and inclement weather, the opening was delayed by almost two weeks.

Even with the delayed opening it was a few more days before the National Park Service allowed Trail Ridge Road to stay open through the night. With all the snow melting along the road and with nighttime temperatures still hovering around the freezing mark, Trail Ridge was closed each night for through travel by 8:00 PM due to the potential for ice on the roadway. With sunset occurring after 8:30 PM this made shooting last light on Trail Ridge Road pretty much impossible. Finally, after a few days of night closings, temperatures moderated enough that Trail Ridge Road was deemed safe to remain open through the night.

Another beautiful sunset for the Gore Range overlook looking down Forest Canyon towards Longs Peak. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-120 F4 ED VR lens
Another beautiful sunset for the Gore Range overlook looking down Forest Canyon towards Longs Peak. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-120 F4 ED VR lens

So finally after nearly a two week delay waiting for Trail Ridge Road to remain open for the night as well as a few nights open without clients to guide I was able to get up above treeline for a few sunsets.

While the weather had indeed moderated here over the first two weeks June, the weather pattern regarding moisture and storms remained very active. Of course as landscape photographers we want unsettled weather patterns. Clouds, rain, lighting all can add drama to the landscape. Furthermore, a lot of snow remained above 11,000 ft for the second week of June. While not a rarity per se, there was more snow on the peaks and above 11,000 ft this late in the season than I can remember in sometime. This was welcome because it offered the opportunity to cruise Trail Ridge Road while photographing the still snow covered peaks and mountains of Rocky Mountain National Park.

The Never Summer's live up to their name as they remain coated in snow even into June. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 28-300mm F4.5-5.6 ED VR lens
The Never Summer’s live up to their name as they remain coated in snow even into June. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 28-300mm F4.5-5.6 ED VR lens

A good deal of snow remaining along Trail Ridge Road, it was just as impressive to watch how much snow actually melted in a few short days. Literally entire hillsides covered with snow the day prior, had nearly melted out the following evening. The window to photograph these snow covered landscapes is short. Nearly fifteen hours of daylight combined with the high sun angle leaves only the shadiest of spots free from a furious melt off. Frankly, it’s astonishing to see just how much snow melts and pace at which it occurs this time of year.

For a few days the peaks towering over Forest Canyon as well as the Never Summer Range looked glorious. Clouds dotted the landscape along Trail Ridge Road and conditions where ideal for shooting. There was nearly any wind above treeline, the temperatures were pleasant and the combination of snow, clouds and beautiful late evening light made it a total joy to be out photographing some of Rocky Mountain National Park’s most beautiful locations. With the snow melting quickly Trail Ridge Road will remain just as beautiful. Next up will be green rolling hills and alpine wildflowers blooming on the Tundra. The season on Trail Ridge is too short, but there is never a dull moment for photographers and visitors alike who venture up on Trail Ridge Road.

Little Gem’s

Sometimes certain locations fail to inspire us on our first or second visit. For whatever reason this locations may not click with landscape photographers. Sometimes we have our own preconceived notions on how locations should look and photograph. Essentiall we attempt to exert our will on the landscape instead of allowing the landscape to speak to us. I had previously had this very experience at Gem Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Learning to relax and let go of the way I thought Gem Lake should photograph allowed me to open up to all the possibilities present. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-120mm F4 AF VR
Sometimes certain locations fail to inspire us on our first or second visit. For whatever reason this locations may not click with landscape photographers. Sometimes we have our own preconceived notions on how locations should look and photograph. Essentiall we attempt to exert our will on the landscape instead of allowing the landscape to speak to us. I had previously had this very experience at Gem Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Learning to relax and let go of the way I thought Gem Lake should photograph allowed me to open up to all the possibilities present. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-120mm F4 AF VR

I’m guessing that most landscape photographers can relate to this phenomena. You arrive at a naturally beautiful location but have difficulty conveying the location through your images. In other words, the place is just not speaking to you. Two things may occur when this happens. You end up trying really hard to photograph the location only to feel disappointment once you review your images back home. Contrary to the first approach, the second approach may be that you feel completely uninspired by the location, never take your backpack off and you leave your camera packed never to see that light of daylight at said location. Both approaches often leave you feeling frustrated, neither are right or wrong approaches.

