landscape – Denise Bush's Photo Blog

Sneffels In The Springtime

After that long, long winter and the subject of several previous posts, it seems spring is finally here to stay. As I write this, trees are leafing out, plants are emerging, and the landscape is turning greener by the day! With the change of seasons I’m feeling motivated once again. I’ve been out shooting, visiting several locations to find new images to add to my portfolio. Some of my favorite images from May feature none other than our beloved Mount Sneffels so I decided to single them out here. Our 14,157 foot ’14er’ can be seen from so many locations and I am always discovering new vantage points. The pond shots here are two different vernal ponds we don’t see other times of the year. The mountains are still snow-capped and it’s refreshing for me to see them along with spring’s foregrounds!

Mount Sneffels and neighbors in the Sneffels Range are beautifull reflected in this landscape scene. — ‘Sneffels Range Reflection’ © Denise Bush

Mount Sneffels catches a few highlights before the sun diappears below the horizon. — ‘Goodnight Sneffels’ © Denise Bush

Last light strikes some pine trees and Mount Sneffels in this San Juan Mountain scene. — ‘Sneffels Through Ponderosas’ © Denise Bush

Spring melt and rains create a vernal pond below Mount Sneffels. It will dry out in summer. — ‘Vernal Pond Below Sneffels’ © Denise Bush

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One More!

My last post, ‘Endless Winter’ described our epic 2022-23 season. And it didn’t end there … it’s snowing today, April 25th! We got about 6 inches of wet, heavy snow with the temps hovering around 32-35 degrees. I really hadn’t planned on posting more winter shots. I thought that viewers, and maybe even myself, might be getting tired of snowy landscapes. In addition, April was not a great month for my photography. Besides having a lot of gray days, melting snow reveals ugly, brown vegetation. So, since I haven’t posted in a while, and our endless winter continues, here’s just ‘one more’ from last month!
UPDATE: Woke up the next morning (April 26th) to about a foot of new snow!

Distant mountain are subdued by clearing clouds after a fresh snowfall. — ‘Mountain Clearing’ © Denise Bush

Endless Winter

It’s been snowing on and off since early November and when I wrote the first draft of this post, on March 20th, it was snowing! And, it snowed again last night, and the night before, etc., etc.! While the 20th might have felt like the first day of spring in many places, it didn’t here. We’ve had more than an average snowfall this year and there is a lot out there that will melt. I’ll expect a healthy mud season! Precipitation is always appreciated and needed to fill up our rivers and reservoirs. I can already see that the water level of our local, Ridgway Reservoir is looking higher for this time of year. The last time we had a very snowy winter the summer wildflowers were late, but extraordinary … so there’s that too. Following is an assortment of images shot in the latter half of our (seemingly) ‘endless winter’!

High winds are blowing snow off a mountain in the Sneffels Range, of Colorado's San Juan Mountains. — ‘Windy Point’ © Denise Bush
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Fading light aims high on the winter peaks of the San Juan Mountains in Colorado. — ‘Snowbound Scene’ © Denise Bush

Clouds clear to reveal snow covered peaks in Colorado's San Juans Mountains. — ‘Winter Clearing’ © Denise Bush

Pink clouds cover Hayden Peak in the Sneffels range at sunset. — ‘Hayden Under Cover’ © Denise Bush

Mount Sneffels poses along with some friends, including (right to left) Cirque Mountain, Teakettle Mountain and Ridgway Mountain — Sneffels & Friends © Denise Bush

The last light of day breaks through and strikes a distant cliff face, while alpenglow showers its pink light on the scene. — ‘Cliff Spotlight’ © Denise Bush

A Ponderosa Pine stands out in a wintry forest with its size and orange colored bark. — ‘Ponderosa & Forest Friends’ © Denise Bush

The thinnest sliver of light touches the top of a hill, just beyond a zigzag fence. — ‘Sliver Of Light’ © Denise Bush

The last bit of light strikes in the distance, as alpenglow appears, looking east. — ‘Cloudy Light On Distant Slopes’ © Denise Bush

A wintry mountain dons a bright cloud in this Colorado, San Juan Mountain scene near Ridgway. — ‘Cloud Topped’ © Denise Bush

Last light falls on a wintry peak in the San Juan Mountains, near Ridgway, Colorado. — ‘Peak Beauty’ © Denise Bush

A sparse grouping of aspen trees allows for a view of the not so distant mountains. — ‘Beyond The Aspens’ © Denise Bush
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The Importance Of Clouds

Clouds have the potential to add what’s missing from a scene. And, sometimes it’s the clouds that play a leading role in landscape imagery. If not a leading role, they are very often a strong supporting one. For me, clouds can make or break an image. I look for cloud balance when framing. Clouds that are unusual and in good position to the landscape are of special interest. As most photographers know, approaching storms and clearing storms can be great opportunities to capture interesting clouds. For me, the images below are successful because of the quality of the clouds. Some of these are very recent and a couple of the others were on hold for this post … about ‘The Importance Of Clouds’ in landscape photography!

