Taken two weeks ago on Saturday, it was a typically gorgeous morning on the Great Plains. The sunrise didn’t fill the sky like they oftentimes do but close to the horizon, it was a beautiful scene. Crepuscular rays were shooting out of the rising sun and illuminating the patches of blue above. Not much to complain about!
Forest filled with columbines
I might be biased but I tend to think that Colorado has just about the prettiest state flower of any and it is most fitting to share these on Colorado Day.
I happened across this scene a couple weeks ago and spent tons of time photographing it – I had never seen so many columbines in one location.
The floor of the forest under the aspen trees was covered with them! I suspect it had something to do with the wet winter we had.
Garden of the Gods at dawn
I was hoping for a better light show in the clouds above but overall, am pretty pleased with this capture. This is an iconic location and quite famous. When the sun rises, it illuminates the rock faces and they seem to glow from within. It is an absolutely beautiful scene and one that is quintessentially Colorado.
Old stump in black and white
Just a random, old tree stump that caught my attention recently while hiking in the forest. It had been dead for quite a while and its dried out condition really created some cool textures.
Helen Hunt Falls in black and white
Taken during our visit a couple weeks ago to Colorado Springs.
Named after the famed poet, author and defender of Native American rights, Helen Hunt Falls was a nice little diversion for us during a recent visit to Colorado Springs.
The 35 foot high falls aren’t particularly big but they are pretty. I used two, ND8 filters to allow for slow shutter speeds to blur the water.
Field of flowers
Kind of a fun find on my photo drive this past weekend. This patch of wild sunflowers was absolutely gorgeous and while it was a bit hazy, you could see those gorgeous Rocky #Mountains in the background.
Mule deer buck grazes under the golden sunrise
Sometimes the simplest of scenes can be quite beautiful. As the sun was cresting the horizon a warm summer’s day recently, this buck lazily ate his way across the plains. While I certainly snapped some pics, I made sure to set the camera down and take the time to just soak in what my eyes were seeing.
Garden of the Gods soon after sunrise
Last weekend we were down in Colorado Springs and I took the opportunity to finally photograph this geological icon. Unfortunately the sky didn’t really show much color at sunrise but soon after, I headed to the ‘back side’ of the area and found some nice scenes.
I really liked this one with the edges of the rocks lit by the sun on the other side and the nice looking clouds above. On the right and off into the distance, you can see Cheyenne Mountain, home of NORAD.
Rushing mountain waters
When I visit Mount Evans, Colorado, I almost always stop and visit Chicago Creek on my way down off the 14,000+ foot high peak. It always provides some nice photo ops including this one last week.
Using a couple of ND filters, I slowed the shutter speed way down to blur the water while maintaining focus on the logs that had fallen. Kind of a fun shot and I really like it in black and white.
Sunrise and a sundial at 14,000 feet
My first trip to the top of Mount Evans yesterday and it started off with this gorgeous scene before me. Nothing to complain about for sure. Well, other than the 35 degree temperature and 40mph winds. 😉
That is of course expected at that altitude and while I was prepared for the conditions, it was a bit of a shock to the system after getting used to much milder weather at lower elevations.