Colorado – Dan Bourque Photography

Galleries Archive by category "Colorado"

Reflecting Solitude

A solitary tree stands in the distance against the sunset reflected by still waters in a Colorado foothills meadow.

Details: Sometimes you fall in love with a shot you didn’t intend to take. I was photographing into the setting sun during a spectacular evening in a large open space in central Colorado when this little scene to the north caught my eye. I love how small the silhouetted tree looks against the vast sky, both itself and its reflection.

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Pikes Peak in Pink

Stunning red, purple, and pink alpenglow illuminate Pikes Peak at sunrise on an autumn morning in Colorado.

Details: I love alpenglow on rocky peaks with a light coat of snow because it brings out all the amazing details in such incredible color. The alpenglow on this early November morning was accentuated by an amazing bank of brilliantly glowing clouds to the east, extending the alpenglow long enough to light up the foothills as well as the peak. The dark forest below was the perfect frame for this moment.

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Aspens Glowing in Morning Sun

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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Peaceful Morning on the Lake

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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Sunset Over Cathedral Spires

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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Mirroring Heaven

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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Summer Angles

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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Elfin Stream

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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Stepping Stones

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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Shadows in Glenwood Canyon

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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Rocky Mountain Refreshing

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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Sunset on the South Fork

A sunset of pink clouds is reflected off the smooth water and stones of the South Fork of the Rio Grande in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.

Details: even where it meets the main body of the Rio Grande, the South Fork is little more than a swiftly moving stream. This scene was captured near the town of South Fork at a spot where the river runs wide, shallow and mostly calm, especially where the stones that line the banks create still pools just made for reflections like these.

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Bells in Summer

Aspens from winter avalanches frame a perfect reflection of Colorado’s Maroon Bells in mid-summer.

Details: the Maroon Bells, two dramatic 14,000 foot peaks in the Sawatch Range, are an icon of the Colorado Rockies. They are most often photographed at sunrise when the waters are perfectly still, but by mid-morning, the reflections are often destroyed by mountain winds. This unique morning offered not only brilliant blue skies but the rare stillness to capture the Bells in full sunlight with a clear reflection across the entire lake. This scene was erased just 10 minutes later as the winds once again returned.

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Mysterious Canyon

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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Beauty Above Treeline

Tiny yellow wildflowers flourish amidst the granite boulders of Independence Pass in the Colorado Rockies.

Details: Independence Pass, on the North American continental divide near Aspen, Colorado, is well above treeline but far from barren. During the short summer, the rocky meadows at 12,000 feet teem with wildflowers such as these yellow beauties (wooly cinquefoil, I believe). Conditions for this shot were absolutely perfect with the flowers covered in shadow to show their color and detail while a brilliant blue sky with dramatic clouds provides the perfect complement along with the rocky peaks of the Sawatch Range.

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Windswept Beauties

A field of bright wildflowers stands against the elements above treeline in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Details: Independence Pass crosses the North American continental divide at 12,000 feet just east of Aspen, Colorado. It’s only open four months of the year, but in the summer, it’s windswept heights offer spectacular views of the surrounding Sawatch Range, and wildflowers carpet the rocky alpine fields. The purple flowers here are “sky pilot” (polemonium viscosum) living among multiple varieties of yellow wildflowers which provide the perfect complement to the backdrop of deep blue Colorado sky.

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Reflections in the Stones

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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Facing the Fire

A face of granite overlooks the remnants of a fiery sunset in the Tarryall Mountains of Colorado.

Details: The Tarryall Mountains in central Colorado are a collection of granite boulders of all sizes and shapes, many of which have personality like this ridge overlooking the Lizard Mountain Trail. I love the detail the lichen gives to the rocks, even in deep shadow.

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Granite Glow

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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Fire Behind Eagle Mountain

A fiery sunset, reflected in a grassy pool, sets behind a rocky butte in central Colorado.

Details: there are many magical places in Colorado both big and small. One of my favorite small places is Spruce Mountain near Larkspur where a series of flat-top buttes spring up from the plains on the edge of the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies. Bodies of water aren’t that common in Colorado, but this calm pond, full from recent snow melt, provided the perfect vantage point to double the amazing sunset over the jutting promontory of a butte known by locals as “Eagle Mountain.”

