Wildlife, landscape and weather photography
A “behind the scenes” view of Rifle Falls State Park from our visit there last month. This was the first time we had visited this gem of a park in western Colorado and it was so worth the stop. Snow had fallen the night before so we got a taste of two seasons with the fall foliage showing off as well. An easy trail allows you to go behind the waterfalls, giving you a unique view – while getting a little bit wet from the splash of the water. We will definitely be returning to this place.
Taking a break from the recent pics of planes, this was a very fun stop on our way to the airshow. The fall colors were starting to appear and while you only get a hint of it, a light snow had fallen the night before making for some beautiful scenes. Just standing and listening to the rushing water and taking it all in was amazing.
We had never been to this state park and believe me, it was SO worth the time. We will definitely return to camp and spend some more time exploring the area in the future.
One of the reasons we opted to rent a car while in Italy vice taking trains is that we wanted to have the flexibility to stop whenever we saw something interesting. We did that many times while there but no stop was more notable than this one.
As we made our way north toward the border with Switzerland, we saw these falls from off in the distance. We stopped and snapped some pictures but as we drove closer, we realized there was a spot where you could park and then walk right up to them. We did that, seeing the 400 foot plunge up close – and getting drenched in the process.
Such a beautiful spot and glad we were able to stop and check it out.
Those logs must have really been lodged in there to hang on against the current. Taken at the top of Upper Mesa Falls in Idaho, the logs had clearly been there for a long time which is pretty impressive.
The technique for this image is just like a similar one I shared recently with flowers. Using a slow shutter speed allows the waters to be “blurred” and gives it a feeling of motion and power.
I’m back! Not that you knew I was gone thanks to the magic of scheduling posts ahead of time but I just returned from a week of much-needed R&R in Yellowstone and the Tetons. It was an absolute fantastic trip despite the unusually warm weather and smoke from wildfires and I captured a good number of cool images.
As we have been to the area many times, we did mix it up a bit, checking out some new sights / sites including where this image was taken – Upper Mesa Falls in Caribou-Targhee National Forest in Idaho.
If you are ever in the area, it is well worth visiting. The waterfalls were impressive but this was my favorite shot as it uses a technique I have been wanting to try out.
Getting the flowers to stay sharp while using a slow shutter speed to portray the speed of the water rushing by is not easy. It of course requires zero wind as you need the flowers to stay perfectly still and for the first time I was able to pull it off. This was taken from a busy boardwalk so I had to handhold the camera versus using a tripod which made it even tougher.
Ideally, I would have been able to secure the camera solidly and go even slower with the shutter speed further blurring the waters but as-is, I am pretty pleased with the shot.
Much more to come from this trip in the days ahead, including a bear or two or more. 😉
This was a fun little diversion on our trip to northwestern Colorado earlier this week.
Fish Creek Falls is right in Steamboat Springs and a short, easy hike from the trailhead. While figuring out our plan for the day, my wife mentioned she heard there was a cool waterfall nearby. She was definitely right!
At 280 feet tall it is big and throwing in the heavy runoff from snow melt, it was absolutely roaring.
Our mid-day visit wasn’t ideal in terms of photography with harsh light but I made the most of it by throwing on a Neutral Density (ND) filter and using a slow shutter speed. That allowed the “blurring” of the water as it rushed down the falls and the creek.
The scene was absolutely gorgeous – and loud – and we were happy to finally be back in the #mountains.
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.
I have memories of the park from when I was five years old up to two years ago when this image of the Lower Yellowstone Falls was taken.
Naturalist John Muir said, “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” That is especially true of this place.
Plunging just over 300 feet – nearly twice as high as Niagra Falls – the Lower Falls in Yellowstone National Park is nothing less than amazing. With lots of snowmelt following a very wet winter and recent rains, it was even more so during our visit a couple of weeks ago. Fed by the Yellowstone River, it is the largest volume waterfall in the Rocky Mountains. From this spot, the waters then enter the 20-mile-long Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone which at more than 1,000 feet high is astounding unto itself.
While on Interstate 70 I have probably driven by and seen this hundreds of times but never stopped. On a whim during our return from leaf peeping, my son and I checked it out.
Located an easy walk from downtown Idaho Springs, Colorado, the Charlie Tayler Waterwheel is at the base of Bridal Veil Falls which feeds into Clear Creek. It is a very cool, very pretty spot with the waterfall and waterwheel provide nice subjects.
The wheel was originally built in 1893 by a local miner. Mr Tayler is said to have claimed his long life was attributed to having never bathed or kissed a woman. I’m not so sure that is a worthwhile trade off. 😉
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