"Out of the Shadows" Wins a Bronze!

Out of the Shadows Award2024 Epson Pano Awards Bronze Medal Winner.

I am humbled, surprised, and very pleased to announce that one of my newest photographs, "Out of the Shadows", won a Bronze Award in the 2024 Epson International Pano Awards competition. It's rare that I enter competitions so this was a huge surprise.

This image, as many of you know, is from my favorite stand of aspen trees not far from my home. I have photographed them in all seasons and all types of weather and light. This past spring I just happened to see them with sunlight illuminating the lime-green, fresh aspen leaves but with the foreground still in deep shade creating a strikingly simple but dramatic scene. By the time I got set up sunlight was starting to creep into the foreground so I came back the next morning a little earlier for this photograph.

To celebrate, I would like to do something I have never done before. I'm going to have an inventory reduction sale. From now until midnight October 14, 2024 all of my ready-to-hang inventory will be 50% off. You can follow the link to see the inventory available. Size, price, and finish is discussed in the description available when you click on the photos. Sorry, but this site works much better on a computer than on a phone. I would love to see these pieces find new homes and create some space for some new images like "Out of the Shadows". Please let me know if you have any questions. There is only one artwork of each title available so it's first-come, first-served. Happy shopping!

Fisheye Double Rainbow

Fisheye Double RainbowSunset in Mount Crested Butte brings and intense, complete, double rainbow after a clearing thunderstorm.

We have reached that awkward time between summer and fall in the high country. It's cooler in the day and downright chilly at night but the foliage is still green. There may even be a little frost in the mornings in the lower valleys. But it gets warm enough in the afternoons to spawn a few thunderstorms. They usually clear by sunset leaving us with cool air and even cooler skies.

A few weeks ago we experienced one of the coolest skies I've ever seen. The most intense double rainbow formed across the street from my home and lasted for what seemed like an hour. Seriously, it lasted about 20 minutes. It happened right at sunset which created a complete, intense, double rainbow over Crested Butte Mountain.

The sight lasted long enough for me to get to my car and swap my standard 24-120mm Nikkor lens for the 10.5 mm fisheye which I knew would show both ends of the rainbows. It also tends to distort items at the edges but it was worth the trade-off. All my neighbors were on their decks enjoying the show. I started on my deck but my hummingbird feeders and the railings were interrupting the view so I went to the parking lot. As the sun got lower the colors became more and more intense. The show was quite a blessing!

Most of the photographs I show here are images I created with the hope of them ending up on someone's wall. This one doesn't really have that appeal. I doubt I will ever sell or even make a print of this double rainbow. But, it was a great experience anyway.

So, about photographing rainbows. A very wide angle lens is a must if you're hoping to capture both ends. The panorama mode on your phone works well too. A 16mm just barely does it at sunset on a full-frame digital or film camera. And that only works at sunset since the higher the sun is, the wider the rainbow is. This photo was taken with a lens of approximately 15mm. My preference for rainbow photography involves using a polarizing filter which helps separate the rainbow from the clouds and brightens the colors a little bit. I did not use a filter for this photo since they don't fit either of my widest-angle lenses. I had to settle for what nature provided. This time, nature did just fine. I used the fisheye lens knowing it would distort the corners of the photo but hoping nobody would be looking into the corners. There's nothing to see there! The building and the rainbow look normal in the scene.

And, that's the story behind "Fisheye Double Rainbow".

There's a Hole in the Sky

There is a Hole in the SkyA small spotlight of sunlight moves across an autumn valley to illuminate a small group of aspen trees at their peak of fall color near Crested Butte, Colorado.

About nine years ago I was driving back to Crested Butte from Gunnison, Colorado. The sky was mostly cloudy but there were a few holes allowing spots of sunlight to race across the valley floor. I came upon this patch of intense, late fall, colored aspen trees and thought to myself...wouldn't it be cool if I could catch a patch of sunlight on just those trees. So, I set up the tripod, my trusty Nikon D800, and my 300mm lens and I waited. And waited. And waited some more. But the magic finally happened! That spot of sunlight landed just where I needed it.