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Monument Rock Reflections

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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Springs Sunset Skyline

The lights of Colorado Springs come to life as evening clouds make way for the last light of sunset

Details: I wanted to explore a new vista overlooking Colorado Springs, Colorado, so I chose to hike the High Chaparral Open Space. I got rained on for most of the hike, and the clouds hid the best of the sunset, but it was still a nice hike. As the light was fading to almost nothing, I was able to grab this long-exposure shot which allowed the lights of town and details of the moving clouds to really shine with the silhouette of Pikes Peak and Cheyenne Mountain as a great backdrop.

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Alpenglow on Antero

The first rays of red light illuminate the snowy peak of Mount Antero in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado.

Details: it was only 9 degrees where I was standing on this cold but clear February morning in Colorado, but the view was certainly worth it as a series of Colorado’s 14,000 foot peaks were basked in the red-shifted first light, a phenomenon called “alpenglow.” It only lasts for a few minutes, so you’ve got to know what you want to shoot and be ready. The contrast on the cliffs and colorful clouds behind Antero made it the perfect subject this day.

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Turkey Tom on Display

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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Chimney Rock

The twin spires of Chimney Rock stand against a deep blue sky on a summer day in Colorado.

Details: Chimney Rock National Monument is a little-known site in the southern San Juan mountains of Colorado. It was home not only to these unique spire rock formations for which it was named, but it’s home to ancient puebloan ruins set atop a high ridge and surrounded by incredible scenery. While I love how blue the skies in Colorado can be, I love the drama created by the storm clouds that were just starting to roll in.

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Purple Mountain Majesty

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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Sun Under the Storm

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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Alpenglow Reflections

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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Under the Weather

A storm rolls over the Continental Divide at sunset in Colorado.

Details: this winter hasn’t been very cooperative for photography in Colorado (very little snow), but if you look in the right place at the right time, you can still catch some of winters glory at the higher elevations. This is the Sawatch Range near Monarch Pass in central Colorado in January. The clouds were just right to obscure the peaks but still reflect some of the sun’s dwindling light onto the snowy flanks of the Continental Divide. It was sublime!

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Portal in the Pines

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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Peace at the Pond

A peaceful evening in late Spring as reflected in at beaver pond along the South Arkansas River in central Colorado.

Details: I love a good reflection, and the South Arkansas River near Salida, Colorado has several beaver ponds which calm the waters and lead to scenes like this. This shot was taken just before the sun went behind the mountains. This image actually a composite of five vertical shots to get more of the scene and the brilliant blue sky.

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Sunset Sky over Salida

The setting sun lights up the clouds of a passing storm above the western edge of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.

Details: Sometimes you have to look behind you to find the amazing. While most sunset photos look west, this was the view to the east on a stormy evening near Salida, Colorado when the sun peeked through and lit up the passing storm beautifully.

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Eye over Aetna

The setting sun pierces brilliantly through the clouds over the peaks of central Colorado.

Details: This image was taken from a field near Poncha Springs, Colorado on a May evening when the sun was perched perfectly atop the twin peaks of Mount Aetna and Taylor Mountain in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains. Three “fourteeners” are present in this view as well, from left to right, Mount Shavano, Mount Antero and Mount Princeton in the distance.

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Colorado Sky on Fire

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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Rocky Mountain Oasis

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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Moon Through the Looking Glass

The waning moon is perfectly reflected beside Rocky Mountain peaks glowing in the first light of morning.

Details: This pristine little pond lies below Cottonwood Pass just north of Mount Princeton in central Colorado in a place called Spring Canyon. Most years, there would be no reflection because this pond would still be frozen over in mid-March, but an unseasonably warm winter made this beautiful reflection possible. The peak in the background is a part of Mount Princeton called “the Hook,” which has a unique curved peak.

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The Fence and the Storm

The evening sun illuminates golden summer grass under a dramatic storm in central Colorado.

