Category: Mountains

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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Teton Morning Mirror

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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Rustic and Regal

An old homestead barn is dwarfed by the majesty of Grand Teton on a late summer morning.

Details: The Moulton Barns are icons of Grand Teton National Park. They stand as a reminder of the early Mormon settlers to the area, and the surrounding terrain and vegetation shows why the farms and ranches ultimately gave way to preservation and tourism. While others have certainly captured this scene in more dramatic conditions, I still love this image – taken with a zoom lens – because it puts the lonely John Moulton Barn in perspective with its surroundings and majestic backdrop.

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Walls of Mordor

 

The last rays of the setting sun illuminate the cloud-topped jagged peaks of the Teton Range.

Details: when my son first saw the Teton Range, he said “they look like fairy tale mountains,” and this image shows why. Like something out of an epic fable, the glacier-carved peaks of the range rise at dramatic angles showing off their jagged edges and deep valleys. This shot captures Teewinot, a cloud-topped Grand Teton, and Mount Owen on the far side of Cascade Canyon from Jenny Lake. The Ansel Adams inspired black-and-white just seemed fitting for this picture.

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Barn and Beauty

A tired homesteader’s barn sits quietly in the morning light with Grand Teton as a backdrop.

Details: The Moulton Barns in Grand Teton National Park are somewhat legendary in the photography world, so while I’m not breaking any new ground photographically here, it’s a right of passage to add my image to the mix. I love how the morning light brings out the texture in the old wood on the T.A. Moulton barn, and I love how the crystal clear blue sky contrasts with the yellowing grass of August.

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Reflections of Light and Shadow

Glassy waters of a beaver pond reflect playful morning clouds painting the Teton Range in light and shadow.

Details: This image is a good reminder of why patience is required in photography. I joined three other photographers at Schwabachers Landing in Grand Teton National Park to catch the first light on the Tetons. Conditions were iffy as a layer of clouds threatened to block the sunrise, and sure enough, we got just a few seconds of pink alpenglow before the range was engulfed in shadow. The other three photographers packed up an left, but I thought “just maybe” as the clouds were rapidly shifting. It took about 30 minutes of waiting, but the sun peeked through, and soon the clouds were providing this amazing display of light and shadow on Grand Teton.

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Alpenglow at Oxbow Bend

Oxbow Bend of the Snake River reflects the early morning alpenglow of Mount Moran in the Teton Range.

Details: The Snake River meanders through Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Oxbow Bend is known for its wildlife, still waters and beautiful reflections of stunning Mount Moran, all of which can be seen in this image. An American white pelican swims lazily across the serene waters, and in the full-size image, a sandhill crane can be barely spotted against the flanks of Moran. The Tetons are distinctly gray, but for the first few minutes of sunrise, the red-shifted light of the sun on the horizon paints them a distinctive red, an effect known as “alpenglow.”

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Giants and Still Waters

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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Majesty Unveiled

Morning mists part to reveal the Teton Range in all its glory reflected in still waters.

Details: The Teton Range in Wyoming is one of the most spectacular mountain ranges in North America. The peaks rise 7,000 feet above plains dotted with lakes big and small. This image of Grand Teton was captured from an inlet of Jackson Lake near Colter Bay in Grand Teton National Park just after dawn on a cool August morning. The prominent peak is Grand Teton with Teewinot to the left. The shoulder of Mount Moran climbs into the clouds on the right edge of the image. The lake water level was dropping, and just two days after this image was taken, this picture was no longer possible.

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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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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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Lights Over the Lake

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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Storm Over Sylvan Lake

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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Purple Flowers in the Black Hills

Purple flowers stand before a giant granite spire in Custer State Park, South Dakota.

Details: Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota has different types of beauty wherever you look. In this case, a small cluster of purple flowers adorned a grassy hill in the granite-strewn landscape near Legion Lake on a fine July day. The nearby forest cast a perfect shadow on the flowers to capture their detail while highlighting the granite spire in light and shadow.

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Legion Lake Reflections

Formations of granite reflecting the light of the setting sun are themselves reflected in the calm waters of Legion Lake in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Details: Custer State Park is THE most beautiful state park I’ve ever visited. In addition to wonderful rolling hills full of wildlife, the park encompasses the “Needles”, an area of majestic granite spires springing from the Black Hills. Legion Lake lies in the middle of Custer State Park on the edge of the Needles, and if you can find a time when the wind is calm, you’re rewarded with amazing reflection scenes like this one.

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Black Hills Silhouettes

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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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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Light from Beyond

The Milky Way rises brightly over the rocky banks of the South Fork of the Rio Grande in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.

Details: the most challenging thing about photographing the Milky Way is finding skies dark enough that it shines through. The second most challenging thing is finding some interesting foreground. The third most challenging thing is getting some kind of light on the foreground so it’s not just a silhouette. All three things lined up with this shot taken near the town of South Fork, Colorado, the eastern gateway to the beautiful San Juan Mountains. I’m grateful to the Arbor House Inn B&B for hosting me and letting me shoot from their beautiful property.

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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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Starry Rainbow

The starry trail of the Milky Way arches across the summer sky above the mountains of central Colorado.

Details: In early summer in the northern hemisphere, the Milky Way rises in the east with its core just above the southeast horizon. Getting the entire arc of the Milky Way from horizon to horizon requires a composite of several exposures, in this case 10 individual vertical images. This spot near a creek in the Tarryall Mountains of Colorado allowed me to frame the galaxy core perfectly between two rock faces.

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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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Glow Above and Below

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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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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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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Academy Winter Blue

The morning sun shines under low clouds to light the U.S. Air Force Academy in the shadow of Pikes Peak.

Details: Springtime in the Rockies is full of contrasts. The evening before this picture was taken, this area got a couple inches of fresh snow, but in the morning, the sun and blue skies were out again, and Pikes Peak had a brand new coat of snow. While there are clouds on the mountains fairly often, it’s unusual to catch the sun shining under them.

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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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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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Stars over Salida

A trail of stars falls gently over the Rocky Mountain town of Salida in central Colorado.

Details: This image was taken on a winter night and captures about 90 minutes of total exposure time. It’s amazing how far the stars move in that amount of time (yes, I understand they’re not really moving and it’s just the earth rotating. . .).  Star trails take a lot of forethought and patience, but the result can be an amazing image that only your camera can truly “see.” This is a composite of more than 150 individual images, and in addition to the movement of the stars, I also love that it captures the movement of cars along the roads and up into the mountains, including a couple heading up to the spot locals call “S Mountain” in the lower right.

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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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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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Santa Monica Mountains Panorama

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

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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View of the Twisted Tree

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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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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Desert Contrast

 

A 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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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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Glorious Symphony of Earth and Sky

 

An 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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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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Spotlight from Heaven

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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Reflecting on the Galaxy

 

 

A 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

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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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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Virgin River in Zion’s Shadow

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

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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Gathering Storm over the Desert

Brooding 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

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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Peak Panorama at Sunrise

 

The 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

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