Spring Whispers

Spring WhispersMother Nature whispers "It's time to rise and shine" in an aspen forest near Kebler Pass and Crested Butte in western Colorado.

As the cold, bare, signs of winter give way to spring, the landscape slowly changes flavors to margarita-colored trees gently sprinkled through the forest. It seems like Mother Nature is softly whispering about what's to come in the next few weeks.

I love this transition time from winter to spring for all the reasons most people seem to like it. The cold, naked starkness of winter is interesting for a while but up here it's simply relentless. Seven months of bare trees is just too long! Fresh green leaves fill the trees much nearer the first day of summer than the first day of spring. It's exciting to finally see some color come back to the forest after months of whiteness.

To my eyes, this transition is best expressed through sharp details but soft, diffused lighting. This image was found near Horse Ranch Park over Kebler Pass. The point of view is actually a few hundred yards away so composing this photograph required a long, telephoto lens. I chose a 300mm which also compresses the feeling of space between the foreground and background thus flattening the feeling of the photo. I like the contrast between the bare aspen trees and those with fresh leaves. The darker conifers help with that contrast too. To achieve the maximum sharpness and detail in the trees, I used a solid Really Right Stuff tripod and head. But, to gain maximum detail, the camera's mirror was locked up and I used a remote cable release to activate the shutter. I also had to wait 'til the wind subsided.  This technique guarantees me the best sharpness and finest detail my equipment can render.

I think "Spring Whispers" kind of reminds me of a salad. What do you think?

Any prints of "Spring Whispers" ordered before my next blog post will receive a 40% discount from regular pricing. Let me know if you would like one or several. You will need to order prints directly from me via email or phone (970) 349-5038