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La Sal Mountains
One of the few places in the world where you can see such geologic contrast. This was captured on the White Rim Trail below the Island in the Sky mesa looking due east.

One of the few places in the world where you can see such geologic contrast. This was captured on the White Rim Trail below the Island in the Sky mesa looking due east.

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The Bishop
Just pulled over and began hiking mostly by feel. There are no trails in this part of the Needles, a scant deer track here and there is all. Its a wonderful feeling thinking I maybe standing and seeing something that no one has ever seen. That thinking keeps me off many trails and back in the bush where I belong.
A layering of multi colored sandstone and peculiar monoliths spread for miles and miles. A world beyond other worlds . . . a place suspended in time but only for a moment - Canyonlands 
Just pulled over and began hiking mostly by feel. There are no trails in this part of the Needles, a scant deer track here and there is all. Its a wonderful feeling thinking I maybe standing and seeing something that no one has ever seen. That thinking keeps me off many trails and back in the bush where I belong.
A layering of multi colored sandstone and peculiar monoliths spread for miles and miles. A world beyond other worlds . . . a place suspended in time but only for a moment - Canyonlands 
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Windswept & Chilled
An early morning trip above Ridgway to witness morning light slide across Mt Sneffels. A perfectly clear crisp morning hovering around 10 degrees. A few frosted vehicles were parked with ski racks undone but not a person in sight.
An early morning trip above Ridgway to witness morning light slide across Mt Sneffels. A perfectly clear crisp morning hovering around 10 degrees. A few frosted vehicles were parked with ski racks undone but not a person in sight.
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Ice Cave
A three shot panorama taken from the entrance showing both outside and inside. Its an alcove in limestone that is centered on a minor drainage. The front ices over every winter and allows passage at each end.
Every year icicles and columns form a little differently due to the type of winter. I've seen it where there were hundreds if icicles other years just a few large columns. This year is a rather warm year so this is what it gives us. A thin layer of water on ice makes walking treacherous. A short hike through deep snow is one of the winter attractions at Rifle Mountain Park.
A three shot panorama taken from the entrance showing both outside and inside. Its an alcove in limestone that is centered on a minor drainage. The front ices over every winter and allows passage at each end.
Every year icicles and columns form a little differently due to the type of winter. I've seen it where there were hundreds if icicles other years just a few large columns. This year is a rather warm year so this is what it gives us. A thin layer of water on ice makes walking treacherous. A short hike through deep snow is one of the winter attractions at Rifle Mountain Park.
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Vertical
Stopped at the Grand Hogbacks and climbed a 1000 foot or so between near vertical sandstone layers. The road is shown in the bottom right hand corner. Tough climbing in wet snow and mud but I needed something aerobic and physical.
Inter-bedded shale and sandstone in a steep setting. Trees grew right out of narrow cracks in sandstone, a spectacle of nature.
Stopped at the Grand Hogbacks and climbed a 1000 foot or so between near vertical sandstone layers. The road is shown in the bottom right hand corner. Tough climbing in wet snow and mud but I needed something aerobic and physical.
Inter-bedded shale and sandstone in a steep setting. Trees grew right out of narrow cracks in sandstone, a spectacle of nature.
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Icing
Outside the Ice caves at Rifle Mountain Park. A snowy wet day with only a few visitors. I've only found a few acceptable landscapes that you can get away with pointing the camera up at a 45 degree angle, ice may be one of them.
Clumps of snow kept falling from high above during this set up, my hat worked well to keep the lens from getting a mouth full. There are two ice caves approx. 500 feet apart, both have a massive log wedged up against it.
Outside the Ice caves at Rifle Mountain Park. A snowy wet day with only a few visitors. I've only found a few acceptable landscapes that you can get away with pointing the camera up at a 45 degree angle, ice may be one of them.
Clumps of snow kept falling from high above during this set up, my hat worked well to keep the lens from getting a mouth full. There are two ice caves approx. 500 feet apart, both have a massive log wedged up against it.
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Solomon's Temple
Seen from Fish Lake National Forest looking due east. Approx. 9 miles away illuminated nicely in the afternoon sun. Sometimes nature just hands you this stuff, its up to you to make something out it.
Seen from Fish Lake National Forest looking due east. Approx. 9 miles away illuminated nicely in the afternoon sun. Sometimes nature just hands you this stuff, its up to you to make something out it.
