Stands of golden aspens emerge from shadow as the morning sun peers into a Rocky Mountain valley in autumn.
Details: Autumn in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado is simply spectacular with already majestic scenes made even more beautiful by stands of iconic aspens in bright gold. This was captured just after dawn on a morning hike in early October near Vail, Colorado.
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The calm, shallow waters of String Lake reflect the morning light on Teewinot and the Teton Range.
Details: the long and shallow String Lake lies to the north of popular Jenny Lake. The waters are sheltered among the trees making it not only a great place to catch reflections of the jagged peaks but also a great place to find gnarled bits of driftwood among the granite rocks that surround the lake. This image was taken about an hour after sunrise when the eastern bank still lies in shadow.
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The craggy peaks of the Teton Range are reflected in the still alpine waters of Taggart Lake.
Details: Grand Teton National Park is full of wonderful alpine lakes, and the calm of morning makes for some incredible scenes of majestic mountains reflected on still waters surrounded by beautiful forest. Taggart Lake, on the southern side of the park, is one such body of water that can be reached by a hike that is well worth the effort on a still day like this beautiful clear day in August. The peaks from left to right are Nez Perce, Grand Teton and Teewinot.
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Wispy clouds and wooded hills reflected in calm waters signal a beautiful start to a summer day in the Rockies.
Details: Colorado is full of beautiful little gems like this lake nestled in the Wet Mountains in the south central region of the state. While the Wet Mountains may lack some of the granite-topped grandeur of their taller cousins along the continental divide, they have a charm and an uncrowded peacefulness all their own. This image brings back clear memories of the coolness of the slight morning breeze and the promise of a day spent in nature’s beauty.
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The setting sun illuminates purple storm clouds overlooking Colorado’s Cathedral Spires in the distance.
Details: Storms are always a mixed blessing in photography. They can literally rain on your parade, but they can also create immense drama and beauty. This storm rained on my camping trip near Bailey, Colorado, but its parting gift was a brilliant show of purples, pinks and oranges as the sun shone in the narrow window between the mountains and the storm. The layers of mountains crowned by the rugged peaks of the Cathedral Spires add more beauty to this incredible scene.
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Pastel hues of a brilliant summer sunset are reflected in a tranquil Rocky Mountain pool.
Details: Colorado is not known for large bodies of water, so reflections are generally captured in small, intimate settings like this one shot in Mueller State Park. While this image captures the amazing color and clouds, what you’re missing is the soft and small sights and sounds of life amidst the aspens and pines–dragonflies buzzing through the grass, tiny fish snapping at the surface, and a beautiful mule deer doe that wandered into the scene just a few minutes after this picture was snapped. This is why I love this place.
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The warm light of a late summer evening covers a Rocky Mountain landscape full of angles in light and shadow.
Details: One of my favorite places in the Pikes Peak region of central Colorado is Mueller State Park. This little gem is covered in hills, valleys, ponds, and forests in the shadow of Pikes Peak, the southwestern shoulder of which can be seen in the background here. Fields of grass and wildflowers are interrupted by stands of aspens and granite boulders that give it a wild a rugged look.
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A lively mountain stream cascades through granite boulders at sunset in the Wet Mountains of Colorado.
Details: Despite its small appearance, this is actually the St Charles River, just a few miles from its headwaters in the San Isabel National Forest. A wet spring has left the water high even in August when this photo was taken. I wish I could capture the sound along with this photo as it was truly refreshing!
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The Milky Way stands nearly vertical above Lake Isabel in southern Colorado as lights along the shore illuminate stands of aspen trees.
Details: sometimes a shot turns out very different than you had hoped but ends up being even better than you’d pictured it. In this case, I trekked to the shores of Lake Isabel in the Wet Mountains of Colorado to catch a brilliant sky and hopefully a brilliant reflection in the lake’s waters. Unfortunately, a thunderstorm behind me brought enough wind to erase any reflections of stars, but a well-timed vehicle moving up the forest service road on the far side of the lake provided some interesting “light painting” of the aspen groves along the shores.
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Granite boulders form stepping stones into the perfect reflection of dramatic clouds at sunset in central Colorado.
Details: storms and perfect reflections don’t often mix because of the wind, but this peaceful summer evening near Monument, Colorado proved to be a worthy exception.
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A stand of delicate purple penstemon carpet a pine forest floor in Colorado.
