Courthouse Mountain, in the Cimarron Range, just east of Ridgway, Colorado, isn't super famous, but it is, in my opinion, one of the prettiest peaks in the State. Lying in the Grand Mesa / Uncompaghre / Gunnison National Forest, there is a great deal of dispersed camping in the region, so I found a spot to park my van for the night that afforded me this view only a few steps from where I camped. Not a bad view to fall asleep (or wake up!) to. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48, 80x54, 90x60.
I did a lot of camping in 2020, since there were no art shows, and being outside and away from people seemed a good way to spend time when being around other people was not really an option. In late September, I was near Ridgway, in southwest Colorado, with the goal of shooting the changing leaves. Many of the aspen groves in the area had quite a bit of yellow mixed in on the day I took this photo, but the forests here, along the Cimarron Ridge, were still probably a week away from reaching peak color. However, a lot of the underbrush was already at its peak, coming through in shades of orange and red. I didn't want to miss this opportunity, and the clouds when I took this photo were absolutely perfect. Available in the following sizes (Panorama A): 20x10, 24x12, 32x16, 40x20, 48x24, 60x30, 60x30 Triptych (3 x 20x30), 72x36, 72x36 Triptych (3 x 24x36), 80x40, 80x40 Triptych (3 x 27x40), 96x48, 96x48 Triptych (3 x 32x48), 108x54, 108x54 Triptych (3 x 36x54), 120x60, 120x60 Triptych (3 x 40x60).
Mount Sopris, which reaches a peak elevation of less than 13,000 feet in Colorado, a state which prides itself on its many 14,000 foot peaks, is nonetheless the most prominent mountain in the Carbondale (and to a lesser extent, Glenwood Springs and Aspen) area. It's a beautiful mountain, and is easy to spot from several directions. I knew I wanted to photograph this peak at sunrise, and scouted some potential locations the day before, and ended up settling on the shoulder of Price Creek Road, a little-used dirt road just north of the mountain. The early morning horizontal sunlight saturated the normally gray / brown peak in wonderful shades of orange, which contrasted beautifully with the blue sky above, and the green of the forest below. Available in the following sizes (Panorama C): 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 60x20, 72x24, 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36, 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36), 120x40, 120x40 Triptych Triptych (3 x 40x40), 144x48 Triptych (3 x 48x48).
I'd never driven across Cottonwood Pass, which connects Buena Vista to Almot, Colorado, until the summer of 2020. I went over the pass during the day, and thought it might look nice at sunrise, so I came back before sunrise the following day, and tried a few different compositions of the area. This one is my favorite of the lot. Available in the following sizes (Panorama A): 20x10, 24x12, 32x16, 40x20, 48x24, 60x30, 60x30 Triptych (3 x 20x30), 72x36, 72x36 Triptych (3 x 24x36), 80x40, 80x40 Triptych (3 x 27x40), 96x48, 96x48 Triptych (3 x 32x48).
I'd never visited the chalk cliffs outside of Buena Vista, Colorado, until a cross-Colorado camping trip I went on in the summer of 2020. When viewed in the middle of the day, these cliffs are nearly white, but I took this photo at sunrise, and the horizontal light gave the landscape a saturated orange hue. Available in the following sizes (Panorama A): 20x10, 24x12, 32x16, 40x20, 48x24, 60x30, 60x30 Triptych (3 x 20x30), 72x36, 72x36 Triptych (3 x 24x36), 80x40, 80x40 Triptych (3 x 27x40), 96x48, 96x48 Triptych (3 x 32x48), 108x54, 108x54 Triptych (3 x 36x54), 120x60, 120x60 Triptych (3 x 40x60).
Colorado's “Million Dollar Highway,” which stretches from Ouray to Silverton, is one of the prettiest drives on the planet. Red Mountain Pass, which reaches a peak elevation of 11,018 feet, is the highest elevation along this route, and it is from this pass that one has the best view of Red Mountain, shown here. The way the red rocks contrast with the green trees and blue sky makes this one of the most picturesque locations in Colorado. Available in the following sizes (Panorama C): 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 60x20, 72x24, 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36, 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36), 120x40, 120x40 Triptych Triptych (3 x 40x40), 144x48 Triptych (3 x 48x48), 162x54 Triptych (3 x 54x54), 180x60 Triptych (3 x 60x60).
