Home Archive by category "Landscape" (Page 2)

Category: Landscape

Santa Monica Mountains Panorama

Santa Monica Mountains panoramic landscape photo by Dan Bourque

A brilliant blue sky hangs dramatically over the golden rocks of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Details: Some places really surprise you. The Santa Monica Mountains are just minutes away from greater Los Angeles, but their rugged beauty is a world apart from the bustling city. This panorama of the tallest peaks in the range was taken on the way to hike Sandstone Peak. The Pacific Ocean is just visible in the background.

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Rocky Mountain Oasis

Rocky Mountain Oasis landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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

Moon Through the Looking Glass landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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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View of the Twisted Tree

View of the Twisted Tree landscape photo by Dan Bourque

An ancient, twisted juniper looks on at a glorious sunset over Garden of the Gods, Colorado.

Details: I could spend 100 years in Garden of the Gods, Colorado and still not find every photo worthy spot. The park is known for its massive red rock fins and spires, the biggest of which are seen in the background here, but it’s also home to ancient juniper trees that have been twisted and gnarled by centuries of wind, sun and snow. This is one such example, and this small image doesn’t do justice to the intricate grain of the trunk visible in the full-size image. This is actually a panorama of 7 vertical images carefully stitched together to get this entire gorgeous scene at sunset.

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Grand Canyon Gold

The setting sun turns the Grand Canyon into shadows and streaks of rocky gold.

Details: The Grand Canyon is absolutely incredible. It’s even more incredible at sunrise and sunset. It’s even more incredible with unique streaking clouds. Patience paid off, and I was fortunate enough to have all the elements for this shot from the south rim just before sunset. The Colorado River is just visible in the shadows.

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The Fence and the Storm

The Fence and the Storm landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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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Desert Contrast

 

Desert Contrast landscape panorama by Dan BourqueA desert storm leaves a contrast of colors and climates at sunset over Red Rock Canyon, Nevada

Details: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Nevada is one of my favorite places in the west because it’s a land of contrasts. In this scene, a storm has just covered the tall mountains on the right with a layer of snow, while the desert floor remains warm with color. This is a composite carefully stitched from six individual photos to capture this entire dramatic scene from east to west.

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Beach Bum at Sunset

Beach Bum at Sunset landscape photo by Dan Bourque

A large piece of driftwood stands tall against a beautiful sunset over an empty beach along the Florida panhandle.

Details: Normally when I’m at the beach photographing, my focus is on the water, but on this outing, a large piece of driftwood caught my eye. This piece of wood had personality that begged to be a part of the composition. I love the way the setting sun illuminates just the edges of the wood.

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Autumn on Bluecat Lake

Autumn on Bluecat Lake

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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Autumn at Lost Pond

Autumn at Lost Pond landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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

Deep Blue Mirror landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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

Rays Through Golden Trees landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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

Twilight in Gothic Valley landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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

Red Flowers on Emerald Lake landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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

Rocky Mountain Summer Sublime landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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

Red Rocks and Ripples landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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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Glorious Symphony of Earth and Sky

 

Glorious Symphony of Earth and Sky landscape photo by Dan BourqueAn incredible sunset unfolds over two natural icons of central Colorado, Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak.

Details: this was one of those amazing evenings when you’re glad you took a chance on the weather. I was driving through rain to get to this spot, and after hiking down into this field, the skies opened up and soon displayed this masterpiece. A wide-angle lens was essential to getting this big sky into a single frame. This image is captured in HDR to preserve the delicate details in the sky and shadows.

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Midnight Storm Approaching

Midnight Storm Approaching landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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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Veiled Majesty

Veiled Majesty astrophotography by Dan Bourque

Fleeting clouds uncover the heart of the Milky Way in the badlands of the Paint Mines in Colorado.

Details:  Astrophotography is tricky because so much depends on subtleties in the conditions. On this moonlit night, the Milky Way shone bright, but it remained hidden for most of the night behind a veil of high clouds. This was one of the rare breaks this June evening, but the long exposure, bizarre rock formations and bright center of the Milky Way combine to make this an otherworldly image.