Details: the wildflowers in Colorado are amazing but short lived. These penstemon bloom for just a couple weeks in June and only when there’s been a moist spring. These were found in the Black Forest area near Monument, Colorado near the peak of their bloom.
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Summer storm clouds threaten to erase a perfect reflection of the granite shores of Sylvan Lake in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Details: Sylvan Lake, situated in the Needles area of the Black Hills in Custer State Park, is an amazing and picturesque place. Summer brings storms, though, and this one was brewing early. Thankfully the wind held off for another 10 minutes before creating waves and erasing this scene.
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Sunset reveals purple layers of the Black Hills of South Dakota with the faces of Mount Rushmore looking on.
Details: the Black Hills are a beautiful place, and when you get a chance to sit high up on a ridge and enjoy the sunset, they get even more beautiful. This image was taken about 10 miles east of Mount Rushmore, and I love how the long lens accentuates the colorful layers of the hills.
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The evening sun casts long streaks of shadow and light onto the rugged beauty of Glenwood Canyon in central Colorado.
Details: Glenwood Canyon is a truly majestic wonder. Although it’s one of the most accessible canyons in Colorado (I-70 runs through it), its beauty is best appreciated away from the crowds and late in the day when the light and shadow intensify the beauty. This view is from the valley of Dead Horse Creek a few hundred feet above the base of the canyon. This was a difficult image to capture as the clouds were brilliant white and the shadows almost black, but I was grateful to be able to capture it in a single exposure.
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Cascades tumble down over granite covered slopes just a few miles from the continental divide in central Colorado.
Details: these cascades belong to the Roaring Fork River between the town of Aspen, Colorado and the continental divide. At this point, the Roaring Fork is but a small mountain stream, but within a few miles, it will join with similar streams to form a larger body of water flowing down from Aspen and finally into the Colorado River. I wish I could reproduce the sound in an image because the green, cool water coupled with the sounds of splashing made for a refreshing treat on a sunny summer day.
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Twisted walls of ice-carved granite draw a narrow stream into their mysterious depths.
Details: this area in the Sawatch Range near Aspen, Colorado is known as “the Grottos.” Even in July, huge blocks of ice can be found at the bottom of the narrow trench giving a clue as to how this slot of a canyon was formed. An overcast day was the perfect complement to this otherworldly scene.
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A granite formation glows golden in the fading sunlight as its reflection peeks serenely through the smooth stones of the South Fork of the Rio Grande River in Colorado.
Details: the town of South Fork, Colorado lies at the junction of the Rio Grande and its South Fork. This area is on the eastern edge of the rugged San Juan Mountains. Only miles from the continental divide, rivers here are more like shallow, swift running streams through narrow and beautiful valleys lined with forests and stunning rocks like this one caught just minutes before the sun set behind the adjacent mountainside.
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The Milky Way lights up the heavens above while a campfire lights up the forest below.
Details: this image was taken in the Tarryall Mountains of Colorado on a June evening just as the Milky Way rose above the horizon. While it looks like a forest fire in the trees, it’s really the result of a long exposure that captured the small fire’s light over 25 seconds.
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The setting sun sets the top of an unnamed peak in the Tarryall Mountains of Colorado aglow in golden light.
Details: There are many out-of-the-way locations in Colorado that offer amazing beauty. The Tarryall Mountains in the center of the state are a collection of whimsically formed granite boulders towering above beautiful pine forests. When the sun is on the horizon, the grayish peaks turn an amazing hue of gold for just a short window.
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A colorful sunset provides a perfect backdrop for reflections of Monument Rock in Colorado.
Details: sometimes we find hidden gems tucked away in nearby places. One of those places I discovered recently was Monument Rock on the eastern edge of Pike National Forest near Monument, Colorado. Despite the beautiful evening, I had the trail nearly to myself, and the experience was just as peaceful as this photo looks.
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A wild turkey tom puts on a full feathered show in front of a hen in the foothills of Colorado.
Details: I’m blessed to live in an area with plenty of wildlife, and the wild turkeys are perhaps the most quirky. I’ve learned to give them plenty of space as they can be pretty aggressive, but if I’m patient enough, I’ll get to witness a display like this. I wish you could hear the soundtrack that goes with this photo.
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The last rays of the setting sun paint Colorado’s Front Range in hues of orange and purple.