I've been meaning to shoot some images from the Beartooth Highway, on the Wyoming / Montana border, for years. A spontaneous trip to Glacier National Park during the summer of 2020 proved the perfect opportunity to do so. I camped half an hour or so from where I took this photo on my way to Glacier, but missed sunrise at this particular location, so I camped much closer on my return journey. The Beartooth Highway is definitely one of my favorite drives in the US, and with scenes like this doing a fair job of presenting much of what the area looks like, it is easy to understand why. Available in the following sizes (Panorama B): 30x12, 40x16, 50x20, 60x24, 75x30, 75x30 Triptych (3 x 25x30), 90x36, 90x36 Triptych (3 x 30x36), 105x42, 105x42 Triptych (3 x 35x42), 120x48, 120x48 Triptych (3 x 40x48), 135x54 Triptych (3 x 45x54), 150x60 Triptych (3 x 50x60).
Sunrise from the Beartooth Highway
I've been meaning to shoot some images from the Beartooth Highway, on the Wyoming / Montana border, for years. A spontaneous trip to Glacier National Park during the summer of 2020 proved the perfect opportunity to do so. I camped half an hour or so from where I took this photo on my way to Glacier, but missed sunrise at this particular location, so I camped much closer on my return journey and made it here with time to spare. The Beartooth Highway is definitely one of my favorite drives in the US, and with scenes like this doing a fair job of presenting much of what the area looks like, it is easy to understand why. Available in the following sizes (Panorama C): 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 60x20, 72x24, 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36, 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36), 120x40, 120x40 Triptych Triptych (3 x 40x40), 144x48 Triptych (3 x 48x48), 162x54 Triptych (3 x 54x54), 180x60 Triptych (3 x 60x60).
Going to the Sun Road is a – if not the – highlight of Glacier National Park. There are many pullouts along the 2-lane road that afford incredible views of the surrounding area, such as this one of Paradise Valley. I took this photo shortly after sunrise, with the sun coming behind me, and just beginning to paint the tops of the mountains a super-saturated shade of orange. Available in the following sizes (Panorama B): 30x12, 40x16, 50x20, 60x24, 75x30, 75x30 Triptych (3 x 25x30), 90x36, 90x36 Triptych (3 x 30x36), 105x42, 105x42 Triptych (3 x 35x42), 120x48, 120x48 Triptych (3 x 40x48), 135x54 Triptych (3 x 45x54), 150x60 Triptych (3 x 50x60).
Alright, alright … this was actually taken at moonset, not moonrise, but “Moonset at Glacier” just doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Anyway, I took this photo from the shores of Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park shortly after sunrise. I turned the exposure down quite a bit in order to maintain the detail in the moon. Upon looking at this photo a bit more closely, you might see a small hut and some type of electronics tower on the peak to the left. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30.
One of the most photographed parts of Montana's amazing Glacier National Park is the multi-colored river rocks. Just do an image search for something like “Glacier National Park river rocks” and you'll see what I mean. Or, check out the rest of my Montana photos to see some of my other related photos. Anyway, I'd visited Glacier many times before my 2020 trip, but somehow had never taken any photos of these beautiful rocks. I decided it was time to fix that problem when I visited Lake McDonald at sunrise, and put a polarizing filter on my camera. A polarizing filter allows one to increase or decrease reflections on the surface of water, and I used my polarizer to reduce reflections as much as possible for this photo. Looking at the bottom of the photo, it isn't even apparent that there's water covering the rocks. But as one's eye moves further up the photo, the reflection increases, until it is near 100% reflective by the time the mountains are reached. I love this fading effect. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 8x12, 12x18, 16x24, 20x30, 24x36, 30x45, 40x60, 48x72.
I went on a semi-spontaneous Glacier National Park trip in the summer of 2020. I'd been to Glacier several times before my 2020 trip, but there were several parts of the park I'd not yet visited, and had hoped to do so on this trip. Alas, it was not to be. The Blackfoot Nation, which shares a border with Glacier's east side, closed down access due to COVID concerns. I completely understand this reaction and hold no grudges. Unfortunately, it meant I was limited to visiting the western part of the park, and needed to find a camp spot that would allow me to access this part of the park early in the morning (for sunrise), hopefully while avoiding a drive of an hour or more. Fortunately, Kootenai National Forest shares a border with Glacier's west side, so I found a dispersed camp spot in Kootenai, and this was the view I had during the admittedly short times I was camping there. There's just great stuff all around this part of Montana. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48.
I went on a semi-spontaneous Glacier National Park trip in the summer of 2020. I'm from northern Colorado, so I had to drive through Wyoming, and took some great roads, including one of my favorites, the Beartooth Highway, which goes from Yellowstone National Park's northeastern entrance to Red Lodge, Montana. I was in no particular rush to carry on when I made it to Red Lodge, and did some research of places to hike and camp in the area. I decided to go to Alpine, Montana, a tiny community on the shore of East Rosebud Lake in the same mountain range as the Beartooth Highway. There's a lot of good hiking in the area, and while it is remains something of a secret spot that involves a few miles of dirt road to access, it remains fairly undeveloped. I ended up camping along the side of a Forest Service road, and this was the view I had from my van. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48.