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Goldenbanner Sunset

Goldenbanner Sunset landscape photo by Dan BourqueAn 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

Spruce Mountain Sunset landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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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Spotlight from Heaven

Spotlight from Heaven landscape photo by Dan Bourque

A ray of bright sunlight highlights the central formations at Garden of the Gods on a stormy spring day in Colorado.

Details: Garden of the Gods is one of my favorite places to photograph for obvious reasons, and a photo like this with parts of the rock formations in sun and parts in shadow has eluded me for years. This shot was taken shortly after a passing storm when the clouds were still thick to the west where the sun was just above the horizon. It took about half an hour of sitting with my finger on the shutter trigger in this spot to capture the light as you see here with just the central area lit in bright sunlight.

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Arizona Twilight

Arizona Twilight landscape photo by Dan Bourque

Magnificent rock formations near Sedona, Arizona burn red in the last rays of the day.

Details: Sedona, Arizona is one of the most beautiful places in the American West, and the red buttes of Coconino National Forest surround the town. This image of Courthouse Butte (center) and Bell Rock (right) were taken high up on a National Forest trail south of Sedona just as the sun was setting. All but the very tip of Bell Rock is already covered in shadow from the hills to the west. The dot in the sky is the moon, made smaller by the wide-angle lens needed to soak in this magnificent view.

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Last Light in the Canyon

 

Last Light in the Canyon landscape photo by Dan Bourque

The last rays of the setting sun set the walls of the Grand Canyon ablaze in orange.

Details: The Grand Canyon is beautiful anytime but mesmerizing at sunset. As the sun sinks to the horizon, it turns the canyon walls from reddish white into brilliant orange and gold. This was taken about two minutes before the sun went below the horizon with the rim painted orange while the deep parts of the canyon fade into hues of blue and purple. A few small patches of snow in the foreground reveal that even though the scene is warm, it is still winter in the high Arizona desert. This is one of my favorite photos I’ve taken because of the great colors in the sky and canyon, the stark contrasts between light and shadow, and the composition of the walls, foreground and the line of the deep canyon far below.

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Canyon After Sunset

Canyon After Sunset landscape photo by Dan Bourque

A pink sky overlooks the Grand Canyon filled with blue and red hues after a winter sunset.

Details: The Grand Canyon is a magical place any time of day in any season–it’s one of the seven natural wonders of the world for good reason! This image was taken on a February evening about 20 minutes after sunset. Just after the last light departed from the low clouds, the canyon turned from oranges to deep shades of purple and blue. At the center of the photo, a tiny reflection can be seen from the Colorado River far below. A tiny bit of snow still clings to the eastern wall of Pima Point to the left.

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Winter Moon Through the Aspens

Winter Moon Through the Aspens landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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

Sun Over Fall Fields landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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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Reflecting on the Galaxy

 

 

Reflecting on the Galaxy Milky Way photo by Dan BourqueA brilliant Milky Way is reflected in the still waters of a high alpine lake in Colorado.

Details: It’s always fun when you get to combine two of your favorite photography themes, in this case, the Milky Way and a reflection. On this dark September night, I hiked around the waters of O’Haver Lake in the Sawatch Range of central Colorado. Lights from two campsites dot the far shore, but the Milky Way shone as bright as I’ve ever seen it. The reflection turned out to be tough to get as any light breeze would destroy it in a 30-second exposure. There weren’t any people on this side of the lake, but I can tell you the rustling noises behind me in the woods sure kept my attention! Bigfoot, is that you? . . .

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Fence Post at Sunset

Fence Post at Sunset landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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

Paint Mines landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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

Fields of Golden Summer landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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

Promise of the Parting Storm landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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

Walking Rocky Mountain Shores landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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

Cabin Reflection After the Storm landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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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Sunrise on Sawmill Reservoir

Sunrise on Sawmill Reservoir Colorado landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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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Virgin River in Zion’s Shadow

Virgin River in Zion's Shadow landscape photo by Dan Bourque

The shallow waters of the Virgin River run cold and clear through Zion National Park, Utah.

Details: Zion National Park is one of the most beautiful places in the entire United States with its deep, narrow canyons and marbled red and white rock walls. Running through the main part of Zion is the Virgin River. The light conditions were perfect for this shot with the creek in shadow and the mountains in the later afternoon sunlight.

