Hazy and Clear views of Mt Sopris
After the fires this summer, views of Mount Sopris from Carbondale and the surrounding area were sadly hazy and smoky. A few evening rain clouds blew in over Sopris, but there wasn’t enough precipitation or wind to fully clear the air, leaving the views of one of my favorite mountains slightly obscured.
Sopris, Clouds, and Smoke, near Carbondale, CO (12″x18″)
Fortunately, on my last night in the area, the winds changed direction and pushed some of the smoke out of the region. It felt like I’d put on glasses- the view of Mount Sopris appeared crisp and well-defined as the setting sun cast a pink glow on the flanks of the mountain.
Sopris and Evening Clouds, near Carbondale, CO (12″x18″)
Crystal River along CO-133
I stopped to photograph Hayes Creek Falls along Colorado-133 (south of Carbondale, just west of Mount Sopris). Water was barely trickling over the Falls, so I crossed CO-133 and shot a few bulb exposures of the water flowing around the rocks in the Crystal River. Hoping this area recovers from drought and fire season.
Crystal River (Bulb Panorama), near Bears Gulch, CO (16″x54″)
Crystal River (Bulb Single Frame), near Bears Gulch, CO (10″x18″)
Sopris and Virga
Last week I posted a color panorama and a black and white single-frame photograph of Mount Sopris and passing storm clouds. I also shot a panorama of the mountain and virga (streaks of rain that had fallen from the clouds but evaporated before touching the ground).
Sopris and Virga, near Carbondale, CO (15″x60″)
Mt Sopris and Clouds
After hiking up Mount Sopris a few years ago, I stopped on my drive back to Carbondale to photograph Mt Sopris and the fields on the edge of town. At the time I unfortunately only had a small Nikon camera (not a full-frame SLR), so I took a “double-tall” panorama to try to make up for the lack of a nice camera (and I thought the final panorama turned out well). This summer, I decided to head back to the area, wait for a day with dramatic storm clouds, and photograph the scene again with my full-frame SLR. When I stopped by (June), it wasn’t harvest season yet, so there are no hay bales in the foreground. Conditions aren’t always perfect, so I made do with the scene in front of me.
Sopris and Wheel Line, near Carbondale, CO (20″x60″)
Sopris, Virga, Tree, near Carbondale, CO (12″x18″)