I’m a big believer in both visiting a location without a camera when possible as well as an advocate that even if you’re feeling uninspired by a location you should take your camera out and make an attempt to photograph something. It may be difficult to do but sometimes just going through the process of examining and composing fires one’s creative juices and you will find yourself again inspired.

Gem Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park has been one of these locations for me. Gem Lake rests of a small shelf 1.7 miles from the start of the Lumpy Ridge trailhead. It’s a beautiful location in it’s own right and it’s one that many visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park will visit. Gem Lake is very close to Estes Park and the 1.7 mile hike is a fairly easy one. Guidebooks and locals will often recommend this hike to visitors because of the beauty, location and elevation that is lower than many of the other lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park. I often get asked by clients if I have images of Gem Lake in my portfolio for sale, of which I did not. This is because I personally find Gem Lake a difficult location to photograph.

While not your typical grand landscape, the rock walls of Gem Lake offered endless possibilities for photography. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-120mm F4 AF VR
While not your typical grand landscape, the rock walls of Gem Lake offered endless possibilities for photography. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-120mm F4 AF VR

Earlier this week there was a nice low layer of fog hanging over Estes Park before sunrise. I decided to hike up along Lumpy Ridge to get above the fog layer and photograph Longs Peak at sunrise rising above the fog and the town of Estes. I’ve been waiting quite awhile for conditions like this and it’s a fairly uncommon occurrence to get a fog layer low enough to cover Estes Park, but not high enough to obscure Lumpy Ridge. So I was fairly excited as I took off up the trail in the fog. As I’ve written before, fog is one of my favorite conditions to photograph in, but fog is a fickle friend. Minute changes in temperature or wind can cause the fog to move or dissipate so it’s always a gamble trying to figure out where to photograph from.

More often than not fog is not going to do what you want it to do. That was the case this particular morning. By the time I was up above town, most of the fog had cleared off from west to east. Fog remained over Lake Estes and I was even able to capture some moody images of the Stanley Hotel as the fog moved eastward. Beautiful clouds hung over the divide and although I was not going to be able to photograph Longs Peak rising above the fog, I was still able to capture a beautiful sunrise, just not the one I had envisioned. The light on the peaks lasted only about 10 minutes or so before it disappeared again behind some clouds. I was about 1/2 mile from Gem Lake at this point and I decided to continue onward and hike up to Gem Lake if only for an excuse for some more exercise and time outdoors.

I arrived at Gem Lake with no intention of taking off my backpack or photographing the lake. For starters the light was fairly blasé as it was now overcast and about an hour after sunrise. Secondly I had visited Gem Lake numerous times in the past with the intention of photographing this popular location and had come away with less than inspiring results. When I arrived at the lake I did what I normally do when I’m out exploring and hiking. I sat along the shoreline, surveyed my surroundings and just enjoyed the quite and solitude.

The unique coloring and striations of the rocks around Gem Lake are unlike any other found in Rocky. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-120mm F4 AF VR
The unique coloring and striations of the rocks around Gem Lake are unlike any other found in Rocky. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-120mm F4 AF VR

For those that have not visited Gem Lake it’s a unique location in Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s located on the top of a shelf and surrounded by rocky walls that rise up from its sand and gravel shoreline. It has neither and inlet or outlet stream and is essentially a shallow pool of water in a sandy depression. As I sat on the shoreline relaxing I started to study the rocky walls that rise up out of Gem Lake. The striations, colorations and patterns on the rock is unique and each small section of rock had beautiful and intricate patterns. I started to see potential images everywhere and within minutes had my camera and tripod out and I was now inspired and entrenched, photographing the surface of the lake and the rocky walls that rise above its shore.

So after arriving with no intention on breaking out my camera, I was both busy photographing Gem Lake and inspired. This in a location where I had previously found little to photograph. The combination of lowered expectations combined with time spent on locations relaxing and enjoying the scene instead of trying to photograph allowed a breakthrough so to speak. I’ve experienced this many times in the past and found that being able to relax as well as releasing any preconceived notions of how the scene should look and photograph can allow for a creative breakthrough. Although it may sound somewhat corny to some, sometimes you need to let the location speak to you, not the other way around in order to truly see the beauty and uniqueness these natural places all have.

