Month: October 2023

And Then It Snowed

Autumn III

We were lucky to get our first coat of snow on the peaks during the first week of October. It’s exactly what photographers hope for but don’t always get. And in other years we’ve had less widespread vibrancy, a lack of cloud interest and even smoky skies from wildfires. This year, unfortunate high winds during the second week of October forced a lot of aspen foliage from the branches prematurely. Still, and most will agree … it has been an exceptional year for autumn landscape photography here. I was able to admire and capture many snow-capped mountain peaks with beautiful fall colors below. Some of these are posted here with more to come, as I work my way through several folders of unprocessed images. While it snowed a few times on the peaks earlier in the month, as I write this, much has melted and evaporated. I hope you enjoy the following and thanks very much for visiting!

A snowy, Colorado mountain comes into view as clouds clear
‘Cloudy Reveal’ © Denise Bush
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Mount Sneffels refuses to show its peak on this evening, offering a little pink cloud cover instead.
‘Cloud Coverlet’ © Denise Bush
Aspens line a dirt road that goes in the direction of a beautiful snow-covered peak.
‘Aspens Along The Way’ © Denise Bush
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Sunset provides some soft pink clouds that look lovely in combination of the autumn clors.
‘End Of Day Beauty’ © Denise Bush
What could be more beautiful than autumn foliage together with snow-capped mountains?
‘San Juan Beauties’ © Denise Bush
Snow clouds begin to clear to reveal a snow-covered peak and autumn foliage below.
‘Lifting Snow Clouds’ © Denise Bush
It's a beautiful sight when it snows on the peaks, and the aspen trees turn gold at the same time.
‘Autumn Snow On Wolcott & Mears’ © Denise Bush
A snow storm clears and clouds lift to reveal a fresh coat of snow!
‘A Fresh Coat’ © Denise Bush
Teakettle Mountain peak lights up at the end of a beautiful autumn day!
‘Teakettle Glow’ © Denise Bush
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A Season Of Gold

Autumn II

Following are my next set of images for Autumn 2023. Golden hues and bits of orange have become more widespread. Snow is just days away and there’s a chill in the air. Some trees begin to lose their leaves to abide, while others hang on to green in defiance. One of my favorite things to shoot are groupings of trees that make pleasing and intimate compositions. These are sometimes referred to as ‘small scenes’ … in comparison to a ‘grand landscape’. I think they are often more unique as they require a more personal vision to see and compose. I included some small scenes in my previous post, and there are several more here. As always, thank you for visiting and looking. Feel free to leave a comment or let me know if you have a favorite!

An autumn aspen forest is made even more beautiful by the brilliant morning sun.
‘Basking In Morning Sun’ © Denise Bush
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The rising sun lights up a ridge in western Colorado.
‘First Light On Autumn Ridge’ © Denise Bush
Backlit autumn aspen leaves are a sight to behold.
‘Beautiful Backlight’ © Denise Bush
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A hole in the clouds allows sunlight to filter through the clouds and light up a distant patch of golden aspen trees.
‘Spotlight On Distant Aspens’ © Denise Bush
Some mountains are reflected in a small stream, as it winds through golden, autumn brush.
‘Reflected View’ © Denise Bush
Colorful autumn aspen trees make a frame for a distant mountain.
‘Through The Trees’ © Denise Bush
Some young aspen trees stand in front of their elders, while shining very brightly.
‘The Little Ones’ © Denise Bush
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Autumn aspens and other vegetation create a beautiful Rocky Mountain scene.
‘Slopes Of Gold’ © Denise Bush
Some tall, very white aspen trees caught the photographer's eye for this brilliant autumn image!
‘Tall, Bright & Handsome’ © Denise Bush
A road curves down the hill through a beautiful aspen forest, getting closer to the mountain beyond.
‘It’s This Way’ © Denise Bush
A beautiful aspen lined mountain road leads to a majestic mountain in autumn.
‘To The Mountain’ © Denise Bush

NOTICE: WordPress is now marking comments ‘Anonymous’ when the commenter is not signed in. While you are all friends, I cannot tell who the Anonymous commenters are. A WordPress change …  I know it’s a pain but I think you will only have to sign in once and then it will recognize you. You can also leave your name at the end of the comment. If you want, you can refer to the previous posts to see if your comment was marked ‘Anonymous’.

 

In The Beginning

Autumn I

If you’ve been following this blog you probably already know that fall is my most favorite season. I realize many others … maybe even a majority feel the same. Because it comes and goes so fast I spend as much time as possible shooting. I might be able to squeeze out one more week after writing this! Processing images and checking in on friend’s blogs has been delayed … I’m just not as energetic as I used to be! The photographs here are just a small start from the beginning of our autumn colors. You’ll see that there is often green mixed in at this stage and I like that. A true autumn lover appreciates all the phases of autumn … right? The term ‘peak’ foliage is actually misleading because it can look peak on one side of a slope and green or past prime on another side. Bad weather and wind can come at anytime stripping trees before they’re ready. It’s a very dynamic season in the mountains! I have lots more to come … some from a quick getaway and others that show recent snow on the mountains. Please stay tuned, and as always, thanks for visiting.

Last light shines on a red mountain near Red Mountain Pass in Ouray, Colorado.
‘Day’s End At The Pass’ © Denise Bush
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A spruce tree makes itself at home among colorful autumn aspen trees.
‘Aspen Hideaway’ © Denise Bush
Autumn colors are just starting and mixing beautifully down by Brown Mountain in Ouray Colorado.
‘Down By Brown Mountain’ © Denise Bush
In the beginning of autumn yellow aspen foliage contrasts beautifully with leaves that are still green.
‘Getting There’ © Denise Bush
A beautiful fall aspen slope glows gold beyond some red willows and spruce.
‘Beyond The Willows’ © Denise Bush
A young group of aspens show some personality in the curves and posture.
‘More Aspens’ © Denise Bush
Here's a scene showing the start of autumn and the end of a day, with last light at the top of a Red Mountain.
‘Last Light On Red Mountain’ © Denise Bush
A second attempt at capturing a pretty sunset near Red Mountain proves successful.
‘The Next Evening’ © Denise Bush

NOTICE: WordPress is now marking comments ‘Anonymous’ when the commenter is not signed in. While you are all friends, I cannot tell who the Anonymous commenters are. A WordPress change …  I know it’s a pain but I think you will only have to sign in once and then it will recognize you. You can also leave your name at the end of the comment. If you want, you can refer to the previous post to see if your comment was marked ‘Anonymous’.