Wildlife, landscape and weather photography
Taken at sunrise on New Year’s Eve. The bison herd at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge was to the east with the rising sun behind them. Normally that doesn’t make for good pictures but on this morning, it worked out perfectly.
The cold weather allowed the bison’s steamy breath to be quite visible as their dark frames and the trees were silhouetted against the orange sunrise. Just a really cool scene and I am liking this capture quite a bit.
What to do when you are standing around in 15 degree weather, shivering, waiting for hours for an elusive creature to appear? Point your camera down!
As we get further into the depths of winter, lakes, ponds, creeks and some rivers are icing over. As I noticed this past weekend, it creates some pretty cool shapes and crystals along the water. You really need to view these full screen and study them a bit to fully appreciate the crazy detail.
Best of all, it provided a distraction from the miserable cold and the fact I was waiting for hours for an animal that never appeared. 😉
Well, the year pretty much sucked but at least it closed out with a beautiful view. Yesterday morning I made sure I was in place to catch the show and was rewarded with this view. The frozen lake, blaze orange clouds and blue sky sure looked nice. Now, let’s just hope 2021 is better!
I had expected to have a bit more variety of views to enjoy during the past photo year. However, vacations were cancelled due to the virus and we stuck closer to home than anticipated. That was not entirely a bad thing given that Colorado certainly has lots to see and we managed to go some places that had been on our wish list for quite some time. From the eastern plains to those dominating, Rocky Mountains, we still managed to cover a good bit of ground. Here’s a look back at some of my favorite captures of the landscapes we saw in 2020.
Saturday found me southwest of Denver, Colorado checking out a bald eagle nest. Unfortunately, the birds did not want to play that day but, not soon after arrival, Mother Nature put on one heck of a show and best of all, it was a stunner no matter which way you looked.
To the east toward the rising sun, the colors were deep orange and reflected nicely on a lake. To the southwest, the colors faded to pastel pinks and oranges lighting up a wave cloud beautifully.
It was hard to focus on one area so I found myself pivoting back and forth, soaking in the view one way before turning back to the other. Just awesome stuff!
I stopped by Fort Logan National Cemetery this morning to visit my dad. This is the 10th Christmas since he has been gone and in many ways it doesn’t get easier. I sat and talked to him for quite a while, shed more than a few tears.
Afterwards, I wandered the rows of headstones, contemplating all of the brave men and women that stake their final resting place on that hallowed ground. The cemetery is a beautiful and peaceful place, any time of year.
During the holidays though, it is even more special as his and many other veterans’ graves are decorated with wreaths for Christmas. The red ribbons and green pine really pop against the gray marble of the markers and provide a fresh reminder to never forget those who served this nation and are no longer with us.
Just a beautiful scene this past Sunday on my photo drive as the sun started to rise. The clouds were colored in pastel shades of blue, orange and pink and cast the entire landscape in some cool colors.
Certainly this holiday will be far different from Christmases of the past and I look forward to a return to “normalcy” next year. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and hope you and yours stay safe as we celebrate the birth of Our Lord.
Ah yes, scenes like this are one of the many reasons I get up so early for my photo outings. As I walked out the door there were early hints that sunrise this past Saturday was going to be a good one so I hurried to a prime spot.
Mother Nature did not disappoint as the clouds had all sorts of cool shapes and then, as if on cue, a gaggle of Canada geese took to the skies. Below, the pond’s water was ablaze with the same orange in the sky above.
Yup, I’ll happily get up before dawn to be able to witness scenes like this.
Needless to say, it was COLD this morning! The thermometer on my truck was showing 3 degrees as I arrived at my photo destination and it felt colder thanks to a bit of a breeze.
Despite the frigid mercury readings, I couldn’t resist braving the cold to take pictures of the hoar frost that had coated the grasses. Sticking out a half inch or so from the plant, it was absolutely gorgeous and just way cool to see.
I did not linger much though as a warm truck was beckoning. 😉
From last Saturday’s photo outing. It was a very calm morning with beautiful weather and that meant the hot air balloons that oftentimes take flight from the Longmont area were in the air.
This one was lagging the others which gave me time to get to a good spot that allowed me to capture the colorful balloon as well as the mountains behind. Mount Meeker is the tall mountain to the right and behind it is Longs Peak.
It has been many years since I have flown in a balloon and I keep telling myself I need to do it again. Truly is an amazing experience if you have never done it.