Early Bloomers

While it may be a little early  in the season for wildflowers in Rocky Mountain National Park, flowers are starting to sprout if you take the time to look for them. Currently Mountain Ball Cactus are blooming in the lower elevations of Rocky Mountain National Park. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 105mm f2.8 Micro AF.
While it may be a little early in the season for wildflowers in Rocky Mountain National Park, flowers are starting to sprout if you take the time to look for them. Currently Mountain Ball Cactus are blooming in the lower elevations of Rocky Mountain National Park. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 105mm f2.8 Micro AF.

Spring keeps settling into Rocky Mountain National Park and were as we move through the first week of May. Of course that means it must be time for a winter weather advisory and some heavy snow this weekend. As I write this post it looks like Rocky Mountain National Park, especially the higher elevations above 8000 ft are looking good for some heavy snows over this Mother’s Day weekend. I’m ready for summer and while Rocky is certainly making the transition towards summer, May snowstorms are in fact, common. So with that being said, why not discuss early season wildflower opportunities in the Park.

Rocky’s climate varies tremendously and when people joke about experiencing all four seasons over the course of a few hours in Rocky they are in fact stating a real possibility. One of the things I find most interesting about Rocky Mountain National Park is not only it’s wildly changing weather and temperatures, but the flora and fauna that must endure and exist in this climate 365 days a year. Late spring tends to bring the biggest snowstorms to Rocky Mountain National Park along with some of it’s most unsettled weather. Even with the threat of large snowstorms and large temperature swings one can find some of Rocky’s early season wildflowers on display if they look closely enough.

Pasque flowers are some of the earliest bloomers in RMNP. Look around the base of Ponderosa pines to find them. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 105mm f2.8 Micro AF
Pasque flowers are some of the earliest bloomers in RMNP. Look around the base of Ponderosa pines to find them. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 105mm f2.8 Micro AF

Some of the first and hardiest bloomers in Rocky Mountain National Park are the Pasque flower and the Mountain Ball Cactus. Pasque flowers tend to be the first wildflowers to appear in Rocky Mountain National Park. Typically they can be found in shady areas at or near the base of Ponderosa pine trees. They grow in small groups and their lavender coloration is subtle and much more understated then their summer wildflower brethren. It’s easy to walk right past a Pasque flower without even noticing it’s there. Pasque flowers which are aptly known as ‘Easter Flowers’ tend to start blooming as early as late March right through April. Pasque flowers can still be found in the park though we are nearing the end of Pasque season.

Another early wildflower bloomer is one of my personal favorites, the Mountain Ball Cactus. When we think of Rocky Mountain National Park the first thing that comes to mind is cactus right?, probably not. When most of us think of Rocky Mountain National Park we think of high mountain peaks, alpine tundra, majestic lakes and snow, not so much cactus. Two forms of cactus actually exist in Rocky Mountain National Park, the first being the Prickly Pear Cactus, and the second being the Mountain Ball Cactus.

The Mountain Ball Cactus can also be found in the lower elevations on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Mountain Ball Cactus tend to bloom in late April through mid May when the cactus springs back to life after going dormant for the winter. Mountain Ball Cactus are small plants and again are fairly easy to overlook. They tend to grown on southern facing slopes and some one of the best places to find them are in Upper Beaver Meadows and along the south facing slopes of Deer Mountain. Mountain Ball Cactus blooms are small but they produce a very colorful and beautiful pink bloom.

Isolation of the subject is one of the reasons I look using Macro lenses for the early wildflowers such as this Pasque flower in Horseshoe Park. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 105mm f2.8 Micro AF
Isolation of the subject is one of the reasons I look using Macro lenses for the early wildflowers such as this Pasque flower in Horseshoe Park. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 105mm f2.8 Micro AF

Photographing Pasque flowers and Mountain Ball Cactus can be challenging. Many photographers will simply ignore these wildflowers, preferring to wait for the summer blooms. When photographing Mountain Ball Cactus and Pasque flowers one has to work a little harder to be creative and capture images that display these wildflowers understated beauty. Unlike the summer wildflowers, one is not going to find fields or large groupings of either of these flowers. You are also not going to be able to create classic near/far compositions of wildflowers in the foreground and mountains in the background. Photographers will need to concentrate on the flowers themselves to create compelling imagery.

