Boulder Pictures

Boulder Pictures - Chautauqua Park and Flatirons Mountains

This is a landscape photo of “Purple Mountain Majesty”. Chautauqua is an education movement for adults that provide lectures and performance arts which were founded in 1898. There are numerous other Chautauqua parks around the US. This Chautauqua Park in Boulder is about 26 acres at the foothills of the Flatirons. This view is from the corner of Baseline Rd and Kinnikinic Rd. It is one of the most popular places for Boulder photographers. Photography Tips - Over Exposure On bright sunny days, often the sky gets over-exposed and washed out (white) even when there are some clouds. If you shoot using RAW format and under-expose the image, then you can recover the dark areas without impacting the sky and clouds. If you over-expose the sky and the clouds, you cannot always bring it back in the RAW editor. With all my photos, I have somewhat of an obsession to avoid over-exposure and it is a rare image that has the sky washed out.

Colorado Images - Snowy Spring Moonset

This mountain picture was the official 2010 BolderBoulder Poster. The beautiful landscape includes a Moon setting over the Flatirons after a light snow in May. Boulder is famous for scenic pictures like this one and it is not uncommon to have snow in the foothills even when the green of spring arrives. The area in front of the Flatirons is known as Chautauqua Park. The rock formation is sandstone and is similar to the Red Rocks and Garden of the Gods, also in Colorado. Photographer Tips - Moon Cycles The Flatirons are indeed beautiful all year round; however there are some weeks that are better than others for great landscape photography. This image is a good example. It was taken in early May just after a light snow in the foothills. The grass had just become green during the previous couple weeks and the trees add new and fresh light green leaves to the scene. This is the time to watch the weather forecasts. If snow is near, be ready to find that moment at sunrise or sunset when there is enough snow to highlight the mountains. In addition to all the above, to get the best moon pictures, you should keep an eye on the moon cycles. In this case the moon was not full; however, I actually like the fact that it was not. Why? Two reasons. First, I don’t want the moon to steal the beauty of the scene away from the Flatirons and Chautauqua Park. Second, here the moon is setting 10-20 minutes after sunrise and that enables the foreground to be captured with full light. If the moon had been full, the sun would not have risen yet and much of this scene would have been in the shadows. A landscape photographer needs to consider all of these elements and more when capturing landscape photos like this.

NCAR, Flatirons, Twin Peaks Landscape - Rocky Mountain Pictures

This landscape picture was taken from an extreme southern angle, near the National Wind Technology Center. It is unusual to get the Twin Peaks Mountains shown in the background of the Flatirons; however, it can be done with this angle. When this image was displayed at Art Mart in Boulder, I was told that many people doubt that this scenery is real because how could the Twin Peaks possibly be seen behind the Flatirons? Clearly it is not possible if you are looking from the East; but if you are looking from the South, it is possible. Of course, to photograph an image like this with significant detail, you will need a rather big lens. Photography Tips - View Angle In mountain landscape pictures like this, the angle of view can change the image composition dramatically. I recall reading a commentary by the famous landscape photographer, Ansel Adams, about his photography. In one adventure, he went into Yosemite Valley and setup to take a photo, I believe of El Capitan. He placed the tripod, with his view camera on top, at a location he thought would capture the best image. He was not totally satisfied with the composition, but did not fully realize why until after using the last of his plates. Then he saw that one tree was not in the “right” place and understood if he had moved over just a little bit, it would have been perfect. But he had no more film. Every time he looked at that photo, he was reminded that it could have been better. Few nature photographers have the ability to see as Ansel Adams did to obtain his perfection; neither are we likely to have his kind of patience and skill to act on that vision. Nevertheless, we should appreciate effects of angle, distance and perspective and move around the scene in order to find what appears to us to be a landscape that fully captures our own hearts.

