Posted by Todd Caudle on October 9, 2009 at 11:40 PM
For the first time in, oh-I-don't-know, 20 years?, I didn't take a single landscape photo in the month of September. Re-model a bathroom, get house ready for 50th b-day party, head to Illinois for a week, etc., etc. -- things just conspired to keep me out of the woods in September. I finally headed out for a quick over-nighter on the 30th, but saw nothing in the place I headed to first worth pulling the camera out for, and then it got dark. Sigh...
Last night I decided to spend the night up on Rampart Range. Driving through the thick fog and drizzle, I expected good things this morning. Instead, I awoke to a cloudless sky, and not much snow on Pikes Peak. That's one thing about those upslope storms -- oftentimes they don't push against the eastern slopes of the Front Range with enough force to include the highest terrain in the mix. I decided to drive down Rampart Range Road into the Springs, and was delighted to see a nice fog layer parked over the city. Still an hour or less until sunrise, I noticed that the fog was low enough and thin enough that some of the city lights beneath were illuminating the fog from within. Of all the countless times I've been above the clouds up there, I don't remember seeing anything quite like it. That's what this first pic shows.
Of course, as the sun came up, I found that magical place where the low clouds meet clear terrain, and this time it was right over the collection of McMansions west of Garden of the Gods. Double-sigh...
Posted by Todd Caudle on October 9, 2009 at 11:46 PM
One more: I had to head towards Denver after shooting this morning, and found the coolest conditions for shooting Pikes Peak up over Monument Hill in the Greenland Ranch area. This shot is far less than ideal, as my 100-400mm lens at 400mm hand-held with IS on, shot at f8, produced fairly inferior IQ. (Edge fuzziness? Check! Center fuzziness? Check! Wait, what?) The atmosphere was also hazy enough that it really gave this lens fits. The corner vignetting at f8 didn't help things. And a solution to the noisy sky has so far eluded me. But if you can look past all that (now that I've brought it to your attention) and just see this for the nice conditions and workmanlike composition, maybe you can enjoy it.
Enough whining. Time for bed...
Posted by Don George on October 10, 2009 at 7:07 AM
I would like to continue the whinning. 98 degrees plus in Oregon third week in September.
Fires and road construction causing 200 mile plus detours in Yellowstone. Fires in the Tetons and bare peaks. Elk and bear sightings in both parks at lowest level in years.
Lets not forget RMNP with bettle kill and fences in all the meadows and did I forget to mention the cutting off of antlers and collaring the herd bulls during the rut! Oh well at least gas was cheaper than last year.
Posted by bill meikle on October 10, 2009 at 9:09 AM
Nice fog Todd.
Posted by Paul Wegemann on October 10, 2009 at 10:09 AM
I feel your pain, Todd. A huge project at work forced me to cancel both my autumn trips. I like the cool lighting effect in #1. #2 is a really nice comp, but I think I detect some fuzziness
Posted by John Mumaw on October 10, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Both of these are very good, esp. #1.
You had better luck than I it appears.
Down in SW Colorado, this was definitely the year of 'shooting intimately'. A perfect time for a bathroom remodel and scoring those precious points with the missus!
Posted by Morris McClung on October 10, 2009 at 10:33 AM
#1 is just a sweet shot. That illumination from beneath with the city lights is very unique.
Posted by John Klotz on October 10, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Well Todd that first post is pretty cool! I did not get out at all... well I did one Sunday afternoon but was comming down with the flu and felt like crud so cut it short. The best color I saw was in the parking lots at work.
Posted by Jody Grigg on October 10, 2009 at 10:46 AM
A shitty day in your office is better than a good day in mine.
#1 Rocks!
Posted by Joshua Hardin on October 10, 2009 at 11:35 AM
For what it's worth you just made me feel better for only getting out on one morning to shoot fall aspen this September. I like both of these images, actually I like #2 a little better. I'm not too bothered by the vignetting and the photogenic fog in this scene makes up for some of the sharpness issues. While it may never blow up to a huge print, it appears you'd still be good using this shot in post cards or other editorial work. Both are definitely images worth waking up for.
Posted by Dan Walters on October 10, 2009 at 11:37 AM
Love that first image. The colors are great and I really like that fog.
Posted by Bill Brennan on October 10, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Posted by Brian Jackson on October 10, 2009 at 3:31 PM
I had a whole week planned out this fall as well, but last minute stuff came up and I only made it out one or two days. And from the reports that I have been seeing, it looks like I didn't miss to much. A really down year. I'm glad to see a few here are finding small spots and coming up with creative ideas.
I dig the clouds and feel your pain with the yellow leaf season. This season has me thinking about all the stuff beyond colors that autumn offers......... It's nice that you have a buffer of 20K killer autumn shots, eh?
Posted by Craig Schultz on October 10, 2009 at 3:42 PM
Todd, so we can blame you for this sub-par fall season then??? You picked a good one to miss..., but these shots are worth the wait if you asked me. Too bad about the issues on the second as I really like that one.
BTW, did you see any aspen worth shooting around the Monument area towards Pikes Peak? The Denver metro is still mostly green, but with the low twenties for highs today, I'm thinking fall is officially over here too.
Posted by Laurent Baig on October 10, 2009 at 4:37 PM
You suck...you whip those out on one day of shooting? I'm lucky if I get something like those all year
Posted by Stan Rose on October 11, 2009 at 5:10 PM
That second shot is great (the first one is cool too)--i wouldnt have even noticed the sky issues if you hadnt mentioned them. Looks like the clouds will stick around another couple days...
Discussion
17 repliesLast night I decided to spend the night up on Rampart Range. Driving through the thick fog and drizzle, I expected good things this morning. Instead, I awoke to a cloudless sky, and not much snow on Pikes Peak. That's one thing about those upslope storms -- oftentimes they don't push against the eastern slopes of the Front Range with enough force to include the highest terrain in the mix. I decided to drive down Rampart Range Road into the Springs, and was delighted to see a nice fog layer parked over the city. Still an hour or less until sunrise, I noticed that the fog was low enough and thin enough that some of the city lights beneath were illuminating the fog from within. Of all the countless times I've been above the clouds up there, I don't remember seeing anything quite like it. That's what this first pic shows.
Of course, as the sun came up, I found that magical place where the low clouds meet clear terrain, and this time it was right over the collection of McMansions west of Garden of the Gods. Double-sigh...
Enough whining. Time for bed...
Fires and road construction causing 200 mile plus detours in Yellowstone. Fires in the Tetons and bare peaks. Elk and bear sightings in both parks at lowest level in years.
Lets not forget RMNP with bettle kill and fences in all the meadows and did I forget to mention the cutting off of antlers and collaring the herd bulls during the rut! Oh well at least gas was cheaper than last year.
You had better luck than I it appears.
Down in SW Colorado, this was definitely the year of 'shooting intimately'. A perfect time for a bathroom remodel and scoring those precious points with the missus!
#1 Rocks!
Bill Brennan
BTW, did you see any aspen worth shooting around the Monument area towards Pikes Peak? The Denver metro is still mostly green, but with the low twenties for highs today, I'm thinking fall is officially over here too.