I personally like to use a dedicated Macro lens to photograph these blooms. While I don’t often use a dedicated Macro lens when photographing wildflowers, I find these understated wildflowers conducive to Macro photography. Using a dedicated Macro lens in the 100mm range l allows for photographers to eliminate distraction and uninteresting portions of the scene. I like to experiment with my aperture, often using smaller f-stops and apertures to blur the background and allow the focus to be on the wildflowers themselves.

I’m not advocating using only a dedicated Macro lens to photograph these wildflowers, by all means experiment with other lenses in your kit. I am however, advocating to keep an eye out for some of the more subtle and understated beauty in Rocky Mountain National Park. Yes it’s still early in the season for wildflowers but even so there are small pockets of beauty to be found if one just takes the time to look for it.

Navigating Springtime In Rocky

Springtime is a loosely defined term in Rocky Mountain National Park. Spring in Rocky Mountain National Park can mean warm weather and thawing lakes it streams. It can also mean snow, rain or a likely combination of both. This image of Bierstadt Lake from last week is a good example of spring in Rocky Mountain National Park. Snow had fallen the previous two days on Bierstadt Lake but the lake remained open and free of ice. Just a small sliver of the sun at sunrise pierced the horizing making the snow caked pines glow red in the beautiful but brief light show at dawn. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 16-35mm F4 ED VR
Springtime is a loosely defined term in Rocky Mountain National Park. Spring in Rocky Mountain National Park can mean warm weather and thawing lakes it streams. It can also mean snow, rain or a likely combination of both. This image of Bierstadt Lake from last week is a good example of spring in Rocky Mountain National Park. Snow had fallen the previous two days on Bierstadt Lake but the lake remained open and free of ice. Just a small sliver of the sun at sunrise pierced the horizing making the snow caked pines glow red in the beautiful but brief light show at dawn. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 16-35mm F4 ED VR

After what seemed liked a mostly mild winter followed by an above average month of precipitation in April, spring and the coming approach of summer are becoming readily apparent in Rocky Mountain National Park. This time of year in Rocky is not only transitional, but dynamic and greatly varied.

Stretches of mild and warm days in Rocky can be quickly followed by weather systems that bring cold and snow back to the park. Conditions also vary greatly based on elevation right now. The lower elevations of the park such as Moraine Park, Horseshoe Park and Beaver Meadows are all but free of snow. The Big Thompson as well as Fall River are starting to run swiftly with the spring snow runoff. Grasses are greening in the lower elevations and some wildflowers are just starting to bloom.

Move on up in elevation to places like Dream Lake and spring is not quite as apparent in the higher elevations of Rocky Mountain National Park. Currently about half of Dream Lake is covered under a sheet of ice. The remaining layer of ice should start to melt of quickly moving forward but unsettled weather all week is likely to slow progress. The east inlet of Dream Lake is open though much of the shoreline is still covered in snow. Nymph and Bear Lakes are still mostly covered with ice while lakes such as Sprague Lake, Bierstadt Lake and Cub Lake are now open and free of ice.

More signs of spring with Cub Lake thawed and green grasses growing along the edge of Cub lake. Soon the Pond Lillies that adorn Cub Lake during the warmer months will begin to grow and bloom.  Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 16-35mm F4 ED VR
More signs of spring with Cub Lake thawed and green grasses growing along the edge of Cub lake. Soon the Pond Lillies that adorn Cub Lake during the warmer months will begin to grow and bloom.Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 16-35mm F4 ED VR

National Park Service crews are busy working on Trail Ridge Road clearing all the snow from the winter. With a little luck from the weather, Trail Ridge should be open again by May 22nd if there are not any major setbacks from late spring snowstorms. Having Trail Ridge Road back open not only signals the start of the summer season, but it opens up a lot of new opportunities for photography.

