The September desktop background image is here! Running water is a necessity and the streams of Colorado have plenty of running water! This months image is from El Dorado Canyon State Park – also located near Boulder, CO. Click on your monitor resolution below to view/save the image to your local computer. Enjoy!
The May desktop background image is here! This image was taken at Sprague Lake in the Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Colorado. Click on your monitor resolution below to view/save the image to your local computer. Enjoy!
The April desktop background image is here! Sadly, life got in the way this month. I had intended to include an original image this month, but between inclement weather, work and life in general, that didn’t happen. So, I went into my archives and grabbed one of my favorite shots – Latourelle Falls in the Columbia Gorge located just outside of Portland, Oregon. Click on your monitor resolution below to view/save the image to your local computer. Enjoy!
The March desktop background image is here! I went out this weekend and tried to capture the essence of winter in Colorado and sized it specifically for several different monitor resolutions and included a handy calendar in the lower right corner. Click on your monitor resolution below to view/save the image to your local computer. Enjoy!
One of the best tips I can give is to be prepared. Being prepared includes knowing how to change the settings on your camera, understanding what settings you’ve chosen, and understanding the scene you are trying to capture. If you like shooting wildlife, you are occasionally presented those special ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunites to get a great image. If you are busy fiddling with camera settings – the shot will likely evaporate before your very eyes.
One of the things I like to do to combat that is is to practice my technique at the local zoo. Being able to take your time and practice in a controlled environment will help build skills that will become second nature to you. With that in mind, I headed to the Denver Zoo this past weekend to hone my wildlife photography skills!
The temperature was perfect – for January anyways! It was mid 50′s but unfortunately, it was also fairly overcast. It’s always a struggle to make images that don’t appear flat and lifeless when the clouds are out – or to a photographer who likes a challenge, a perfect opportunity to practice new techniques to better prepare for real life situations.
After several hundred captures, these three are my favorite. The top image is of an infant hyena playing. The middle image is of a napping black bear, and the bottom image is a close-up of a male lion’s eye. By using different focal lengths, exposure settings, and lighting conditions, I was able to capture images that weren’t flat and lifeless. I can certainly take what I learned from this trip and put it in practice the next time I’m in the mountains on some obscure trail. Practice. Practice. Practice.
As I was driving to work on New Years Eve, I couldn’t help but notice how spectacular to moon looked as it was slowly sinking over the Flatirons. I made a mental note to check the weather and find some time to try to capture the moment. As luck would have it, New Years Day looked like it would be a good opportunity to try!
I woke up early on Jan 1 and had a cup of coffee before heading out into the Colorado winter. I loaded up my gear and was on the road by 6:15AM – too early for a vacation day, but if you want to get ‘the shot’, sometimes you have to make sacrifices. I got to my destination and there were already eight other photographers there with the same idea as me!
I quickly found a suitable spot and set up my gear. After a couple of trips back to the truck to grab my remote shutter release and spirit level, I started shooting. My fingers quickly froze in the sub 20 degree weather but I was on a mission – I wanted to get the shot in my minds eye on digital film. I spent about 30 minutes trying different settings, angles and focal lengths. The sun was starting to come up by this point and it was time to pack up and find another location. I wouldn’t really know if I got the shot I wanted until I viewed the images on my computer back home, but I felt secure in knowing I did as good as I could have at the time.
As I was driving towards Boulder, I noticed how interesting the Flatirons themselves looked in the early morning glow so I headed down Baseline and found a turn-off overlooking the mountains. It was starting to warm up a little so I felt safe that I wasn’t going to lose a finger on the first day of the new year. It was getting close to 8:30 by this point and I know my wife was back home tearing down Christmas decorations so I loaded up the car and headed back home.
I finally found a chance to view the images on my computer close to noon. Overall, I was very pleased. If the rest of 2010 is as good as the first day was, I’m going to have a very good photographic year!
Hello. My name is John and I have a problem. I’ve been stalking the Canadien Geese near our home for the last six weeks. It started out before Thanksgiving when I noticed the flight pattern the geese take most days is right over the corner of our house. After several failed attempts, I almost gave up.
But then I heard them beckoning (laughing?). I grabbed my gear and headed out to the front porch. I had completely forgotten I was wearing shorts, a t-shirt and no shoes (and it was sub 30 degrees out). It didn’t matter. I was being taunted. Sure enough, they made a couple passes as if to throw an old dog a bone. I was able to snap off several photos and here are a couple of the better ones. It’s only added fuel to the fire within to capture these flying beauties more.
It didn’t stop with the geese. Our neighborhood was teaming with different species of birds. Chirping. Taunting. I’ve become obsessed. Hello. My name is John and I have a problem. I’m a bird stalker.
Black Friday – the day everyone goes shopping and retail stores turn a profit. We decided to buck tradition and pile the family in the car and make the 90 minute trip to one of my favorite places – Rocky Mountain National Park!
We arrived at Sprague Lake at about 8AM. As expected, the lake was a frozen block of ice. Because the temperature was in the low 30′s however, the skies were as clear as I had ever seen them. I spent a lot of time trying to capture the streaks of light the sun was creating as it was peaking through the over-hanging branches of the resident pine trees.
Our next stop was Bear Lake. The trail to get to the lake was ice packed snow so it made the short walk more harrowing than need be, but as always, Hallets Peak didn’t disappoint.
Our last stop at the park was along Trail Ridge Road, at the overlook of Upper Beaver Meadow. It was here that we found the Steller’s Jay and his regal headdress. I put the big hardware on the camera and was able to snap off several shots of this elegant bird has he flew from branch to branch looking for some breakfast.
Our journey nearly complete, we had one more stop – Le Peep in Longmont. I’ve already waxed eloquent about the food there. Suffice it to say it didn’t disaapoint. It all added up to a great Black Friday for the entire family.
John is a freelance photographer in the Denver, CO. In his spare time, John instructs others in the art of capturing great images.
Understanding Exposure
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VisionMongers: Making a Life and a Living in Photography
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The Digital Photography Book
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The Moment It Clicks: Photography secrets from one of the world's top shooters
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