When I got home and looked at the image I was extremely disappointed. It was very soft. Not out-of-focus soft. It was blurry. In my haste and excitement I had not used great technique required when using long telephoto lenses. I had not used my cable release. I had not locked the mirror up. I had not used a fast enough shutter speed. I worked on the image a bunch over the years but there was no real solution that would make it sharp enough to print. But, I did save the original RAW file.

Let's jump ahead 9 years which, in technology, seems like a lifetime. Now there's some software that can, potentially, make my blurry photo sharp. Enter Topaz Sharpen AI. I have only used this software a few times but it can easily pay for itself if it only saves a few images. Like so many types of software, its default values seem to be a little over-the-top and, in this case, too sharp. But it's adjustable. After trying different settings for an hour or so I finally ended up with an image that was sharp enough to print. Saved by technology. And, it only took 9 years.

I'm happy to have "There's a Hole in the Sky" as a print-worthy photograph that I can offer to my clients. I really do love the image. I hope you do too. Let me know if I can print one for you.

Trying New Ideas

Monument ValleyMockup of my Monument Valley panorama in a sunny bedroom.

For years it's been a challenge for many of my clients to visualize how artwork can look in their homes. I've even delivered a few pieces to let local clients "try them on" in their homes. Obviously, that can only work with local buyers.

But I recently stumbled upon a way to help them visualize my artwork over similar decor to theirs. This idea is not very new but the variety of decor has broadened quite a bit lately. Until recently all the decor has been mid-century modern and that style is not the way most mountain homes are decorated. The sample above is from a collection of desert decor but I have found some other styles as well.

So, how do I share this idea with potential clients? I have integrated some of my more popular pieces into my website's opening slide show with full-sized images so clients can visualize some of my artwork in situ. This allows my potential client to pick their favorite photos, decor styles, and sizes so I can provide a mockup for them. I suppose they could even send me a photo of the wall they are trying to decorate. This is especially effective for my panorama photographs and vertical images which don't fit the slideshow window very well. They always come out too small.

I would love some feedback on this idea so I'm asking you to share your thoughts and feelings. Here is the link to my homepage. If you could watch the slideshow and share your thoughts I would be most grateful.

Autumn Gold

Autumn GoldDelicate golden aspen leaves decorate small snow-covered trees of a Colorado aspen forest.

After watching the aspen leaves change color for more than 30 autumns here around Crested Butte I can say without argument that the fall colors are happening 3-4 weeks later than they did when I moved here in the late 1980s.

One benefit to this later color change is that the chance of getting snow while the leaves are still on the trees has gone up a bit. It used to be a rarity to get snow and colorful leaves at the same time. Now we can usually count on at least one snowfall during our brief experience of fall colors.

Sometimes it only takes a dusting of the white stuff to create a unique image. "Autumn Gold" was found on one of those mornings which left us with just a touch of snow and no wind to take it out of the trees. I think the delicate nature of the scene with just a little snow and just a few yellow leaves was what invited me to explore this aspen grove. I liked the subtle contrast and bright forest gifted to me on this chilly morning. The scene seems almost monochrome except for the leaves. It's almost minimalist at least in its color palette.

I used a long 300mm telephoto lens to compress the space and throw the background a little out of focus. I did this to try and keep your eyes focused on the leaves in the front of the scene. This allows the out-of-focus aspen trunks to support the tonality and shapes in the photograph without competing with the actual subjects. At least, that was the idea. You get to decide whether it worked or not.

I love finding these softer, delicate scenes in nature and feel like they bring a calming influence to our busy lives. This one may have to find a space over my bed next time I redecorate!

Full Blue Supermoon 2023

Full Blue Supermoon 2023The Full, blue, supermoon rises over Crested Butte Mountain on August 30, 2023.

Last August we were blessed with two full moons in the same month. The second one is called a "Blue Moon" and has been the subject of many poems, songs, stories, lies, and fables. And, at least a few photos.