Details: There’s something about storms that captures my imagination as a photographer. I love trying to capture the immensity and drama they bring, especially in Colorado where such storms can be seen from miles away in the open country between the mountains. This image of a storm that passed just north of me was taken adjacent to a ranch in Poncha Springs, Colorado with Mount Princeton visible on the left.

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Autumn at Lost Pond

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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Deep Blue Mirror

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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Rays Through Golden Trees

The morning sun peeks through brilliant aspen leaves on a beautiful fall day in Colorado.

Details: Fall is a short season in Colorado with the colors coming early and early winter winds typically taking the leaves down two weeks later. Of course, for those few weeks, the aspens are king of the color in the mountains. This image was taken mid-morning in Mueller State Park near Cripple Creek Colorado, a great place to find stands of bright aspens on the Front Range of the Rockies.

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Twilight in Gothic Valley

The setting sun bathes 12,000 foot peaks in red above the lazy folds of the East River in Gothic Valley, Colorado.

Details: Gothic Valley, near Crested Butte, Colorado, is known for its wildflowers, but it has much more to offer including majestic mountain peaks and the East River winding its way through the middle. One of the things I wasn’t prepared for was the sound of this scene. The wind was still, and the valley completely calm except for the distinct sound of. . . mooing. The lower end of the valley is prime pastureland, and I could just make out the tiny dots across the river as they made their way back to the ranch.

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Red Flowers on Emerald Lake

Brilliant red indian paintbrush line the shores of aptly named Emerald Lake in central Colorado’s Gothic Valley.

Details: Gothic Valley north of Crested Butte, Colorado, is one of the most beautiful places in the state, especially in the summer when wildflowers are blooming. Emerald lake, with its tranquil green water, sits high in the valley at the base of 12,800 foot Mount Baldy (seen here on the right). It’s just below treeline at 10,450 feet, and while many flowers in the lower valley have faded, the flowers surrounding the lake were in full bloom this first day of August.

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Rocky Mountain Summer Sublime

Brilliant fireweed adds color to the beautiful Gothic Valley on a sublime August day in Colorado.

Details: Crested Butte, Colorado, is nestled in the middle of the state and surrounded by several mountain ranges of the Rockies. It’s not only a great place to ski in the winter, but in the summer, it’s the “wildflower capitol of Colorado.” Flowers bloom from June through August, but the peaks vary from year-to-year, and flowers bloom at different times. To find this color in August (courtesy of a plant called “fireweed”), my wife and I had to go far up the beautiful Gothic Valley north of Crested Butte. This image was taken near Emerald Lake at about 10,000 feet above sea level. The shot is framed by Avery Peak on the left and Gothic Mountain on the right, both 12,600 feet peaks.

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Red Rocks and Ripples

Ripples on a pond make for wavy reflections of red rock formations in Red Rock Canyon, Colorado.

Details: Red Rock Canyon lies just south of Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs and shares the same red-rock ridges and formations. A rainy summer has kept this pond full which made for this idyllic and colorful July scene. I love the interplay between the deep blue skies, green trees and orange rocks in the background and foreground.

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Midnight Storm Approaching

A thunderstorm builds at midnight over blooming yuccas in central Colorado.

Details: I love night photography, and thunderstorms are some of my favorite subjects. This storm was amazing, flashing with lightning about once a second, but very few broke out of the clouds, so I was fortunate to capture this bolt. A full moon behind me lit up the clouds above the storm and the blowing prairie in front of me.

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Goldenbanner Sunset

An incredible sunset over the Rocky Mountains blankets a field of beautiful goldenbanner flowers in central Colorado.

Details: A wet spring means an early season for Colorado wildflowers. This field, near the South Arkansas River in central Colorado, is full of brilliant goldenbanner on a beautiful evening in late May. The sun is setting behind 14,000 foot Mount Antero which flanks Monarch Pass along the continental divide. The challenge with this shot was getting just the right exposure in a single shot to bring the flowers out without blowing out the intricate highlight detail in the sky.

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Spruce Mountain Sunset

Sunset glows above the rampart of Spruce Mountain in central Colorado.

