Mount Sneffels is without a doubt the most popular mountain in Ouray County. It gets a lot of attention and rightfully so. At 14,158 feet it joins an elite club called the ‘Fourteeners’. Many very fit hikers/climbers have challenged themselves with the goal of climbing all 53 of the Fourteeners In Colorado. Mount Sneffels ranks 27th and is one of 10 in the southwest portion of the Rockies, known as the San Juans. Like a beacon, mighty Sneffels is visible from many locations in the area and therefore makes its way into a lot of my landscape photos. Some of the following are from shoots this year while others, never posted before are from my archives. Mount Sneffels inspires me … I hope you can see why!
I’ve enjoyed shooting flowers since the beginning of my photo journey. Living Back East, there were a lot of gardens nearby and I was a member of the renowned Longwood Gardens … an estate outside of Philadelphia, once owned by the DuPonts. I spent many hours photographing on the grounds as well as inside the conservatories. And on other days I might have enjoyed shooting the wildflowers of the South Jersey Pinelands. Then my usual lens of choice was a 100mm macro, to get up nice and close, making the flower and its bokeh background the subject. Now, living in Colorado and being so in love with the landscape I am much more interested in combining the flowers with the grand landscape, or at least part of the environment, for more intimate scenes. I’ve been using my 16-35mm, wide angle lens which allows me to focus close and achieve a greater depth of field. Finding accessible and worthy subjects with interesting backgrounds is challenging for me. And wouldn’t you know it … the best wildflowers often grow on the steepest slopes! Sturdy hiking boots and slow, careful foot placement is needed to avoid falling and damaging myself, my camera or the flowers. Forcing my tripod and myself into a steady position is a challenge as well … one that my muscles might feel the following day! Because it is often windy I compensate by adjusting my settings to quicken my shutter speed. Many of the wildflowers grow high in the alpine basins, requiring driving on narrow jeep roads. Encounters with those coming the opposite way are often sketchy! I am thankful to Brent for driving on roads I do not have the confidence to travel on by myself. I hope you enjoy what I have been able to do this year!
When venturing out on a shoot I usually have a particular destination in mind, wanting to add to an ongoing collection, or perhaps find something new. Whatever I’m after I stay tuned in to scenes and subjects along the way. I like to be open to everything Mother Nature presents to me! When it comes to inspiration and what is right with the world, she excels. Being with her brings a sense of awe, peace and hope … especially welcome during these trying times.
Denise Bush's Photo Blog 