I have a perfect view of the eastern sky from the deck on my condo so even though moonrise came close to conflicting with my bed/reading time, I decided to try a photo I had in my mind for a long time. I had a rough idea of where it would rise and I had two nights when the moon looked full. I set up my beast of a Really Right Stuff tripod and my beast of a telephoto lens, the Tamron 150-600 zoomed out to 600mm. Even though this set-up is extremely rigid and the lens features vibration reduction, any of my movements on my 44-year-old deck would create vibrations I did not want. Using an electronic cable release, I had to stand perfectly still to get the trees and the moon both sharp as a tack.

My first attempt seemed to have everything working as required but after viewing the images the next day, I discovered the ski patrol's radio tower was in the center of every picture. It looked like another tree through the viewfinder. At least I had one more night to attempt the photo!

The second night had the moonrise about 50 minutes later so, now, this project is really starting to eat into my bedtime. Fortunately, the moon rose a few hundred yards farther north and I got perfect trees in the foreground. One amazing thing about watching the moon rise through a long telephoto lens is how fast it moves. I only got about a dozen images before it had risen above the trees and into the night sky. This was my favorite image with the best balance between Supermoon and the forest below. And that's how "Full Blue Supermoon 2023" came to be captured as it rose over the forest on Crested Butte Mountain in Colorado.

Fall is Looking Up

Fall is Looking UpLooking up through a fall colored aspen forest near Kebler Pass.

In a tall, golden, aspen forest looking straight up toward the sky is a popular concept. I have made similar photos many times but they kind of all looked the same. This fall I decided to try something a little different and utilize a lens that I only use on rare occasions.

About the lens. Nikon makes a 10.5 mm super wide angle lens which I used to use to capture dance photos at wedding receptions. It created a very different point of view, especially when held overhead, and provided a bit of variety when creating an album or slide show of the wedding celebration. The lens has been hanging out at the bottom of my camera bag for years!

Since visual perspective is the entire point of this composition, I decided to push the perspective to my limits and grabbed the lens at the bottom of the bag. Wow! Did it make those trees look tall? The field of view is so wide it also captured cars in the parking area and my friend Lois who was running around with me that day. It took some manipulation to get the scene composed without those distractions. Then there was the sun. I almost never want the sun in my photos since it dominates the scene. Our eyes or brain seem to want to focus on the brightest object in a photo and the sun will always be the brightest element. But, in this scene, since it became only a small starburst, I liked it.

As I process a photograph I have software that can remove lens distortions which I use with nearly every photo. But, with this image, it made the tree trunks straight. I decided I liked the curving trunk perspective a little better since it adds some mystery to the composition. Since I was looking straight up there is no correct orientation for this photograph. I wanted the trees to dominate the scene so I placed the starburst sun in a less dominant position lower-right. The stark contrast of the yellow leaves and blue sky is a major reason that aspen groves in Colorado are in such demand by photographers and other visual artists.

I hope you enjoy "Fall is Looking Up". It was a lot of fun to create.

Castle Magic

Castle MagicFresh snow, brilliant leaves, and spots of sunlight team up to create a beautiful scene at The Castles near Ohio Pass in western Colorado.

The Castles are a commanding visual presence rising out of the West Elk Wilderness Area. They seem even more commanding while the leaves are changing every autumn.

I have visited this overlook every year and have so many images of The Castles that unless some kind of magic is happening I don't bother to set up the camera. But, we got a good snow storm to welcome the fall color this year so I had to spend some time checking out The Castles. When I arrived the sky was quite cloudy and there was no sunlight on the mountains or the forest. But I could tell that things were moving and starting to break up. So I set up my monster Really Right Stuff tripod with my Nikon D850 and the Tamron 150-600mm lens. Then I had to wait.