So as of right now, many seasonal changes are taking place in Rocky Mountain National Park. Lakes are thawing, grasses are greening and wildflowers are beginning to bloom in some of the lower areas of the park. Keep in mind that conditions can and do change quickly this time of year. After a few temperate days, winter may descend right back on the park coating the landscape in white, freezing over the lakes and making the trials difficult to navigate.

So when it comes to photography my advice is to stay flexible and try to keep a handle on the changing and variable conditions. Look for dramatic sunrises unfolding over some of the now unfrozen lakes. If it’s rainy or gray be prepared to use the diffused light to your advantage and photograph moving water and waterfalls. Keep and eye out for newly budded aspen tree’s who’s beautiful and glowing translucent green spring leaves do not get nearly the amount of love they do when they turn golden in the fall. In a nutshell be prepared for just about any and all types of photography and embrace Rocky’s topsy turvy season known as spring.

Announcing Photography Tours Of Rocky Mountain National Park

I'm pleased to announce that I will now be offering photography tours of Rocky Mountain National Park. I've completed all the necessary requirements and have been issued a Special Use Guide Pass by the National Park Service to operate photography tours in Rocky Mountain National Park. Please feel free to contact me to find out about availble times and dates so that we can get out in the field and photograph some of Rocky's most beautiful locations. Technical Details:  Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 16-35mm F4 IS L
I’m pleased to announce that I will now be offering photography tours of Rocky Mountain National Park. I’ve completed all the necessary requirements and have been issued a Special Use Guide Pass by the National Park Service to operate photography tours in Rocky Mountain National Park. Please feel free to contact me to find out about availble times and dates so that we can get out in the field and photograph some of Rocky’s most beautiful locations. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 16-35mm F4 IS L

One of the questions I get asked most frequently is if I give tours or workshops within Rocky Mountain National Park. In the past I had hesitated to offer photography tour or workshop services in the park mainly because of the time commitment required to offer tour services. As many of you know I greatly value my time in the field being able to create and find new opportunities for my photography.

As of late, the drum beat to offer photo tour services in Rocky Mountain National Park had only been growing louder. With there only being one other photographer who offers these services working out of Rocky Mountain National Park at this time, and a few fellow Estes Park photographers whom I greatly respect suggesting strongly that it was time for me to offer photography tours, I’m pleased to announce that I am now offering photography tour services in Rocky Mountain National Park. I’ve met all the requirements of the National Park Service and have been issued a Special Use Guide Pass to conduct photography tours in Rocky Mountain National Park.

I’m excited to be offering photo tour service in RMNP now and I’m looking forward to getting out in the field with my clients and helping them capture the magnificent beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park. Rocky is my absolute favorite place to spend time. While Rocky Mountain National Park is close to the Denver metro area, it offers pristine wilderness and some of Colorado’s most iconic locations to photograph. Rocky is an amazing location and I look forward to helping clients of all skill levels capture the beauty of the park.

I’ve spent the last sixteen years photographing Rocky Mountain National Park in all seasons, all kinds of weather and all kinds of lighting. It will be a rewarding experience for me to take fellow photographers out and share my knowledge of a location I’ve spent years getting to know.

For those of you who may be interested in booking a photography tour in Rocky with me, please feel free to contact me for available dates, times and suggestions on what would be a good itinerary to fit your skill levels and expectations. My goal is for you to have fun, learn a few things and come away with some great images.

For more information on photography tours in Rocky Mountain National Park you can click on this link Rocky Mountain National Park Photo Tours. Also feel free to follow my blog to see the latest conditions in Rocky Mountain National Park as well as my Twitter and  Facebook  accounts. I post near daily images on both Twitter and Facebook, often with current conditions in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Photographing Big Mac’s

Photographing icons is always and interesting experience as a landscape photographer. Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park is one of the most photographed locations on the entire planet. Mesa Arch is iconic for a reason but expect to be joined by lots of other photographers making similar images or an often photographed location. While it can be fun to photograph icons, it can also be stressful and less rewarding then photographing lesser known locations. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 16-35mm F4 ED VR
Photographing icons is always and interesting experience as a landscape photographer. Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park is one of the most photographed locations on the entire planet. Mesa Arch is iconic for a reason but expect to be joined by lots of other photographers making similar images or an often photographed location. While it can be fun to photograph icons, it can also be stressful and less rewarding then photographing lesser known locations. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 16-35mm F4 ED VR

I’ve just returned from a few amazing days out in the red rock country surrounding Moab,Utah. Specifically, I spent time photographing Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. It was certainly a nice change of pace and it’s always fun to get out of your comfort zone and work in different surroundings. In the past I’ve spent a fair bit of time photographing the area around Moab, mostly with my 4×5 large format film camera. Even so, it felt like it had been eons since I last photographed the area.

