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Couple captures once-in-a-lifetime wedding photo
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Last September I was able to work in a stop in Colorado Springs and visit Garden of the Gods. In addition to the spectacle of the rock garden, itself, it has the best visitor’s center I have ever visited. The volunteer workers are extremely friendly and were knowledgeable not only about Garden of the Gods, but the entire region. One of the staff I spoke with spent a significant amount of time with me, recommending hikes and telling me about the area. The park is owned and operated by the city of Colorado Springs and has no admission charge. You can either see the park via the one-way driving loop, or spend some time walking the many trails int he park.

Here is one of the unique rock formations in the park.

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We interrupt this virtual trip to the Southwest for something a little closer to home, shot last night.

View larger sizes of the panorama photo here.

A familair sight for #mountainmonday curated by +Michael Russell #monochromemonday curated by +Charles Lupica +Jerry Johnson +Manuel Votta +Steve Barge

In album Scrapbook Photos (1 photo)

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Visiting the same place multiple times and during different seasons and weather conditions can provide you completely different pictures. I visited Chapel on the Rock at St. Malo’s Retreat Center near Allenspark in July 2010 and then again in September 2011.

Missing the Southwest, I decided to work through some photos I had not processed from my last trip. These are all front the front range of the Rocky Mountains.

Mid-morning light on Nymph Lake, RPMNP, Hallett Peak

Along the Glacier Gorge

Late afternoon clouds crown the Indian Peaks at Brainard Lake int he Indian Peaks Wilderness

Soft, pink evening light begins to fall over Brainard Lake

I am excited to be able to offer plaque mounts and metal prints for my images. I first saw plaque mounting when I visited Colorado last year and have been the hunt to find the company that does the work. I recently found they company and couldn’t be happier. Plaque mounting is when images are mounted directly to the surface and feature a beveled edge. A protective coating protects the mounted image. Standard plaque images are mounted directly on an acid-free 3/8” thick surface and finished with a beveled edge. It is hard to put into words the effect of plaque mounting, but you really feel like you “are there” in the photo. The photos feel alive.

I decided on plaque mounting this image of Dream Lake:

Metal prints have been described as “high definition” prints. The image is printed directly onto aluminum. Metal prints interact uniquely with light make them almost appear as though they are back-lit. I recently ordered this photo as a metal print:

I am getting ready to order samples in the near future and will post photos when they arrive. I will say, though, that photo’s don’t do them justice.

Saturday was probably long overdue. As much I as I love landscape and nature photography, I despise snakes. After 2 trips to the Southwest snake-free, I had grown a little bold about setting up for my shot without taking a good look around. I assisted a friend who is a wedding photographer on Saturday and we had planned a series of shots by the pond at the wedding and reception location. As I approached our predetermined location, I saw a big black snake sunning itself. I attempted to to scare it off by banging the ground because I knew that snakes cannot hear but sense people’s presence through vibrations on the ground. This snake was in no hurry to vacate the area but eventually slithered off. I waited a couple of minutes to make sure the snake was really gone and when the coast remained clear, I sat down in the predetermined location and began setting up my slider and camera. I fiddles with the camera a bit to pull it into focus and as I raised my head, there was a snake, I believe a second, bigger snake in the exact spot where the original snakehad been sunning itself. He was just about 2-3′ so I was on feet and away faster than you can say, “Black Rat Snake.” This snake was not as compliant. This snake actually crawled up onto my slider, as if he was checking it out. My friend came along and helped the snake move on with the aid of a stool and eventually it slithered off into the woods. Thankfully, all of this happened in enough time before the wedding party came out for their shots.

I am constantly on the lookout for snakes in the Southwest…I guess I had better keep my eyes open in Southwest PA, as well.

Snagged a couple of shots with my phone camera

A closer view (I zoomed)

Lake Erie – Hitech Reverse GND .9 #filterfriday curated by +Laurie Rubin

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