A colorful display happens in the sky moments before sunrise! — ‘Stripes At Dawn’ © Denise Bush

Stacked clouds adorn the sky above a beautiful winter peak. — ‘Stacked Clouds Above High Peak’ © Denise Bush

Clouds from a clearing storm hug the frosty slopes. — ‘Clouds Over Winter Slope’ © Denise Bush

Cimarrons, San Juan Mountains, Colorado, mountain, mountain range, Ouray County, Ridgway, cloud, sunset — ‘Funny Little Cloud’ © Denise Bush

Inverted clouds linger in the valley along the Million Dollar Highway, looking toward Silverton. — ‘Clouds In The Valley’ © Denise Bush

Some pretty pastel clouds form over a portion of Cimarron Ridge near Ridgway, Colorado. — ‘Painterly Clouds Over Ridge’ © Denise Bush

A frosty ridge is topped by a cotton candy cloud. — ‘Frosty Treat & Cotton Candy’ © Denise Bush

The warm light of alpenglow illuminates the snow-covered rocks and beautiful pink clouds. — ‘Clearing Storm With Alpenglow’ © Denise Bush

Beginnings & Endings

Here’s a selection of recent captures I’ve been collecting for this post. It is said that sunrise and sunset imagery is cliché. I ask you … how can anything as beautiful as sunrise and sunset be considered so? If they are cliché they remain enjoyable by many nevertheless. Each day is unique, offering a chance for spectacular light and color. Full disclosure however, is that I have at least as many failures as successes. It’s part of the process … partly because Mother Nature is unpredictable! Other times I am just in the wrong place at the right time! No matter the outcome, it’s worth the effort for those magical moments. I savor being out in the landscape, feeling enveloped by the light and colors, at the beginning or end of a day.

A cloudless sky displays beautiful gradient colors at sunrise. — ‘Gradient At Sunrise’ © Denise Bush

A wintry mountain Cimarron Ridge and a beautiful sunrise create a tranquil scene in Ridgway, Colorado. — ‘Winter Ridge At Sunrise’ © Denise Bush

The sun is almost gone in this winter scene featuring a gentle mountain. — ‘Almost Gone’ © Denise Bush

Sunrise and some distant mountains make a beautiful layered scene. — ‘Just The Beginning’ © Denise Bush

Mountains that surround the town of Ouray can be seen from quite a distance. Mount Abram is on the right. — ‘Above Ouray’ © Denise Bush

Mountains of the West Elks are visible from far away. The last light of day illuminates them with golden light. — ‘Far Off Land’ © Denise Bush

Faraway peaks create a silhouette against a sunset sky. — ‘Distant Peaks At Sunset’ © Denise Bush

2022 Favorites

As many of my friends and followers know, I like to close out the year by collecting all my favorite photos in a year-end gallery. It’s a 20 year tradition! Now that it is complete I’m ready to move on with renewed energy, goals and 2023! I collected over 100 images and then edited the group down to 65. Click the thumbnail page or link below to check out all my ‘2022 Favorites’, and find links to other years, and my store too!

Images created by Denise Bush in 2022. — *2022 Favorites • denisebushphoto.com*

Autumn Recap – Part Two

Although it feels like winter, autumn isn’t over until December 21. Here are more images I wanted to document and share. I try to keep up with with what I capture by processing and posting what I like. Now I’ll move on to tackling other images from recent captures … some set aside for particular themes. In October, fall came to an abrupt stop. I wasn’t ready for the sudden onset of especially cold weather and snow. Processing kept me busy and after taking a break from shooting, I’m ready to venture out again … hunting for new subjects and scenes.

A peak with snow peeks out to top aan autumn aspen slope. — ‘Mountain Topping’ © Denise Bush

Fog obscures a distant mountain while fall foliage shines up front. — ‘Foggy Impression’ © Denise Bush
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An unsettled sky gives way to light on the mountain and colorful aspens. — ‘Colorful Aspens Below’ © Denise Bush

A colorful selection of aspens and willow gather at the bottom of a hill to make a pleasing grouping. — ‘Down In The Valley’ © Denise Bush

Storm clouds move in to create dramatic lighting over this Colorado landscape. — ‘Mountain Drama In Autumn’ © Denise Bush
*click here to view my ‘Colorful Colorado’ collection*

Vibrant aspens show off peak foliage below a peak with a light dusitng of snow. — ‘Aspens Below Dusted Peak’ © Denise Bush

Aspens close-up and faraway make a pretty autumn scene in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. — ‘Aspens In A Forest’ © Denise Bush
*click here to view my ‘Tremendous Trees’ collection*

Lakeside aspens in all their autumn glory are enjoyed twice in this reflection scene. — ‘Reflecting Aspens’ © Denise Bush
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Golden aspens glow below a peak in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. — ‘Autumn à la Mode’ © Denise Bush

Aspen trees with bark damage twist every which way in this autumn grove. — ‘Twisted Sisters’ © Denise Bush
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A large dead tree is a fitting subject for a Halloween tale. — ‘Sorcerer’s Tree’ © Denise Bush
*available in many options here*

To scroll through all my autumn posts, click on Denise Bush’s Photo Blog to return home, then scroll down. Thanks for visiting!