I'm pretty picky about having sunlight on mountain peaks in most of my photographs. It took quite a while for The Castles to become fully illuminated and a took a few photos along the way. I never know whether the light is going to get better or worse and those pixels are pretty cheap insurance that I'll at least get something. Eventually, the sun did cooperate and painted The Castles with brighter, warm light helping them to pop out of the surrounding snow. But then I saw the yellow patch of aspens just below. What if the sun hit that too? Wouldn't that be cool?

The wait got a lot longer but eventually a spot of sunlight moved across the valley and landed right on that patch of yellow aspens. My patience paid off with what is probably my very favorite photo of "Castle Magic". I enjoyed hanging out with the other photographers at the overlook. Each one of us was hoping for something a little different during our hour and a half together. I'm not sure everyone got what they were looking for but I was pretty happy.

A Grove of Light

A Grove of LightAfternoon sunlight fills a panoramic aspen forest decorated with autumn leaves.

Last week I was asked to photograph a family retreat above a ghost town. The property is a gated private ranch today. I met the original developer many years ago as they were putting in the gate and got him to send me an email granting me access to the abandoned cabins which are great foreground subjects with mountains in the distance. I had never been past the old cabins.

As I was driving to the home I was amazed that this hidden grove of aspen was in full fall splendor. The grove went on and on filled with perfect yellow leaves. There were no green, red, brown, or crimson leaves, only yellow. Since the grove was at the top of the hill, it was filled with warm, afternoon light. The recent winds had brought many leaves to the ground creating a yellow carpet matching the canopy. The scene went on and on for hundreds of yards. Finding trees that stood out was a challenge.

Once I found a couple of trees a little closer to the road, I decided the scene needed to be photographed in a panoramic format. I use this format frequently to reduce boring foregrounds and sky. Plus, this format looks great over a bed, sofa, or fireplace. To create the panorama, I used nine separate photographs overlapped by 50% and stitched together into a single image. This technique requires some special equipment including a super-sturdy tripod. The tricky part of shooting panoramas is keeping the camera and lens perfectly level while capturing the sequence of photos. I use a bracket for this specific purpose made by the maker of my tripod and ball head, Really Right Stuff. The bracket has built-in levels and rotates left and right, up and down. It really is the "right stuff"!

I hope you enjoy "A Grove of Light".

The Calico Forest

The Calico ForestSpots of fall color in a Colorado aspen forest near Crested Butte.

The Kebler Pass Road leading west from Crested Butte is highly regarded as one of the premiere fall color routes in the USA. During late September through mid-October, it's not unusual to see well-known photographers and artists from all over the country, even from other parts of the world. I've even met photo workshops from Mexico and Japan during the peak of fall colors.

Usually by the middle of October, our temperatures are consistently below freezing at night and we've had a few snow storms come through. This type of weather plays havoc with the leaves and bare tree limbs start to replace the vibrant colors of the forest. I don't know of many photographers who seek these stark landscapes. But, I do. These barren landscapes evoke entirely different emotions than golden leaves.

"The Calico Forest" was discovered on October 17, 2010, on the west side of Kebler Pass just before dropping into Erickson Springs and The Dark Canyon Trail. I love that the bare trees surround more protected areas with pale, yellow, leaves. I also like the red and brown oaks and evergreen's contribution to the warm palate of colors. It just feels like autumn to me even though it's a little moody. The 300mm telephoto lens helps to compress the distance within the scene and kind of scrunches the forest into a smaller space.

Even though this is one of my favorite fall photos, it has never sold. I guess it only triggers my emotions and other viewers find it boring or depressing. What say you? Does "The Calico Forest" trigger any kind of emotional response from you? I would love to know.

Crested Butte Fall Panorama

Crested Butte Fall PanoramaPanoramic view over the town of Crested Butte, Colorado near the peak of fall colors.

Almost nine years ago, to the day, I photographed the peak of fall colors over Crested Butte, Colorado. Then I forgot about it!

This past week, while waiting for our leaves to color our forests enough to take pictures, I started updating my website. I don't do this very often because it's not as much fun as getting behind the camera and finding new scenes. It was worth the effort though. I found this 9-year-old photograph that I never shared with anyone. It hit me like a ton of bricks when I saw it. I was like..." where did this come from?"