Details: Pikes Peak in Colorado rises starkly from the plains with only the lower hills of the Rampart Range before it. The sight of this mountain inspired the words to “America the Beautiful.” Both can be seen here as the sun is just about to go behind the Rockies. This view is only possible in summer when the sun is far enough north to light the northern faces of Pikes Peak and the lower Blodgett Peak as seen near the town of Monument Colorado.
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The setting sun peeks under ominous clouds to light up “America’s Mountain” in central Colorado.
Details: It was an overcast evening, but I saw this scene forming when a little blue sky started opening up on the horizon which would give the sun just a little space to get under the building storm clouds. Sure enough, a few minutes after I’d set the camera up, the sun poured through for just a few brief moments illuminating Pikes Peak and nearby Blodgett Peak near Colorado Springs.
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A crystal clear pond reflects the first rays of sun on Sheep Mountain on a winter morning in the Colorado Rockies.
Details: a mild winter has left only a dusting of snow on the lower peaks, but it has also kept this pond from freezing and preserved a perfect reflection on this crisp morning. Sheep Mountain is normally the same color gray as the rock on the right side of the photo, but the alpenglow from the just risen sun has lit it up in brilliant orange.
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The last rays of the setting sun bathe the needles of a twisted ponderosa pine in gold.
Details: this twisted tree is not far from my home in Colorado. I don’t know its history or why it’s twisted and still living, but on the longest days of summer, the sun sets perfectly between its limbs. What I love is how for a few minutes each night the sun catches the underside of the needles and completely changes the look of the scene.
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The last flames of a brilliant sunset light up the sky above Mount Princeton in central Colorado.
Details: Colorado is one of the best places in the country to view sunsets because the air is clear and you can see for miles and miles. This view was taken near Poncha Springs, Colorado looking northwest toward Mount Antero and Mount Princeton, framed between the trees.
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A tranquil alpine pond mirrors the morning sun as it warms jagged Rocky Mountain peaks in Colorado.
Details: an unseasonably warm winter has thawed this beautiful pond near Mount Princeton earlier than usual to make this photo possible in the minutes just after dawn. This area, called Spring Canyon, is nestled alongside Cottonwood Creek near Buena Vista, Colorado. The curved peak is on the north flank of Mount Princeton and is known as the Hook. The small circle in the top center is the moon, not far from setting in the west.
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An October morning brings the reflections of blue skies and early autumn colors in the hills of southern Tennessee.
Details: This is one of those unplanned photos that you just fall into sometimes. While visiting my family in Tennessee, my dad took me and my boys out fishing, and on the way to our lake, we passed this gem, and luckily I’d brought my good camera. The guys were patient enough to wait while I ran down to the shore of Bluecat Lake to get this shot. Just 15 minutes later, this scene disappeared as the winds picked up and erased the amazing reflection.
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Golden autumn aspens reflected perfectly in an alpine pond in Colorado.
Details: Mueller State Park is one of my favorite places in central Colorado, especially in September when the aspens begin to change and the blue of the skies deepens. To capture this sublime scene and the full reflection in Lost Pond, I created this panorama from five different vertical shots. To see a vertical version of this scene, try here.
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A quiet Rocky Mountain pond reflects a perfect autumn day in Colorado.
Details: The only thing better than the color of golden aspens and deep blue skies together is a reflection of golden aspens and deep blue skies! The waters of Lost Pond in Mueller State Park served as a perfect reflecting mirror on this pristine September morning in the Rockies.
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The moon shines through a stand of aspen trees on a starry winter night in Colorado.
Details: Winter nights in Colorado can be cold, but they can also lead to some amazing photos. This scene was captured in Sheep Canyon, near Mount Princeton in central Colorado on a January night. A light layer of clouds adds to the glow of the waxing moon while the Pleiades can be seen in the clear sky to the upper left. I was thankful for no wind this night so the aspens were still for the long exposure.
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The morning sun shines through golden aspens in a golden field with a blue Colorado sky as a backdrop.
Details: fall is fleeting in Colorado, and I’ve missed more opportunities to catch the brilliant colors than I care to admit over the years. Late September is the best time to catch the aspens in the mountain passes, but the first week of October proved to be the perfect time to catch this stand in the meadows near Divide, Colorado. This picture was taken just a few minutes after sunrise, and I love the rays around the sun and how the golden grass in this scene matches the color in the trees perfectly.