Chautauqua Park in the Spring - Images of Colorado

When entering Chautauqua Park from Baseline Road in Boulder, there are flowers that bloom in the spring. Here the Flatirons rise up in such a dramatic way. It is a dream photo site for landscape photographers. These rock formations are made of sandstone and have been formed over millions of years. The Flatirons have become a symbol of Boulder and are probably the most photographed portion of the Front Range. Photo Tips - Depth Of Field Often we find great compositions with flowers or interesting plants in the foreground and mountains in the background. The difficulty here is the depth-of-field. There is a tendency to just set the aperture at f/22 or whatever is the smallest aperture available for the lens. It is true that this will give you the greatest depth-of-field; however, it will usually not give you the sharpest image. When doing landscape photography, it is best to find the sweet-spot that has the sharpest aperture for each lens. It is usually somewhere between f/8 and f/11. I recommend that you test each of your lenses to find the sweet-spot and then write them down for future reference - unless, unlike me, you have a really good memory and don't need to take notes. Once you know the sweet-spot, use that aperture and focus one-third to one-half the distance to the background. Take a number of shots with different focal points, then review them to find the sharpest one. Take a few at f/22 as well just so that you can see the difference.

St. Malo Chapel - Rocky Mountain Pictures

Here you see a great example of Rocky Mountain landscape. It is not the common wide view of high mountains and a lake; rather it shows how man can live in natural environments and blend in. St. Malo Chapel reflects in the pond and adds to the scenic picture rather than detracts from it. The chapel and the other buildings around it are now a Catholic retreat and conference center. Note the statue of Jesus rising above the trees to the right of the chapel. The chapel is named after Saint Malo, the Catholic saint, who lived around 550 A.D. On Nov 14, 2011 there was a fire at the retreat and the conference center is closed. The chapel wasn't damaged. Photo Notes: When I went up the mountain to capture images of the chapel, I brought with me my brand new (one-week old) Canon 1Ds II. The wind was blowing hard, but I decided to try anyway. The ground slopes down rather sharply from the road to this pond. I setup my tripod and made some adjustments on the camera. Before I could take a picture, the wind blew the tripod and camera over and it tumbled down the hill. I literally felt sick to my stomach. I could not do anything but just watch it fall. After going down and gathering it in my arms, I decided to abandon the attempt. The camera, the perfectly new camera, now had scratches and mud on it. Completely discouraged, I started down the mountain towards home. You probably know the feeling of regret and frustration in these situations. About half-way down the mountain, I noticed that the wind had stopped. I figured the only thing that would make the trip worthwhile is if I went back up and took the photos. This photo and the next one are the result. For me the lesson was to be aware of the weather, both good and bad, and make photo decisions that will result in the best possible image - while protecting my equipment of course. Fortunately the damage to the camera was only cosmetic.

Colorado Pics of Boulder Creek in the Fall

Not too far into the Rocky Mountains, driving up on Canyon Road from Boulder, you see this landscape of fall reflections and colors. Boulder Creek flows down Boulder Canyon, through Boulder and then joins with St. Vrain Creek. From there it eventually flows into the Mississippi River and into the Gulf of Mexico. Boulder Creek is a popular place for fly fishing, wading and tubing. During the Boulder floods of 2013, the rainfall during five days was 20-29 inches in Boulder, depending on the specific area. Boulder Creek overflowed and flooded much of the city of Boulder. Photo Tip - Adjusting Polarizer This image represents a good example of using a polarizer to accomplish two things. First, it removed much of the reflection on the water so the rocks at the bottom of the creek could be seen. Second, note that it did not completely remove the reflection of the autumn leaves. This was accomplished by adjusting the circular polarizer to a position that provided this compromise.

Chautauqua Park Fall Colors

The Flatirons do not have deciduous trees at its base; however, Chautauqua Park provides a view of the Fall colors we all love.

Boulder Images - Fall Flatirons

The Flatirons are fronted in Chautauqua Park mostly by evergreens, except for a patch of trees as seen here. Anybody know what kind of trees these are? If so, please comment. If you look at the panoramic images in the Panoramas Gallery, there is another photo of the Flatirons taken from downtown Boulder in the fall. In this photo, you can see the preponderance of evergreens at the base of the Flatirons; however, the residential area surrounding the park is full of autumn colors.

