September 2015 – Denise Bush's Photo Blog

Colorado Autumn – Part II

This post includes images from Grand Mesa which is a 2 hour drive north from our home. Arriving mid-morning this was more of a scouting trip since the time of day was not in my favor for very long. I was in awe of the fantastic views from the top of the mesa and hope you too can understand the sense of that wonder from these images. After photographing from the overlooks we took a walk down a dirt road lined with aspen trees. I love the way the leaves sound in the wind… a delicate tinkling. And with some back-light the already bright, yellow aspen foliage becomes even brighter. Finally I couldn’t resist an isolated reflection, so brilliant, abstract and fun to capture!

Grand Mesa is the largest flat-topped mountain in the entire world… it has an area of about 500 square miles and stretches for about 40 miles between the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers. The Mesa rises about 6,000 feet above the surrounding river valleys with a maximum elevation of 11,333 feet at the tallest peak. Situated in a semi-arid area just outside of Grand Junction the Mesa offers a contrasting alpine environment with 300 lakes and a ski resort reporting an average snowfall of 250 inches.

'Pond & Mesa' © Denise Bush — ‘Pond & Mesa’ © Denise Bush
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'Grand Mesa View' © Denise Bush — ‘Grand Mesa View’ © Denise Bush

'Forest Pattern' © Denise Bush — ‘Forest Pattern’ © Denise Bush

'Aspen Road' © Denise Bush — ‘Aspen Road’ © Denise Bush
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'Backlit Gold' © Denise Bush — ‘Backlit Gold’ © Denise Bush

'Striking Gold' © Denise Bush — ‘Striking Gold’ © Denise Bush
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Colorado Autumn – Part I

Fall is upon the Western Slopes of Colorado and this is my first time experiencing it, even though I have been here several times in other seasons. A foliage lover since I can remember, I’ve been blessed to be able to photograph many beautiful fall landscapes all along the east coast; New England, New York, West Virginia, just to name a few. Here in Colorado the dramatic mountains along with the bright aspens create some of the most breathtaking scenery I have seen. I was pleased to learn that the aspens are sometimes orange and even red. Some areas have oak brush that turns orange-red and the cottonwoods that line the rivers and streams turn yellow. The foliage has not peaked yet in most nearby areas except around Red Mountain Pass and Silverton which is what I am showing here. In the meantime I am watching, waiting and exploring… and hoping for some snow on those mountain peaks (if it’s not asking too much)!

My next post will take us up to Grand Mesa, the largest mesa in the world with an elevation of over 10,000 feet!

'First Light at Crystal Lake' © Denise Bush — ‘First Light at Crystal Lake’ © Denise Bush
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'Red Mountain Pass View' © Denise Bush — ‘Red Mountain Pass View’ © Denise Bush

'Million Dollar Highway' © Denise Bush — ‘Million Dollar Highway’ © Denise Bush

'Autumn Mountains Close-up' © Denise Bush — ‘Autumn Mountains Close-up’ © Denise Bush

'Firey Aspen' © Denise Bush — ‘Fiery Aspen’ © Denise Bush
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Something/Anything Different

While exploring some high-elevation jeep roads this spring we came upon a grove of trees that called to me. Huddled together on a hill and without leaves they seemed to be there for some purpose. The threatening sky added interest and I had fun composing images before the thunder and lightning started.

Trees are a popular and mature photographic subject, much like flowers, mountains or bodies of water. For me what sets a worthy main subject apart is something/anything visually different from the ordinary. The ‘extra something’ I respond to might be the quality of light, shape, color, pattern, grouping, balance, setting or relation to other subjects… just to name a few.

'Gathering Under the Clouds' © Denise Bush — ‘Gathering Under the Clouds’ © Denise Bush

'Under Parted Sky' © Denise Bush — ‘Under Parted Sky’ © Denise Bush

'Entwined' © Denise Bush — ‘Entwined’ © Denise Bush
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'Silhouettes in B&W' © Denise Bush — ‘Silhouettes in B&W’ © Denise Bush
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'Road Among the Trees' © Denise Bush — ‘Road Among the Trees’ © Denise Bush

Random Local Scenes

Moving from Southern New Jersey to the Western Slopes of Colorado has been exciting to say the least… and a lot of work. Emptying our house of 27 years was a huge task in itself and even with a dumpster and sale, we managed to move more than 10,000 pounds of stuff… twice. Once from New Jersey to a Colorado storage facility and then from storage into our new house on August 15. During the process I took my camera out a few times while exploring my beautiful, new surroundings. It was difficult for me to really get ‘into the zone’ with getting settled the priority. Now unpacked, feeling at home and with Fall upon us I am excited about all the photo ventures that await! Here is a random selection of some local scenes I have explored so far.