Tag: Colorado

March 2024 iPhone Photos – Part 1 – Republished to correct an image display problem on website

As is my habit, I use my iPhone camera to make images while scouting photo locations and/or sometimes to record in route travel scenes.  This Post and others to follow will feature some of the many such photos made during my March trip to California.  Some of the photos in these post may be similar to those shot later with my DSLR.

I know there are many people that only use their cell phone cameras for photography, simply because it is convenient and nearly everyone always has a cell phone with a built in camera with them at all times.  The cameras in the newer model cell phones are quite good, although there are still limitations.  Nonetheless, it is possible to get good photographs with these convenient devices.  There are also camera apps that may improve a phone camera’s ability to shoot better images and there are plenty of in phone edit apps to enhance the photos.

Sharing photos taken via a mobile phone is also very easy.  It is no mystery why these small, pocketable devices have become so popular with those that just want to shoot a quick photo and share it to social media or via text message or via email.

3AM Window View

A snow storm came across the western U.S. at the start of my trip, threatening to delay travel for a day at least; but as it turned out, we only had slow travel over the Rockies through the area that received significant snowfall, after I-70 was opened just before our scheduled road travel.

I awoke at about 3AM my first night in Colorado and peeked out my bedroom window to check the weather and this winter scene filled my view.  So naturally, I grabbed my phone and captured a few images through the window.

3AM Window View 2

It is easy to see in these two images how light sensitive the camera sensors in these phones can be.  Of course, there was some light from street and house lights and the heavy cloud cover reflected the city light onto the snow, which bounced the light, too.  The detail in these 3AM low light photos is still remarkable.

The passenger in a moving vehicle might be able to shoot while moving along at highway speeds with one of these devices.  (The driver should pay attention to driving and not use the camera while moving).

Straight On

This image was made somewhere in Utah, the morning of our second travel day, as the storm seemed to be clearing; although, we continued to see storm warnings along the highway and we had driven through some snow flurries the day before in some higher elevations.

Until next time,

Ken

Rural Decay and Photography

The first day’s drive towards home was long and I had taken considerable time in the morning, stopping to shoot images in route between Hotchkiss and Gunnison.  I could not spare much more time for in route photo stops, but I knew there were a number of abandoned structures along the remaining route that I might want to stop to photograph, if conditions were suitable.

Abandoned Church

I’ve driven past this abandoned country church many times.  I always wanted to photograph it, but usually it was mid-day, with harsh light and clear sky, when I was passing by.  It was maybe mid-afternoon when I spotted it today, the light was not great, but at least there were big, fluffy clouds to add interest in the sky.  I decided today was maybe the best conditions that I would ever have to photograph here.

Abandoned Church, Monochrome

There is another small town in New Mexico with numerous abandoned structures, where I have stopped a couple of times to photograph, usually under harsh mid-day light.  Today it was late day, just before sunset, when I was in that neighborhood, so I had to stop to see what I could do with more favorable light.

Abandoned School 1
Abandoned School 2
Weathered Door of Abandoned School
Sunset School

I think these are the best photos of these abandoned schools that I have gotten to date.  It was just a matter of fortunate timing to be here as the sun was setting.

A few miles down the road, we noted a full, golden moon on the horizon.  If I had only hung around that small town, I might have had opportunities to get photos of those old abandoned structures with the golden moon in the shots.  We still had a few miles to our night’s lodging and in our haste to get there, I had again blown a good photographic opportunity, one that I will probably never have again.

Until next time,

Ken

 

 

Colorado Route 92 to US 50

We left Hotchkiss headed towards home, driving CO92 to US 50 on the first leg of this journey.

Don’t Fence Me In

This is a scenic drive following a creek and its canyon that feeds into the Gunnison River, then tracks near the Gunnison River as it flow towards the Blue Mesa Reservoir.

Canyon and Sky
Canyon and Wildflowers
Indian Paint Brush
Wildflowers

At one of the large pull outs along this route, a group of motorcyclist pulled in.  One of them asked me to take a group photo on one of their phones.  Afterwards, I asked permission to get a group photo for my blog.  I was assured that none of them were in a witness protection program or had ex-spouses searching for them.

Riders of the Western Range

It turned out that most of this group are from DFW, Texas and the young couple on the right are from Tupelo, Mississippi, with the female an alumni of my college (Ole Miss).

Their handles, from left to right, are:  Jax, Bab, Blackout, Wheezy, Bronco, Sparky, Tinkle, Demon Dawg, and Helkat.

Thank you all for allowing me to include your group photo in my blog,

Ken

Colorado Mountains at Sunset

Dinner plans were complicated by a number of our choice restaurants being closed for various reasons, requiring some driving about looking for alternatives. As we drove between two local towns, I made mental notes of possible locations for sunset photography.  After dinner in Hotchkiss, I returned to one of those location for sunset photography.

Mountains and Clouds
Clouds, Mountains and Valley
Mountain Peaks at Sunset
The Cloud
Colorado Sunset Clouds

As I returned to Hotchkiss, I noted an almost full, silvery moon rising above the clouds.  The moonrise was hidden by the clouds, when I was shooting.  It was too late to find a good vantage point from which to include the moon in my late day images.  That was disappointing.  If I had hung out at my sunset shooting location a few more minutes, maybe I would have had an opportunity to get the moon in my images.  Never the less, I thought I had a good sunset photo session.

Ken

Black Canyon of the Gunnison – North Rim

From Ridgway we traveled to Hotchkiss, Colorado, where we planned to visit the North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.  Years ago we had briefly visited the south rim, but this was the first visit to the North Rim.  After checking into our motel, which was surprisingly nice for such a small town, we drove to the north rim.