I absolutely love that the blue sky offers such a color contrast with the warm autumn tones of the leaves and grass. I love the variety of the warm tones too. So many of our fall color photos only show one color. Yellow! I do wonder how other viewers feel about the view down Maroon Avenue. Does it add or subtract from the photo? I'm torn between enjoying its leading-line effect versus whether I could have filled that space with more foliage if I had stood 50 feet to my right.

So often in September, we can't even buy a cloud. I'm happy with the few I got flying around the peak.

I chose a panoramic format because the foreground and empty sky would dominate the scene and add nothing to the final result. I do this frequently. It's all about eliminating stuff that does not contribute to the image. I'm pretty inspired by the minimalist approach. While this photo is far from minimalist, the idea of eliminating superfluous space is a technique I try to use in every photograph.

Well, I hope you enjoy my lost and found photograph this week as the leaves around Crested Butte begin their annual show. "Crested Butte Fall Panorama" is now available on this website. I've moved all of my "fall color" Colorado photos to a single gallery so they're easier to find. Feel free to poke around and enjoy lots of fall photos from Colorado.

Ruby, Owen, and the Dyke

Ruby Owen and the DykeRuby Peak, Mount Owen, and the dyke tower above the colorful aspen forest at the peak of fall colors.

This is one of Colorado's most iconic fall color photographs. That's probably why it's never sold very well in galleries. Everyone interested in photography has a version of this photograph. An older version of mine filled the space above the baggage claim area at the Gunnison-Crested Butte airport for the past 10 years or so. It was 10' tall and 40' long.

There are several elements that make it a successful image. Beautiful backlit aspen trees near the peak of fall color are one. Perfectly puffy, but not threatening clouds are another. The range of colors from green to yellow highlighted by that red patch is yet a third. I prefer the panorama format for this scene since a traditional view includes too much sky or the ever-present campers and horse trailers at the lower edge of the forest.

I usually plan on photographing this scene just before sunset but this late morning view allowed the west side of the dyke and mountain peaks to end up in the shade providing a nice contrast with the colorful forest and sky.

The overlook where this photograph is captured is the base camp for a whos'-who of photographers. I have run into the late John Fielder there on many occasions and photo workshops from Mexico, Japan, and Europe. As I said, it's an iconic photo! Please enjoy this version from 2021. I'm sure you'll see plenty more over the next two months. "Ruby, Owen, and the Dyke".

Shiprock Summer Sunrise

Shiprock Summer SunriseFirst light of sunrise hits Shiprock, New Mexico

I have wanted to photograph this vantage point for a few years. A few weeks ago I got the chance to visit Shiprock, New Mexico at sunrise for the opportunity to capture this mountain from the air.

The day's adventure began at 4:30 am. The drive from Cortez, Colorado to this scene is about 45 minutes, mainly in the dark. I arrived just before sunrise and found a place to get off the highway and set up the drone. The sky was mostly cloudy but there were a few holes I would have to count on to illuminate the mountain and fin. Once I got into the air things started happening quickly. I realized I was way too close to Shiprock to get the full length of the fin in my photos. I needed to be about a half mile further south. The clouds were building on the eastern horizon and I was only going to have a brief few moments of sunlight illuminating the formation. I was also a little disappointed that the dirt road was so prominent in this composition. Sadly, the sky closed in and I was only able to capture one frame before the sunlight failed.

I thought about trying again the next morning but I woke to a cloudless sky which was not worth the drive. That's one of the difficulties with photography. For the most part, the event must actually happen and the photographer has to be there when it does. There are lots of near-misses in landscape photography. Sometimes Mother Nature chooses not to cooperate. Sometimes we don't get to the location in time. Sometimes there are other distractions like construction, cloudless sky, people, etc. But Earth still offers great opportunities to enjoy and capture its beauty.

For now, I will have to live with this version of "Shiprock Summer Sunrise" until I can get back and try again.