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High Desert Sunset

High Desert Sunset landscape photo by Dan Bourque

A world of contrasts is captured at sunset in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada.

Details: This is one of my personal favorites because it captures the extremes of the high desert in beautiful Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Nevada. The passing storm has left a layer of snow over the peaks of the Red Rock Escarpment, but down below, the desert is still warm and dry. The sky seems to reflect this transition with the peaks covered in deep blues and the desert in the pinks and purples of sunset.

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Yucca Moon

Yucca Moon landscape photo by Dan Bourque

A still yucca leans toward the moon and a fast-moving night sky at Red Rock Canyon, Nevada.

Details: I love taking long-exposure shots at night, but the conditions have to be just right to get the effect you’re looking for. In this case, something rare happened–the clouds were moving at a fast clip just above, yet there was no wind to move the yucca and make it blurry. The result is a tack-sharp foreground and surreal, swirling sky. The bright dot next to the full moon is Jupiter, and the orange glow is from Las Vegas.

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Gathering Storm over the Desert

Gathering Storm over the Desert landscape photo by Dan BourqueBrooding storm clouds reflect the setting sun over Red Rock Canyon in Nevada.

Details: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is an amazing place, especially when there’s a storm nearby adding an amazing sky to the amazing rocks. This one was moving fast, and the scattered clouds were an incredible mix of light and dark as they shadowed each other and reflected the sun with the red cast of sunset. The colorful rock formation is the area known as “Calico” for obvious reasons.

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Zion from the Edge of Space

Zion from the Edge of Space landscape photo by Dan Bourque

The deep red canyons of Zion National Park as seen from miles above.

Details: I’ve been trying to get this shot for years. I fly between Denver and Las Vegas fairly often, and we always pass just south of Zion National Park. I’ve been thinking this would be a great vantage point for a picture because the canyons are so amazing from this height, and a vertical shot has a sort of “edge of space” feel. It’s taken several tries, but the weather, window, sun, contrails and route all worked out nicely for this one.

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Winter Sunset Reflections

 

Winter Sunset Reflection landscape photo by Dan BourqueWinter 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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Peak Panorama at Sunrise

 

Peak Panorama at Sunrise landscape panorama by Dan BourqueThe red light of dawn illuminates pikes peak between the massive red rock formations of Garden of the Gods in Colorado

Details: Every clear morning just at sunrise, the sun’s first rays make 14,000 foot Pikes Peak glow brilliant red. This lasts for only a couple minutes before the peak returns to its normal gray, and it’s tough to catch a day where both the peak and clouds light up (normally clouds obscure the rays lighting the peak), but this was just such a morning caught from the eastern side of Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs on a clear September morning.

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Aspens in the Crags

Aspens in the Crags landscape panorama by Dan Bourque

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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The Old and the Ancient

The Old and the Ancient night landscape photo by Dan Bourque

The defiant trunk of an old tree stands tall as the clouds part to reveal the much older Milky Way on a crisp Colorado night.

Details: After enduring rain and lightning at sunset, the clouds finally parted to reveal the Milky Way and a host of stars over Grouse Mountain in Mueller State Park in the Colorado Rockies. This is one of my favorite photo spots, but this was the first time I’d been up here at night. The opportunity was well worth the hike in the dark!

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Evening Storm Approaching

Evening Storm Approaching landscape photo by Dan BourqueAn 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

Vibrant Reflections landscape photo by Dan BourqueBrooding 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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Lightning and the Elephant

Lightning and the Elephant landscape lightning photo by Dan BourqueLightning bursts over Elephant Rock at night in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada.

Details: Valley of Fire, northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, is one of the neatest State Parks I’ve ever been to–it’s chock full of red sandstone formations and arches like aptly named Elephant Rock seen here. I came to this spot hoping for some good Milky Way shots, but an unexpected evening storm made an even more amazing backdrop for this cool scene. This image took nearly an hour of patient shooting of long exposures to get the dramatic bolt seen here. Because the night was pitch black in-between strikes, I used a technique called “light painting” to capture the detail of the rock formation–it’s a manual process and tedious when you’re taking dozens of long-exposure shots, but in this case it was well worth it!