Back Road Memories

It’s hard to beat driving down back roads lined with glorious autumn color! Fond leaf-peeping memories go back to childhood in Western New York Sate. Coming home from Gramma’s house, who lived about an hour away, we stopped to gather a bouquet of autumn maple branches. It was Mom’s idea that I could take them into school the next day. I remember it being a proud first grade moment and fall has been my favorite season ever since. An autumn without driving down colorful backroads, just would not be autumn for me. Come on …let’s take a little ride and have a look!

A quiet mountain road winds through the beauty of aspens in autumn. — ‘Curving Through Aspens’ © Denise Bush
*notecards, unframed, framed, canvas, acrylic & metal prints available*

You just know these cattle are happy! Look at where they get to graze!agriculture, — ‘Happy Cattle Hill’ © Denise Bush

A mountain road leads to the mountains in autumn. — ‘Aspen-lined’ © Denise Bush

Beautiful aspens line a dirt road in autumn splendor! — ‘Along An Autumn Road’ © Denise Bush

A quaint mountain road curves through beautiful golden aspens in autumn. — ‘Curving Into Gold’ © Denise Bush
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Autumn In The Mountains

I haven’t posted many autumn landscapes featuring mountains yet, but that isn’t because I didn’t shoot them! I’m actually a bit overwhelmed (and pleased) by how much I have to go through! As usual the mountain peaks started out bare, and during the first part of October received some snow … a little dusting at first, and then more a few days later. The snow has managed to hang around on several of the peaks but evaporate on others. The coating depends on how high the peaks are and what face you are looking at. North faces tend to hold onto the snow a little longer. As I write this, snow is in the weather forecast. The mountains will start accumulating more and more, but sadly without the aspen accents. In no particular order, here are some of my favorite autumn, mountain images … with still more to go through. Editing is a time consuming task for me. I have to process selected images to decide if they are something I want to use. Sometimes they go into the ‘not using’ folder and the rest end up here! Hope you enjoy my ‘autumn in the mountains’!

Storm clouds roll in to produce dramatic lighting on thes San Jauan Mountains, Colorado scene. — ‘Autumn Drama’ © Denise Bush
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This San Juan Mountain scene has both the colorful foliage and a snowcapped peak, creating a postcard perfect landscape. — ‘Postcard Perfection’ © Denise Bush

A look down adds perspective to this unique San Jaun Mountains, Colorado scene. — ‘Bottom Of The Hill’ © Denise Bush

It's that time of day ... when the evening shadows start to creep in at lower elevations, while the mountains still shine. — ‘Shadow & Light Landscape’ © Denise Bush

A dusting of snow arrives in time to accompany the colorful autumn foliage. — ‘A Little Autumn Snow’ © Denise Bush

A mix of sun and clouds creates a spotlight effect on an autumn, aspen ridge. — ‘Autumn Light Play’ © Denise Bush

From near to far, the mountains are especially beautiful in autumn. — ‘A Perfect Afternoon’ © Denise Bush

The deep golden color of this aspen tree really stands out against a foggy backdrop! — ‘Highlights In The Fog’ © Denise Bush

Clouds lift in the morning after a snowfall on Wilson Peak, near Telluride. — ‘A Peek At Wilson Peak’ © Denise Bush
*notecards, unframed, framed, canvas, acrylic & metal prints available*

Interesting clouds grace this autumn scene featuring Sunshine Mountain near Telluride! — ‘Sunshine On Sunshine Mountain’ © Denise Bush

Autumn aspens adorn the foreground of this San Juan Mountain, Colorado scene. — ‘Autumn Aspens & Sunset’ © Denise Bush

The peak of Mount Sneffels is above the clouds here to the left of the frame. — ‘Sneffels Under Cover’ © Denise Bush

Some final sunlight filters through the clouds to create a brilliant, last light over autumn aspens. — ‘Last Light Mountain Time’ © Denise Bush
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This is my third 2022 autumn post and there’s more to come. If you missed ‘Finding Fall’ or ‘Finding More Fall’. Click on Denise Bush’s Photo Blog at the top and scroll down through the most recent posts! Thanks very much for visiting!

Fun With Fences

Fences continue to interest me as a subject and often make their way into my photographs. I do have a lot of fun finding and composing with the wooden fences, gates and corrals found in my area. Whether they are the main focus or combine with other elements, I love the interest they can add. The fences here often fit in with my love for photographing the weathered and my collection is steadily growing! The following are some I’ve set aside for this post … all shot this summer, from June through August.