It is a fairly long drive from Hotchkiss to the canyon, but I wanted to do a bit of scouting, prior to returning for late day or early morning photos.  It was early afternoon and the sun was high in the sky.  We stopped at a number of canyon overlooks, where I snapped iPhone scouting photos.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison, North Rim, iPhone Photo
Black Canyon of the Gunnison, North Rim, iPhone Photo

Since this is a deep canyon, direct sun light penetrates to the bottom for only a few minutes each day.  The best time to photograph the canyon is probably not during the typically preferred golden hours of early morning and late day, so timing when to be here is a problem for those of us that are not highly knowledgeable of the lighting variation across the seasons here.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison, North Rim, iPhone Photo

Much geology is revealed in the rocks of the canyon walls.  One can find lots of information on the canyon’s geology via many online sources.  Here is one link to check out, if interested, and another here.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison, North Rim, iPhone Photo
Black Canyon of the Gunnison, North Rim, iPhone Photo
Black Canyon of the Gunnison, North Rim, iPhone Photo
Black Canyon of the Gunnison, North Rim, iPhone Photo
Black Canyon of the Gunnison, North Rim, iPhone Photo

The last photo in this post shows a feature referred to as “The Camel” (left of center and just above the vertical center).

My original intention was to return to the canyon with my DSLR either later today or the next morning, but given the travel time from our lodging and the uncertainty about the best time of day to be here,  I decided more effort on this visit might not be adequately fruitful.  Instead, we changed our travel plans and decided to move on towards home a day earlier than planned.

I know these iPhone photos are not very good, but these are all I have for this trip.

Ken

Dallas Divide – Sunset Photos

We spent a portion of our second day in the Ridgway area driving over Owl Creek  Pass, making a loop over the pass from Ridgway, down to US 50, through Montrose and back to Ridgway for dinner.

I planned better today, going for an earlier dinner to allow time afterwards to drive along CO62 prior to sunset to shoot mountain scenes at sunset.

Serene Evening
Golden Mountains
Dallas Divide Sunset Peaks

Until next time,

Ken

Salvaging the Day

After a day of browsing and walking around in Ouray and Telluride, quaint, old Colorado tourist towns, we had dinner in Ridgway.  I had hoped to be able to rush up the highway toward or over the Dallas Divide from Ridgway, after dinner for sunset photography,  but we were a little late getting out and the service was slow at our restaurant.  By the time we finished dinner, it was too late to go anywhere.  Arriving back at our lodging and resigned to having lost my opportunity for sunset photography today, I hoisted my camera backpack, grabbed my tripod and camera and began to walk into the lodge. Then I noted golden sunset light on the nearest mountaintops.  So I jogged down the road past the inn to get past other buildings, power lines and trees to try to get into a location to shoot the rapidly changing scene before the light faded away.

Eventide
Eventide 2
Day’s Final Performance
Finale
Moon, Sunset Clouds and Fading Mountain Light
Day’s End

As the sunset light faded away, I walked back towards the inn, stopping to photograph grass and wildflowers in the dim evening light.

Grass and Wildflowers
Grass 1
Grass 2
Progression
Fuzzy, old head

What will tomorrow bring?

Until then,

Ken

Telluride, CO, August 2022

After a morning of browsing and shopping in Ouray, we traveled over the Dallas Divide to Telluride, another quaint, old Colorado town that is popular with summer tourist and winter skiers.

In route along Colorado 62, I kept an eye out for potential photography sites, hoping to return for sunset photos.  I stopped at one location to get a few shots of the afternoon storm clouds building over the mountain tops.

Afternoon Storm Clouds 1
Afternoon Storm Clouds 2
Afternoon Storm Clouds 3

In Telluride, I only used my iPhone to shoot a few images in the old town.

Holding it Together
Storm Clouds, Telluride, CO 1
Storm Clouds, Telluride, CO 2
Watchful

There must be a story behind this mural painted on the side of a Telluride building, but I don’t know it.

Storm Clouds,Telluride, CO 3
Building Plaque, Telluride, CO

Butch Cassidy reportedly took over $24,000 in the robbery of the San Miguel Valley Bank.  That was quite a bit of money in those days, equivalent to about $857,000 in 2022 money.  Butch should have retired after this haul.

So much for this quick visit to Telluride.

Until next time,

Ken

U.S. 550, August 2022

The drive from Durango, Colorado via US 550 to Silverton and Ouray has to be one of the best road trip drives in the U.S. with magnificent mountain views, many sharp switchbacks with slow speed required to safely navigate those sharp curves.  The road is often on the very edge of steep drop offs.

There are prominent red top mountain peaks that can be seen for miles along this roadway.  Somewhere between Durango and Ouray, I pulled off at a dirt road going into the forest to get a few shots of red top mountains with the typical afternoon storm clouds gathering above them.

Red Top
Red Top and Clouds
Red Peak and Clouds
Red Pate

Until next time,

Ken

Abandoned Truck in Colorado Mountains

After photographing an abandoned mine mill near Animas Forks, CO, we drove back along a 4 wheel drive road towards Animas Forks, keeping an eye out for an abandoned truck we had been told about.

We soon spotted the truck a short distance up a spur road.

Final Resting Place
Below Peak
No Delivery Today
Forlorn
RIP

Wildflowers and clouds seem to be trying to comfort this old, rusting, abandoned truck in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.

Later,

Ken