Boulder Fall Pictures - Viele Lake & Flatirons

This landscape picture was taken in the fall from the Fairview High School parking lot overlooking the lake. The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) can be seen in the foothills next to the Flatirons. It is a challenge to capture Boulder pictures with fall colors because most of the trees in the foothills are evergreens. Photographer Tips - Polarizers When taking scenic pictures of fall colors, often a polarizer can help to bring out the color contrasts. As you can see in this photo, the blues are quite saturated and even though the leaves of the trees are not at the fall peak, they have been drawn out with the polarizer. Some polarizers also provide a warming tint. Remember that the greatest polarization effect occurs when the sunlight direction is perpendicular to your line of sight; however, it is not always desirable to crank up the maximum effect. Sometime you may just want a little polarization impact. For best results, use a circular polarizer – it is more expensive, but will result in a higher quality shot.

Colorado Nature Photographers - Sunset with Flatirons Silhouette

Nearly every day the Flatirons and the Front Range provide us with marvelous sunsets. This image was taken from a location near Baseline and Mohawk Drive using a long lens. Getting the birds was just luck. But "right place at the right time" isn't about luck as most experienced photographers will tell. It is a lot about preparation. If you see a view that looks appealing, put it in the back of your mind and when the weather cooperates with some glorious setting, go to that spot and capture it in all its glory! Beautiful landscape pictures take preparation and time. A lot of that time passes while waiting for the right moment.

Rocky Mountain Images - Sunset Brilliance

This picture presents a terrific lightshow over Continental Divide. The mountain range is the Indian Peaks. I love how the sunset rays mix with the cloud patterns. Boulder is such a beautiful place to take photos!

Sunset Rays Landscape with CU and Boulder

View of Colorado University campus on left and city of Boulder on right with the sun setting behind the Continental Divide. The primary mountains in the center are the Indian Peaks. Sunsets like this are not so unusual. They complete the landscape, adding unbelievable color.

Colorado Pictures of Indian Peaks Sunset

This is the evening glow of the sun setting over the Continental Divide. The three mountain peaks, left to right, are Paiute Peak, Mount Audubon, and Mount Notabon. I never tire of the Rocky Mountains because every sunrise and sunset is unique. This scenic picture was taken with a long lens from a location near Baseline and Mohawk Drive in Boulder. Pictures of Colorado are not just about the mountains. The weather is constantly providing skies that match grandeur of the landscape and add colors to amaze us all. Photography Tips - Dynamic Range When taking photos of the sun or the moon, it is the foreground that makes the image stand-out. A good foreground turns it into a landscape photo as opposed to just an astronomical image. If your photo has direct sunlight in it, take two images and merge them together. Expose one for the sun and one for the rest of the image. Using HDR might also work; however, the HDR may not provide sufficient number of stops to obtain this kind of result. In fact, take a good number of images with different exposures and then merge the ones that you believe will give you the best results.

Pictures of Colorado - St. Malo Chapel

This picture is a different viewpoint of Saint Malo Chapel with Mt. Meeker in the background. The architecture is simply marvelous; looking like the chapel grew right out of the rocks. The architect was Jacques Benedict and it was built in 1936. Photographer Tips - Composition Good composition is about capturing a balance of features that are full of interesting detail in a manner that is pleasing to the sight. This image has a good number of features: mountains; wispy clouds against a clear blue sky, a bird, a beautiful chapel growing up out of a rock formation, a pond, snow, and green grass. Have you found the bird yet? I won’t spoil your hunt by revealing where it is. :-) A popular method among nature photographers for achieving an attractive composition is to divide the image area into thirds and locate the key elements near the intersection of the lines. Although I agree with this approach, especially for sun and moon shots, it is not the only way to attain the goal. You must know the feeling of looking through the shutter or at the back of the camera and suddenly seeing a composition that just feels right. Sometimes the best composition can only be found while cropping the image. Be patient and don’t give up until you know the scene is just right!