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A parting evening storm leaves a rainbow dividing blue sky from rain over Cheyenne Mountain State Park in Colorado.
Details: a thunderstorm is generally not the best time to be out with the camera and a metal tripod, but right after the storm clears is usually an awesome time to photograph the majesty and power of nature. This storm was intense and left me huddling under the overhang of a park bathroom, but after it moved past, it left some incredible clouds and a rainbow. Being up on Cheyenne Mountain offered the perfect vantage point to capture everything, and the unseasonable green of the landscape testifies to the unusual amount of rain we had in late spring.
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Two brothers walk side by side along the shores of Lake Dillon deep in the Colorado Rockies.
Details: I’m a big fan of color, and I don’t often use black and white, but this scene seemed to beg for it. These are my two boys walking along the western shore of Lake Dillon near Breckenridge, Colorado on a cool but inviting day. I love how no matter where you look, the lines of the rocks, shores, mountains and trees all lead the eye to the two tiny figures in the middle. . . and I also love that it’s a picture of my boys!
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The rising sun lights up a perfectly reflected Peak 8 of the Tenmile Range and the ski slopes of Breckenridge, Colorado.
Details: This is a photo that can only be captured a few weeks out of the year when the mountains are still white with snow but the waters of Sawmill Reservoir are unfrozen. Just three days before this photo, there were still large chunks of ice in the water. The reddish alpenglow on the mountains is only visible for a couple minutes just after the sun clears the horizon. The ski slopes of Breckenridge Resort are clearly seen on Peak 9 to the left.
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A pristine sunrise glows over a small alpine lake in the Colorado Rockies.
Details: I don’t like getting up at 5AM any more than the next guy, but sometimes it’s worth it. This image was taken near Breckenridge, Colorado on a fine May morning. It rained every day I was there, but the mornings provided a nice respite from the rain while still keeping enough clouds around to keep the skies interesting. Just the tiniest breeze was blowing making for a mirror-like reflection. A sublime experience!
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Panorama of golden aspens in a Rocky Mountain valley in the fall
Details: Fall is an amazing (and amazingly brief) time of year in Colorado. The aspens turn bright gold and orange, but only for a couple brief weeks before the snows hit. This scene was captured the last week of September in a place known as “the Crags” in the Pike National Forest near Cripple Creek, Colorado. The Rocky Mountains are home to some brilliant blue skies, and these make the gold of the aspens really pop!
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Wild asters line a high alpine meadow in the shadow of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains.
Details: Dallas Creek runs down from the San Juans through the Uncompahgre National Forest in southwestern Colorado, and unusually abundant rains have kept the flowers in the meadows surrounding the creek well into August. Evening has left the meadow in shadow while illuminating Mt Sneffels and the rest of the San Juan range. I stumbled across bear prints to get to this spot, and I was glad for the smoke of the nearby campsite which can be seen in the middle of the image. This scene was captured in HDR to preserve the delicate details of the flowers in shadow as well as the intensity of the sunlit mountains.
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A beaver pond perfectly reflects the jagged peaks of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains on a summer evening.
Details: 14,000 foot Mt Sneffels dominates this view taken from the Uncompahgre National Forest in August. A beaver conveniently built this dam on Dallas Creek which turned the otherwise rapid-moving stream into an amazing reflecting pool. I pretty much ruined a brand-new pair of shoes which sank into the mud here, but I believe the shot was worth it!
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The constellation Orion and its neighbors streak over winter woods.
Details: I love shooting star trails, and I particularly love this image because the constellation Orion with his belt of three stars can be clearly discerned in the upper right despite the star trails streaming from it. The bright star in the lower right is Sirius, and the brightest trail near the top-center is Jupiter. This is also my longest star trail photo to date with around 2 hours of total exposure time. Combined with a shot southward toward the equator, this equals long trails. The slightest light has turned the trees nearly white due to the long exposure.
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Here’s a link to a time-lapse video made from the photos used in this video (and yes, I had to edit out the airplane trails dot by dot)
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Dan Bourque is a landscape photographer, father and husband who enjoys finding ways to capture natural beauty in amazing landscapes as well as beautiful moments in everyday scenes. His work has been featured in National Geographic. He believes planning, patience and constant self-critiquing of photos are the keys to getting beautiful images, not expensive gear. Every camera and lens he owns is second-hand, outdated, and scoffed at by those with money to burn. . .