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At the eve of Landscapes receiving 10,000 followers I decided to show the photo that got all this started. A simple landscape shot divided in to thirds. This was taken shortly after I received my first DSLR and Lightroom photo editing software.
The ability to edit parts of the photograph differently really grabbed my attention. The detail in the lower left shale portion was enhanced while the sky was made a more pleasing. The slightly out of focus boulder on the right was kept essentially as-is. That was it, but people really liked it.
And so it goes... The more simple the photo likely the more pleasing it is. I have kept that philosophy in the back of my mind ever since.
I remember reading "Sint's View" a columnist in Popular Photography magazine when I was a teenager. I remember him saying if you want a normal photo use a normal lens, if you want something special get a lens thats far from normal. So I bought the Tokina 11-16 mm ultra wide lens. A really nice ultra wide for APC sensor cameras. I still use it often today and highly recommend it.
Have a Great Day and thank you for reading this short narrative!
The ability to edit parts of the photograph differently really grabbed my attention. The detail in the lower left shale portion was enhanced while the sky was made a more pleasing. The slightly out of focus boulder on the right was kept essentially as-is. That was it, but people really liked it.
And so it goes... The more simple the photo likely the more pleasing it is. I have kept that philosophy in the back of my mind ever since.
I remember reading "Sint's View" a columnist in Popular Photography magazine when I was a teenager. I remember him saying if you want a normal photo use a normal lens, if you want something special get a lens thats far from normal. So I bought the Tokina 11-16 mm ultra wide lens. A really nice ultra wide for APC sensor cameras. I still use it often today and highly recommend it.
Have a Great Day and thank you for reading this short narrative!
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Bear Creek Falls
It was so loud and overpowering it took over every sensory that my body could endure. Water Falls do that in a way that make you smile from the inside out. South west of Telluride with a 9 stop ND filter.
This photo smooths out a raging torrent with a 4 second shutter speed. Good luck talking to anyone, yelling is the norm. There is so much ozone floating about nearly everyone is sporting their sociopathic half crazed look with ear to ear grins. My kind of place....
It was so loud and overpowering it took over every sensory that my body could endure. Water Falls do that in a way that make you smile from the inside out. South west of Telluride with a 9 stop ND filter.
This photo smooths out a raging torrent with a 4 second shutter speed. Good luck talking to anyone, yelling is the norm. There is so much ozone floating about nearly everyone is sporting their sociopathic half crazed look with ear to ear grins. My kind of place....
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Towers
This was in my rear view mirror on my way back. Turned into the nearest pull-off and hiked to the edge of the Colorado. Winter weather has finally came and reduced Utah visitors to a reasonable level.
Its funny the way people react to a beautiful scene like this while driving. Nearly 100 percent slow down, at least a little. In the neighborhood of 50 percent take a photo. Of the ones that take the photo:
Snap a phone photo through the windshield without stopping, bless their hearts!
Photo through the windshield with stopping, dam phone camera doesn't focus like it should!
Hang the phone out the window without getting out, honey ... why are we stopping!
Stop get out and and take a phone photo, a real Ansel Adams!
Reach in and grab an actual camera take a handheld photo, now which button is the shutter!
Grab a camera and a tripod set up and take a photo, were getting there!
Grab a camera and a tripod hike around for a decent composition and take a photo then make it something special in post processing.
Actually I think I've done all the above. 😉
This was in my rear view mirror on my way back. Turned into the nearest pull-off and hiked to the edge of the Colorado. Winter weather has finally came and reduced Utah visitors to a reasonable level.
Its funny the way people react to a beautiful scene like this while driving. Nearly 100 percent slow down, at least a little. In the neighborhood of 50 percent take a photo. Of the ones that take the photo:
Snap a phone photo through the windshield without stopping, bless their hearts!
Photo through the windshield with stopping, dam phone camera doesn't focus like it should!
Hang the phone out the window without getting out, honey ... why are we stopping!
Stop get out and and take a phone photo, a real Ansel Adams!
Reach in and grab an actual camera take a handheld photo, now which button is the shutter!
Grab a camera and a tripod set up and take a photo, were getting there!
Grab a camera and a tripod hike around for a decent composition and take a photo then make it something special in post processing.
Actually I think I've done all the above. 😉
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