Patriotic Barn with Flatirons - Colorado Photography

This landscape picture includes a barn in Boulder painted with the American flag, and the Flatiron Mountains in the background. The barn has been declared a historical landmark. The flag was initially painted during the Persian Gulf War; and since this photo was taken, it has been repainted along with an overall renovation. Photographing Tip - Landmark Images When I am keeping an eye out to take Boulder Colorado pictures, there are two kinds of scenery for which I look. First is the grand landscape with mountains, beautiful clouds, and interesting foregrounds. The second is what I would describe as a landmark photo. Especially in the Boulder area, there are numerous sites, often historical, that are popular. Thousands of photographs are taken of these sites, mostly candid snap-shots. One might ask me, “Why take a picture of that scene when everyone has their own photo?” The challenge for me is to find an angle, a composition, a weather condition, a unique lighting, a moon rise or moon set that will enable the image to be special. Photographs like this will cause people to be reminded of their visit and say, “Hey, I have been there!” In this image of the barn, the main thing I wanted to include was the Flatirons. It is an uncommon angle; but you could say it enhances the memory of those who saw it. In my portfolio, images like the DIA Moonrise, St. Malo Chapel, Denver City Hall, CU Campus, NCAR, and Garden of the Gods are what I consider landmark photos. Indeed, some of them are also grandiose, but it is the landmark aspect that is most attractive to the general public.

Colorado Photographers - Golden Ponds Sunrise

This area is named after Vernon Golden who was a miner. He donated almost 100 acres to the City of Longmont. The park itself has about 3 miles of trails with many places to take great photos of the lake and mountain reflections. On most days, you will find people fishing, walking and biking around. Truly a beautiful spot to relax, exercise and enjoy the beauty of nature. Landscape photography here is best in either early spring or early fall when the trees have leaves, and the mountains have snow. Tip for Photographers - Focal Length There is a tendency to use a wide angle lens when doing scenic photography. It’s not a bad approach; however, often the photo can be more dramatic if a longer lens is used. Why? The longer lens will enable the background to be brought into the picture and emphasized. I am sure you recall taking landscape pictures or even a panoramic photos only to discover that the mountains are barely visible. The foreground looks good, but the background appears to be inconsequential. Although there is some debate, it is commonly stated that the human eye has an equivalent focal length of 50mm. This means that when you take a photo with a 50mm lens, the relative scale of the objects will be similar to what you see. If a 24mm or even a 16mm lens is used, the objects in the background will appear significantly smaller than what we see; and possibly what attracted us to that scene will no longer be evident. Often I will use a focal length between 70-100mm for shots like this one. It brings the background up close and as in this image, the duck is visible as a bonus effect.

Colorado Photo of Golden Ponds

This photo is a vertical orientation of Golden Ponds Park and Nature Area, which is located in Longmont, Colorado near the intersection of Hover and 3rd Ave. There are 4 ponds with scenic views of the Twin Peaks: Mt. Meeker and Long's Peak. It is a popular fishing spot, trailhead and location for pictures of the mountains. Photo Tip - Cropping This image is a crop of the previous one. Of course, when cropping, it is important to start with a good quality photo with high resolution. Why crop? For me it is a mental thing. When I look at a particular photo, I sometimes find my vision focusing on a different composition. It is a good day when the composition that I imagine can be obtained by simply cropping. As I look at both the horizontal and vertical versions of this scene, I realize that the horizontal one is a crop of the original as well. Note that in the horizontal picture, the reflection of the mountains is cropped a little; whereas it is not in the vertical. Since I usually try to crop with a “standard” aspect ratio of 3/2 to match the original, sometimes to get the desired width of view, the height is also affected. Personally, I don’t think cropping the mountain reflection in this case is a bad compromise.

Lenticular Clouds Sunset - Rocky Mountain Photos

This kind of lenticular cloud is not so rare in the Front Range. After I posted this picture on a photo forum site, I had a reply from someone in Oklahoma who said, "I have waited all my life to see a lenticular cloud." I had to smile; those of us in the Boulder Front Range area are blessed to have this scenery often. The weather here in Colorado is great!