Details: On a free evening, I decided to go for a hike on a trail I’d never been on before. Spruce Mountain lies just east of the Front Range of the Rockies near Palmer Lake, Colorado, and after a winding climb up many switchbacks, I was rewarded with a great view of the mountain’s rocky rampart near its peak. In the distance is Pikes Peak with the rolling plains abutting the foothills visible to the right.

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Winter Moon Through the Aspens

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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Sun Over Fall Fields

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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Fence Post at Sunset

A twisted wooden fence post stands vigil in the Arkansas River Valley in central Colorado as the sky is bathed in sunset.

Details: I don’t go around taking many photos of fence posts, but this one just struck me, especially the way it was silhouetted against the beautiful sky and just the tip was lit in soft reflected sun. This scene, near the small town of Poncha Springs, Colorado, is typical of the Arkansas River Valley in central Colorado with low pinions, tall grasses and ranch land surrounded by mountain peaks. The sunset had mostly passed, but it left behind a few high pink clouds that bathed the land in a reddish hue.

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Paint Mines

Purple flowers line canyon walls striped with bold yellows and reds at the Paint Mines in Colorado.

Details: The Paint Mines Interpretive Park is a little known gem on the eastern plains of Colorado where the forces of erosion and naturally pigmented soil combine for spectacular effect. This is one of my favorite spots for photographing the Milky Way, but it’s an incredible sight in the daylight as well. Heavy rains in early summer brought the addition of wildflowers to the canyons. This hour, when the sun has just left the canyon wall and everything is in mild shadow, is the best time to capture the colors.

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Fields of Golden Summer

A brilliant blue sky over fields of brilliant yellow flowers on the Colorado plains in July.

Details: First, this scene is fairly rare in eastern Colorado. Usually, summers are dry, and fields like this would normally be brown by July. This year, we got an abundance of rain in late spring and early summer, and entire portions of the state have turned this brilliant shade of gold. The flowers are near their peak here, and in a week, most will be gone. I’m glad I got to capture them on this beautiful July 4th day.

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Promise of the Parting Storm

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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Walking Rocky Mountain Shores

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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Cabin Reflection After the Storm

Storm clouds part to reveal an idyllic Colorado cabin reflected in an alpine lake.

Details: I love photographing water, especially the peaceful look of lakes with subtle ripples and great reflections. This scene was captured at Sawmill Reservoir near the town of Breckenridge in the Colorado Rockies. Ten minutes before, there was no sky and sun, but the clouds parted just as the sunset was beginning, and the winds from the evening storm died down to create the calm waters. This image was captured in HDR to preserve the detail in the shadows and highlights in the scene.

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First Light on Breckenridge

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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Sunrise on Sawmill Reservoir

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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Winter Sunset Reflections

Winter trees and Pikes Peak reflected in a pond and framed by a spectacular sunset.

Details: Colorado is a beautiful place, but one thing it’s lacking is bodies of water. This duck pond lies in a park near Colorado Springs and stays frozen most of the winter, but after two days of unseasonable 60 degree temperatures in February, much of the ice had melted. A slight breeze added the perfect amount of ripple, and the clouds just kept turning redder and redder. This image was taken right at the peak of the color and light.

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Aspens in the Crags

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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Evening Storm Approaching

An old twisted tree on a mountaintop stands boldly in the face of an approaching storm after sunset in the Rocky Mountains.

Details: Just after sunset is an awesome time for photography as you can extend the exposures and open up some awesome possibilities for an image. In this case, an approaching thunderstorm brings fast moving clouds lit purple from the day’s last light, and a lightning bolt adds the glow behind the tree. This scene was captured on top of Grouse Mountain in Mueller State Park, Colorado.

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Vibrant Reflections

Brooding sunset clouds are perfectly reflected through bare trees at Red Rock Canyon Open Space, Colorado.

Details: I had been telling my 10-year-old son I’d take him out on Friday night to get some pictures. By the time Friday night rolled around, I was exhausted from a long week, and it was raining. While my son understood when I told him “not tonight,” I could tell he was pretty disappointed. It gave me a second wind, and we went out despite the lingering rain clouds, and I owe this picture all to him! The sun snuck under the clearing clouds for just a few minutes after sunset, and we were lucky enough to have the perfect spot at Red Rock Canyon Open Space to catch it and a great reflection among the red rocks. As evidenced by the trees, this area is not normally covered in water, but a rainier-than-normal summer made this scene possible.