With my photography focusing mostly on Rocky Mountain National Park and a four year old daughter at home, I’ve spent much less time photographing the red sandstone of Utah then I care to admit. Finally however, I had the opportunity to return to the desert for a few days of photography and fun. I must admit I felt both a bit out my element while also torn deciding which locations I should attempt to photographs. Moab and the National and State parks surrounding the town are filed to the brim with iconic locations to photograph. At times it seems as if you only have to go a few hundred yards to find yet another iconic western vista. In the past I’ve photographed many of these locations and over the course of the last few years I’ve seen thousands of jaw dropping compositions on both magazine covers and on the internet.

This of course led me to question both what I was seeking to accomplish photographically speaking and furthermore how did I feel about standing next to a dozen or more other photographers while trying to make a meaningful connection to the landscape as well as meaningful images. Guy Tal, a Utah based photographer and writer whom I greatly admire once commented, and I’m paraphrasing here that photographing Mesa Arch was like going to a five star restaurant and then requesting the chef make you a Big Mac. Guy’s sentiment certainly resonated with me.

So after spending a few days photographing some of the lesser visited locations in and around Moab, I wrestled with the thought of heading over to Mesa Arch in Canyonlands as I peered out my hotel window at the cloudless nighttime skies. Without clouds in the sky, Mesa Arch seemed like the most logical location to head out too. Dramatic skies are always a great asset for landscape photographers but Mesa Arch is one of those locations that can be dramatic both with or without a cloud in the sky. Could I do it?. Did I really want to head out to Mesa Arch, claim a spot early and then line up with throngs of other photographers to shoot sunrise from one of the most photographed locations on earth?.

With some reservation and a lot trepidation I decided I would indeed head out early and at least experience photographing at Mesa Arch once again. It had been nearly 12 years since I had last photographed Mesa Arch, so I figured at the very least I could not be accused of personally photographing a location to death.

I arrived at the Mesa Arch parking lot over two hours before sunrise. Even though I believed I had arrived early, I found the parking area bustling with activity and headlamps. Most of the parking spots had been filled and I could see other photographers preparing their equipment and gear for the short hike to Mesa Arch. I’m grumbled a bit to myself as I grabbed my bag and headed out on the trail toward the arch. Perhaps I thought by some fluke only one or two other photographers would decide to show up this day. In reality I may was in a bit of denial myself over where my decision to photograph had led me.

When I arrived at Mesa Arch I found three or four other photographers already setup. We joked about all descending on this ‘hidden gem’ at the same time, exchanged pleasantries and attempted to work as courteously with one another as possible. Within 20 minutes or so of arriving and setting up, a workshop had joined the photo line along with more photographers. Just before sunrise someone took a head count and it was just under sixty people waiting for the sun to rise under Mesa Arch.

It was a different and unique experience that morning at Mesa Arch. The only similar scenario I can think of would be standing along Maroon Lake photographing the Maroon Bells at the peak of fall color season. Maroon Lake however, has a lot more space and shoreline than does the area surrounding Mesa Arch so one does not quite have the same sense of crowding like you do in the tight confines around Mesa Arch.

After what seemed like an eternity, the sun rose, I made some pleasing images of this iconic location. I had some nice conversations with other photographers but felt a total sense of relief as I hiked back out to my car after sunrise. Hiking out the stress of shooting this busy of a location quickly receded and faded. I could hear the birds in the tree’s and smell the sweet spring air again. I thought about Guy Tal’s comment. I chuckled to myself and thought, ‘I’m good for another twelve years’.