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Valley of Fire and Lightning

Valley of Fire and Lightning landscape photo by Dan BourqueA lightning bolt adds powerful color to the sunset over Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada.

Details: Shooting lightning is an exercise in both speed and patience, but the results can be very rewarding. Because of the low light, I was able to take long exposures and hope for a good strike. There were many failures before this success! Believe it or not, there is very little color manipulation in the image–the lightning was indeed pink which made it a perfect compliment to the sunset! This scene was captured on a July evening at Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park near Lake Mead.

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Asters in Mountain Shadows

Asters in Mountain Shadows landscape photo by Dan BourqueWild 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

San Juan Reflections landscape photo by Dan BourqueA 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

Rays over Ridgway landscape photo by Dan BourqueA 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

Ranges over Ridgway landscape photo by Dan BourqueThe 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

 

Sunset Over the Air Force Academy landscape photo by Dan BourqueA 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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Tranquility Basin

Tranquility Basin landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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

Purple Mountains Amber Waves landscape photo by Dan BourqueRays 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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Surreal Skies over Death Valley

Surreal Skies over Death Valley landscape photo by Dan BourqueBrilliant pink and purple clouds illuminate the skies at sunset over Death Valley National Park, California.

Details: Sometimes I have a hard time believing the beauty of what I’m seeing, and this June evening in Death Valley National Park was one of them. Looking at the skies an hour before, I didn’t think it was going to be a good sunset, but once the sun got under the clouds, it just kept illuminating more of them in brilliant pinks and oranges all around (this is looking south). My jaw was dropped for nearly 20 minutes before the color finally departed. The “rocks” in the foreground are actually salt formations in the area known as the Devils Golf Course which lies below sea level.

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Colorful Death Valley

Colorful Death Valley panorama landscape photo by Dan BourqueThe setting sun momentarily transforms mountain peaks and skies with splashes of bold color in Death Valley National Park, California.

Details: Just an hour before, the clouds completely obscured the sun (which was nice on such a hot day in June), but just before setting, rays of the sun lit the Death Valley’s eastern mountains in red and painted the clouds. The unique salt formations in the foreground belong to the so-called Devils Golf Course near Badwater, the lowest point in North America. This image was captured in HDR to preserve the delicate highlight and shadow detail in this scene.

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Heavens Rolled Back

Heavens Rolled Back landscape photo of Garden of the Gods by Dan Bourque

Rolling clouds burst over the setting sun and Garden of the Gods.

Details: In Colorado, there’s a saying “if you don’t like the weather, just wait 10 minutes.” Only an hour before this shot was taken on a June evening in Colorado Springs, the sky was completely overcast, and I was hunkered down in my car in a parking lot in Garden of the Gods to escape the rain and lightning. I was just beginning to think this evening was a lost cause, but as so often happens in Colorado, in a matter of minutes the sun came out, the clouds began to clear, and after a little hiking, I was able to catch this amazing sunset! This image was captured in HDR to preserve the delicate highlight and shadow detail in this scene.

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Harmony on the Cliffs

Harmony on the Cliffs landscape photo by Dan BourqueA couple watches the setting sun from the top of the Sunset Cliffs in California.

Details: This is one of my favorites because it captures so many elements in one photo. The brooding sky and waters add contrast to the light peeking through on the horizon, a wave leaves its soft trail at the base of the cliffs, and a couple perched perfectly on the rocks gives an accurate sense of scale to this scene at Sunset Cliffs near San Diego, California. I was perched precariously at the top of a 60-foot cliff, and the wind made it feel all the more tenuous, but I love the scene!

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Edge of Sunset

Edge of Sunset landscape photo by Dan BourqueThe edge of a cliff provides the perfect vista to watch the sun’s rays peeking from behind clouds as the sun sets over a sea stack on the Pacific coast.

Details: This scene was captured at the Sunset Cliffs near San Diego, California in late spring. I love how the ice plant in the foreground gives the rocky scene some softness and how the sun’s rays peer expectantly through the sunset clouds. This picture doesn’t do justice to the 40-foot drop off just beyond the ice plant!

