This Is Why I LOVE Nature Photography: Capturing Colorado’s Majestic Landscapes

Hello, fellow adventurers,

Embarking on a journey to Colorado, I anticipated awe-inspiring landscapes, stunning photography opportunities, and an escape into the heart of nature. Little did I know that this trip would turn out to be a rollercoaster of challenges and unexpected surprises. Join me as I recount my rocky adventure and the triumphs that came along with it in Episode 2 of Chasing Fall!

A Rocky Start

The start of my Colorado trip was anything but smooth sailing. Van problems, consistent rain, and the feeling that Mother Nature was testing my determination at every turn. It seemed like I wasn't going to be able to get any productive shooting done. But as they say, adversity is the mother of progress. Even with all these initial hurdles, I was determined to create some captivating photos.

Just when it seemed like I had momentum on my side, with a few great images in my collection and a van that was fixed up and ready to roll, another challenge appeared. As I was preparing breakfast, I noticed a disheartening sight: a water leak.

With my motivation for the day now grown, I decided to jump in and identify the issue. At first glance, it looked like there was a busted elbow fitting. So, with a store only 45 minutes away and plenty of time to spare, I headed into town, yet again, to see if I could solve the problem.

After visiting the local Home Depot and grabbing the necessary fitting, I knew I would have to drain my system to access the broken fitting. With the tank out of the way, I could now clearly see that this was all a complete waste of time…the fitting was PERFECTLY intact, which meant I was back to square one on solving the problem.

I decided against pursuing this any further since camping without pressurized water is something I am very familiar with. My plan was to use the bottles of water I had for that evening and work on the plumbing sometime over the next day or so when I was in a better headspace for it. It was time for me to go and do what I came here to do and that was create some art!

Building Momentum Again

Photography is the art of capturing moments and weaving them into cherished memories. Every step of an adventure becomes a unique chapter in the unfolding story. While grand landscapes often take center stage, it's the intricate details that add depth and richness to the narrative. Amidst the pursuit of grand scenes, I couldn't help but be drawn to the smaller, more delicate aspects that nature graciously offered.

The textures of tree bark, the interplay of light and shadow, and the subtle tales concealed within the foliage all contributed to my ever-evolving narrative. Nature, in its myriad forms, has a story to share, and I was an eager listener. As I ventured further into the journey, unexpected moments began to shine, reminding me of the profound importance of appreciating these smaller, hidden stories that nature lovingly tells.

Photographing The Grinches Home

My wife loves Grinch movies. In fact, they play year-round in the Clark household, especially on chore days. So, when I saw this scene appear as I turned off the main road, I knew I had to capture it. The mountain on the right looks EXACTLY like mount Krumpit from the Jim Carry grinch movie, which I knew my wife would love. The moody light breaking underneath the storm clouds created the necessary drama to tie this image together.

The Moment

I noticed a field not far from the road I was on that looked like it had a great view of Chimney Rock, which was my hopeful subject for that evening. I found a spot to park and started a trek up the hill, not exactly sure where I was heading. I found some cow tracks that led me to a shallow river separating me from the field I wanted to go to. I decided to embrace the inevitable fact that I was going to have to cross this river. Instead of soaking my boots through, I opted to take my boots and socks off to ensure they were dry for the rest of the evening and the hike back.

Once I was up on top of the hill, I was quickly taken in by the beauty that was before me. The sun was lowering on the horizon, casting a beautiful orange glow on the snow-covered peaks. The wind was making the golden aspens below me dance and shimmer in the light. It’s these moments that make me want to keep the journey alive as a photographer. It’s these moments that I hope I can bring back and share with you. I hope that they motivate and inspire you to get out and explore moments in nature. Photos and video can never truly capture the splendor of moments like these, I just hope I can do them justice when I share their story.

Uncommon Foe

After capturing that enchanting shot, aptly named "Twilight Majesty," a unexpected visitor greeted me during my shoot. Throughout my time on that hillside, two cows, who I later affectionately named Jeff and Edward, proved to be both amusing and exasperating, particularly when I attempted to record audio. Their boisterous MOOOS echoed across the landscape, probably setting new records for volume.

I couldn't resist including these unexpected companions in the vlog, thanking them for sharing their home with me.

However, my gratitude took an interesting turn when Jeff decided to charge towards me, stopping only a few feet away. He bellowed, "MOOOOOO," with an unmistakable twinkle in his eye. I'll spare you an anatomy lesson, but let's just say Jeff wanted to assert his masculinity.

Apparently, Jeff believed I had overstayed my welcome and wasn't too thrilled about my continued presence. That's when I had to draw a line and firmly told him, "If you take one step closer, I'm going to use this bear spray on you."

Luckily, Jeff heeded the warning, and I continued my descent down the hillside. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as taking a different route led me to an image I would have otherwise missed.

The afterglow that bathed Chimney Rock that night was simply sublime. In many ways, it rivaled the actual alpenglow created by the sunset. Nevertheless, having both images in my portfolio fills me with a sense of contentment and the knowledge that even unexpected encounters can lead to extraordinary photography.

Building On The Past

The next morning, I found myself at a location I was really looking forward to being back at. I was able to capture images from this location last year, but they were more of a scouting mission than anything. The light wasn’t right, the mountains were bare and the colors were just not quite peak yet. I spent time playing with compositions because I knew that I would probably find myself back at this spot when the conditions called for it.

This is such a good habit to get into if you also dabble in the art of nature photography. When the light and conditions aren’t great, we tend to pout and dismiss the shoot entirely. If I didn’t have the shots I did on my hard drive, I wouldn’t have been able to create all of the shots I did that morning.

I decided to make both a golden hour and a blue hour image of the same composition since the light never really did anything epic. I am sort of torn on which one is my favorite, so I’m curious to hear what you think!

Not Done Yet

As I drove out of that area towards my next destination, I found myself being drawn into the small scenes again.

This is what I captured.

My wife LOVES the bark of aspen trees, so When I saw the light reveal these scenes, I knew I had to shoot them.

 When I was shooting the backlit aspen shots I shared earlier, there was a bluebird that kept landing in the trees above. So, I went ahead and threw the long lens on the R5 and got to shooting. This is what  I came up with.

I was pleasantly surprised with how this set turned out. I love the blue contrast against the autumn colors in the background. And the fact I was able to capture it while flying was just icing on the cake! I guess the lesson I want to share from this shoot is this, don’t get so caught up with why you are in an area that you miss out on what the moment is presenting you.

Riley