We’ve been having some spectacular and unusual sunsets along the Front Range here in Colorado over the past several weeks. The winds aloft have been sculpting the clouds so that they reflect the setting sun with an intensity seldom seen. This one is from the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, taken the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. It’s an HDR image with some textures added to give it a painterly look.

Here’s the original HDR image without the textures for comparison.

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. This image seems appropriate to the occasion. It’s an infrared photo that was taken in the Crested Butte, CO cemetery just before a storm hit. Thanks to Louis Brad for the inspiration.

Kebler Pass, near Crested Butte, CO, is home to one of the most beautiful (and largest) aspen groves in the US. It’s a great place to photograph aspen in the fall, offering multi-colored displays in compositions that range from grand scenics to more intimate landscapes. For this image, I chose an Impressionist interpretation. I made several exposures using relatively long shutter speeds (1/3 to 1/2 sec) and panning the camera slowly down the trunks. I like this one because it  blurs the trunks and leaves but retains a hint of branch detail. As I often do with this type of image, I added a texture to provide a more painterly feel and add a sense of depth.