During the summer of 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I went up to Medicine Bow National Forest in southern Wyoming, only a few hours from my home in Northern Colorado. Snowy Range Road travels to the west from Laramie, and passes through this National Forest that, in addition to being great for fishing and camping, also has a small area with dozens of easily-accessible alpine lakes. Lake Marie, shown here, and photographed at sunrise, is one of the most accessible – it was a 5 minute walk from the parking lot for me to access this location. This photo, like the location and the camping trip itself, was and is a great escape from the stresses of everyday life in 2020. Available in the following sizes (Panorama B): 30x12, 40x16, 50x20, 60x24, 75x30, 75x30 Triptych (3 x 25x30), 90x36, 90x36 Triptych (3 x 30x36), 105x42, 105x42 Triptych (3 x 35x42), 120x48, 120x48 Triptych (3 x 40x48), 135x54 Triptych (3 x 45x54), 150x60 Triptych (3 x 50x60).
During the summer of 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I went up to Medicine Bow National Forest in southern Wyoming, only a few hours from my home in Northern Colorado. Snowy Range Road travels to the west from Laramie, and passes through this National Forest that, in addition to being great for fishing and camping, also has a small area with dozens of easily-accessible alpine lakes. Lake Marie, shown here, and photographed at sunrise, is one of the most accessible – it was a 5 minute walk from the parking lot for me to access this location. This photo, like the location and the camping trip itself, was and is a great escape from the stresses of everyday life in 2020. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48, 80x54, 90x60.
Trail Ridge Road, in northern Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, is a beautiful, 2-lane paved road that crosses the Continental Divide, and reaches a peak elevation of 12,183 feet – a ways above treeline. The views from Trail Ridge Road extend in every direction, and allow one to take in the beauty of the Rocky Mountains. I took this photo in the summer of 2020, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a beautiful orange hue on all the mountain tops in the area. Just a bit left of center in this photo lies Longs Peak, the highest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park, at an elevation of 14,259 feet. Available in the following sizes (Panorama C): 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 60x20, 72x24, 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36, 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36), 120x40, 120x40 Triptych Triptych (3 x 40x40), 144x48 Triptych (3 x 48x48), 162x54 Triptych (3 x 54x54), 180x60 Triptych (3 x 60x60).
Perhaps the busiest trails in Colorado's spectacular Rocky Mountain National Park are those around Bear Lake. My favorite of these trails gives one access to a series of higher and higher elevation mountain lakes – first Nymph, then Dream, and finally Emerald Lake. On a summer 2020 camping trip to RMNP, I tried to photograph these lakes at sunset, but the lighting wasn't great, so I set my alarm for 4AM the following day in order to reach Dream Lake (the prettiest of the three, in my opinion) before the sun came up. I took photos from a few angles and with different foregrounds, and most of them were landscape format, as opposed to portrait. Mountain reflection shots tend to work better as landscapes or panoramas than as portraits, but, having found a location that allowed me to keep both the top and reflection of Hallet Peak (left, elevation 12,713) in frame, as well as some trees in the foreground, I got this portrait-format photo that may work better to hang on certain walls. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle A): 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, 20x24, 24x30, 30x40, 40x50, 48x60, 60x75.
Perhaps the busiest trails in Colorado's spectacular Rocky Mountain National Park are those around Bear Lake. My favorite of these trails gives one access to a series of higher and higher elevation mountain lakes – first Nymph, then Dream, and finally Emerald Lake. On a summer 2020 camping trip to RMNP, I tried to photograph these lakes at sunset, but the lighting wasn't great, so I set my alarm for 4AM the following day in order to reach Dream Lake (the prettiest of the three, in my opinion) before the sun came up. I shot this scene from multiple locations, with different foregrounds and formats, but this simple composition may very well be my favorite. Who needs a foreground when the colors and simplicity of the reflection are this perfect?! Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48.
Perhaps the busiest trails in Colorado's spectacular Rocky Mountain National Park are those around Bear Lake. My favorite of these trails gives one access to a series of higher and higher elevation mountain lakes – first Nymph, then Dream, and finally Emerald Lake. On a summer 2020 camping trip to RMNP, I tried to photograph these lakes at sunset, but the lighting wasn't great, so I set my alarm for 4AM the following day in order to reach Dream Lake (the prettiest of the three, in my opinion) before the sun came up. I'd scouted some shooting locations the night before, and found this location that allowed me to place some trees in the foreground, but keep the top of Hallet peak (left), as well as it's reflection in the mirror-smooth lake below, both in frame. This photo was taken mere minutes before the sun rose. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48, 80x54, 90x60.