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Asters in Mountain Shadows

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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San Juan Reflections

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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Rays over Ridgway

A magnificent summer sunset lights up the sky over Ridgway State Park in Colorado.

Details: This vista is high up on a cliff above Ridgway Reservoir in southwestern Colorado. I was hoping for a shot into the direct sun, but it stayed hidden making for some beautiful rays and colors shining out from the fast-moving clouds. To get this view, my camera was perched precariously on a rock jutting out from the cliff, and I spent a lot of time not looking down! This image was captured in HDR to preserve the scene’s delicate details in the highlights and shadows.

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Ranges over Ridgway

The last light of the setting sun illuminates the San Juan Mountains over Ridgway Reservoir in Colorado.

Details: Ridgway State Park, in southwestern Colorado, is a magnificent place surrounded by Colorado’s most beautiful mountain ranges. In this August sunset view, the Cimarrons to the east (left) are lit up brilliant red as are the the edges of the San Juans to the south as an evening storm delivers a bit of rain behind the peaks. To get this shot, I climbed out onto the edge of a cliff with my tripod just barely hanging on. This red glow on the otherwise gray mountains lasts only a few minutes each day.

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Sunset over the Air Force Academy

A stormy sunset illuminates the summer sky above the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Details: The United States Air Force Academy is a beautiful place set up against the mountains. This view is from a trail overlooking the 11th fairway of the Eisenhower Golf Course’s Silver Course, and the cadet area and distinctive chapel can be seen on the ridge. A wetter-than-usual summer brought a lot more green than brown to this scene, and the purple and orange sky provides a perfect compliment to the beautiful landscape.

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Summer Evening

Late evening clouds silhouette a beckoning hammock on a summer night in Colorado.

Details: I was at a friend’s home near Colorado Springs, and we were talking about photography and playing around with cameras in his backyard. The sun had just set behind low storm clouds giving them a surreal orange and purple coloration, and the intricate silhouette of the hammock against the sky was too much to resist. Despite the recent rain and occasional roll of thunder in the distance, this scene speaks of serenity, just like a lazy summer evening should.

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Tranquility Basin

Wisps of pink clouds at sunrise frame a perfect reflection of Red Rocks in Colorado.

Details: This scene was captured on a July morning at Red Rock Canyon Open Space near Manitou Springs, Colorado. A combination of snow melt and summer rains filled this small lake, and the unusual calm of this morning left it glassy for a perfect reflection of park’s geologic features which are reminiscent of nearby Garden of the Gods. The moon in the upper right adds an extra little detail to the scene, and it gave me inspiration for this image’s name–“Tranquility Base” was the name of the spot where the astronauts of Apollo 11 first stepped on the moon almost exactly 45 years before this photo as taken.

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Purple Mountains Amber Waves

Rays from the evening sun illuminate waves of grain in Colorado as Pikes Peak looks on in the distance.

Details: I imagine a scene like this is what inspired Katharine Lee Bates to pen the words to “America the Beautiful” here in Colorado. I’ve been wanting to catch this photo for over a year, but it’s tough to get the right conditions in Colorado. This year had more rain than most through June allowing the fields of hay to grow unusually thick, and the afternoon storms of this July day cleared off just enough to catch the sun’s rays backlighting this field near Falcon, Colorado. Sublime!

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Pine Against Pink Sky

Solitary pine tree silhouetted against a pink Colorado sunset with Pikes Peak looking on.

Details: every aspiring photographer should have a spot within 5 minutes of home where they can run to get a little foreground and background when the sky conditions are right. This little spot is at a small park in Colorado Springs just up the street from my house. On this evening, the clouds and sky put on a brilliant display, so I was able to grab the camera and run to get there in time. The bright light in the upper left is the moon, though using a wide-angle lens makes it appear tiny. This image was captured in HDR to preserve the shadow and highlight detail.

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All images and graphics are the property of the photographer and should not be used without permission. All Images copyright Dan Bourque

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