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Last Drop of Sun

Last Drop of Sun landscape photo by Dan BourqueThe last tiny pinprick of sun illuminates the surf and sky over a California tide pool.

Details: This photo was taken at Sunset Cliffs near San Diego, California. What I love is that it was taken right at the moment of sunset just as a wave crashes against the rocks. A longish (1/2 sec) exposure softens the pounding surf which is just far enough away to avoid disturbing the tide pools reflecting the darkening sky.

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Moving Color

Moving Color landscape photo by Dan Bourque

Retreating waves reflect the bold orange, pink and purples of sunset over Point Loma, California.

Details: Sunset had just faded on the low clouds, and I was just about ready to pack up my camera when the sun caught the higher clouds above illuminating them in brilliant pinks and oranges creating this scene. A long exposure time lent a softness to the water and clouds. This image was captured in HDR to preserve the delicate highlight and shadow detail in the scene.

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Pools of Time

Pools of Time landscape photo by Dan BourqueA gathering of tide pools reflects the fast-moving skies of a Pacific sunset.

Details: Low tide means lots of tide pools at the Sunset Cliffs area near San Diego, California. The low light after sunset allowed for a 30-second exposure which turned the rough seas calm and gave time for the colorful clouds to move across the sky. This is one of my favorite images!

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Sunset Surf Surreal

Sunset Surf Surreal landscape photo by Dan BourqueFrothy white ghosts of recent waves glow pink under a sunset sky near California’s Sunset Cliffs.

Details: Just after sundown is a great time for long-exposure photography. This scene was created by capturing a crashing wave over a 6-second exposure. The rocks appear solid, but the water’s movements leave only the ghost-like trails of the wave’s white foam as it hits and recedes. I love taking pictures on the coast!

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Coronado Sunset

Coronado Sunset landscape photo by Dan BourqueStunning sunset reflected in the waves of California’s Coronado Island.

Details: Low, fast-moving clouds make for great sunset images if you can be in the right place at the right time. At this moment, the sun was just peeking between two clouds, and recent wave has left a perfect reflective surface for the golden rays (though it was wreaking havoc on my tripod). A sailboat has recently washed ashore adding a nice detail seldom seen in this scene looking from Coronado Island past Point Loma.

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Sunset Cliffs

Sunset Cliffs landscape photo by Dan BourqueWaves crash against the Sunset Cliffs of San Diego as the sun’s last rays turn the sky and water orange.

Details: when the sun goes down, it opens up a wealth of new photo possibilities like slow shutter speeds. An exposure of a few seconds captures the swirling wave tops and crashing surf 60 feet below the cliff top. This area on the Pacific coast near San Diego, California is known as the Sunset Cliffs for good reason.

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Pine Against Pink Sky

Pine Against Pink Sky landscape photo by Dan Bourque

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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Sunset over Coal Creek

Sunset over Coal Creek landscape photo by Dan Bourque

Orange and pink rays light up the Colorado sky over Coal Creek at sunset

Details:  This scene was captured near Crested Butte, Colorado in April when runoff from the snow-covered peaks made the small creek swell. Only two minutes before, there was no sunset to speak of, but then the sun cleared the underside of the clouds to create this heavenly scene. A longish (1/2 sec) exposure softened the falls and ripples of the creek adding to the serenity of the scene.

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Solitude at Sunset

Solitude at Sunset

Amazing sunset clouds fade into night as a lonely pine tree looks on in silence.

Details: This image captured the last brilliant moments of sunset on a warm March evening at Garden of the Gods Park. This tree is in a secluded spot in the park, and I love how its roots sprawl over the granite ridge to hold onto its precarious vantage point. This image was captured in HDR to preserve the delicate highlight and shadow detail in this scene.

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Hard Rocks Covered in Soft Sunset

Hard Rocks Covered in Soft Sunset

Brilliant pink clouds cast their glow on red and white formations at Garden of the Gods in Colorado

Details: This image was captured at the peak of this sunset on a March day in Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs. This hard-to-reach ridge offers a great vista of the central garden area including the famous Kissing Camels formation on the right edge. This image is captured in HDR to preserve the detail of the shadowy foreground and the bright sky highlights.

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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