Lost dollar aspen

Lost dollar Aspen. Buy a print. On flickr. On facebook. Google +.
High resolution composite assembled from 9 images. Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 at 35mm, f/16, 1/30s, ISO 200.

Fall comes to the foothills

Snapped this using my iPhone on my daily bike ride a few days ago. I used the HDR pro app to combine two exposures to avoid the blue sky from blowing out.


Also see the relevant Google+ post.

Boulder brook - Fall color in RMNP

This last Sunday I was working on finishing up a book chapter that I was already behind on on the deadline. I finished it somewhere Sunday morning, so I had some time in the afternoon to go out. So I set off for RMNP to see some fall color. Last year I visited Boulder Brook and I wanted to do this again as it was gorgeous. This is a small stream that runs along aptly named Boulder Brook trail for a while. It is only a short way from the trailhead, but I decided to explore the entire trail as it was still some time before sunset. It turns out that the most interesting parts I think are at the bottom in the part where the brook can only be heard from the trail, so a little bushwhacking is involved.


The red, the yellow and the green. Buy a print.
Stitched from 9 images (3 rows of 3) shot at 35 mm using the 35 mm f1.8 DX. ISO 200, f/16, 4s.

I love the red roots from the mosses that grow beside the trail. The color contradicts very nicely with the yellow of the fallen aspen leaves. I now realize that this is close to the same view (but more intimate) of an image that I shot last year in the rain, which can be found here and is described in a previous blog post.

A second viewpoint is here:


The thin blue line. Buy a print.
Stitched from 9 images (3 rows of 3) shot at 35 mm using the 35 mm f1.8 DX. ISO 200, f/16, 2.5s.

Walking back I saw some great color up in the sky, but arrived at the trailhead just too late for the really gorgeous sunset colors. Nevertheless I shot a quick pano that I will include below.


The gorge. Buy a print.
Assembled from 8 shots (4 each two and a half stops apart) at 35 mm, f/8.0, 1/5s - 1s, ISO 200.

Due to the vertical format of this blog, I had to make the image small. You can get a very large view of it by clicking on it.

Fall color in Rocky Mountain National Park

Continuing on on my quest to catch up with uploading images, here are some from a small visit to RMNP in fall. I described one image from this same visit a while ago and I still owe you many waterfall images from that day. The images below are from a little grove of aspen trees that is near the Fall River road. The bark on the trunks of these trees gets eaten by the many elk (basically very large dear for those not familiar with these animals - see an image of a few here on my flickr stream) that reside in these valleys which is why you see the darker area stop at a certain height.


Assembled from 9 images at 70 mm, f/16, 1/30s, ISO 200.

It was raining when I was shooting these images and it was a real challenge keeping my gear dry. I put a black and white version of this image here. As always, clicking on the images will take you to a larger version.

This is a closeup shot of some trunks that I thought formed some nice geometric patterns.

Single shot. 70 mm, f/16, 1/30s, ISO 200.

Another closeup but including some more leaves.

Single shot. 70 mm, f/16, 1/25s, ISO 200.

This is a horizontal view of the group of aspen but from much farther away.

Assembled from 9 images at 70 mm, f/11, 1/30s, ISO 200.

From the same position but much longer lens

Assembled from 9 images at 160 mm, f/11, 1/30s, ISO 200.

After wiping the front elements of my lenses dry and packing up, I moved on to a waterfall called the Alluvial Fan that is just up the road from here. More from that place later.