August 2022 – Denise Bush's Photo Blog

The last few posts were about very specific themes … trees, water, mountains and then wildflowers. These subjects are common in my portfolio. In this set I’ve combined subjects, while considering how the elements come together to provide a sense of place. I want my photographs to portray a feeling of being there. Ideally it’s great when viewers see what I thought was special enough to capture, process and show. After looking at a series of my landscapes, a friend recently wrote, ‘each and every one is like a journey’. That comment made me feel I had met my goal … at least with that friend and set of images!

A little pond offers a pretty reflection as a mountain is illuminated with morning light. — ‘Little Pond Reflection’ © Denise Bush

Red Mountain is lit up under a dramatic sky as seen through beautiful spruce trees in summer. — ‘A View Through Spruce’ © Denise Bush

Clouds roll in to create a beautifully reflected scene in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. — ‘Cloudy Reflection’ © Denise Bush

King's Crown and other wildflowers grow on a sunny slope in the mountains of Colorado's San Juans. — ‘King’s Crown On A Hill’ © Denise Bush

Fireweed grows in August along the shore of this mountain lake in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. — ‘Fireweed Along The Shore’ © Denise Bush

Water from the mountain peaks falls down the mountain in a series of cascades and falls, like this one. — ‘Lower Basin Falls’ © Denise Bush

Flowers, trees, mountains and puffy clouds ... who could ask for more? — ‘Summer Mountain Scene’ © Denise Bush

Beautiful clouds light up at sunrise in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. — ‘Summer Sunrise’ © Denise Bush
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Wildflower landscapes are by far the most challenging assignment I give myself each summer! High up in the mountain basins, slopes and gulches, is where you go to find columbine, paintbrush, king’s and queen’s crown and more. Getting to them, finding a good patch with minimal distractions, and that then align with an interesting background, is most of the challenge! Combining the wildflowers and landscapes together helps viewers experience a better sense of place. The daisies in this set are more accessible since they grow a little lower.

Ideally my goal is to get wildflowers prominent in the foreground, and a mountain feature in the background. In order to get everything sharp close and far, I always use a tripod. My Canon 16-35mm is my usual lens of choice for wildflower landscapes. I focus-stack, taking exposures at select focal points (close to far) in the scene. I bring the frames into Photoshop using ‘load files into stack’ and check attempt to align. The files with different focal points come in as layers and I use masks to blend them according to sharpness. Using a tilt-shift lens is another way to get this desired affect. I need to consider the pros and cons of an investment in one as they are quite expensive.