My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
It was 25 degrees when I left the house this morning. I had to scrape heavy frost off the car windows. Brrrrr! However, it made my hot chocolate a sweeter treat this morning at Cafe Ole. With the cold morning I noticed the yellow, gold and red leaves were falling like snowflakes. A young lady waiting to cross the street was standing in this falling leaf storm. I expect most trees to to barren of leaves within the next few hours. And, with the sun shinning brightly it makes for a beautiful fall day.
Anything that excites me, for any reason, I will photograph: not searching for unusual subject matter but making the commonplace unusual, nor indulging in extraordinary technique to attract attention. Work only when desire to the point of necessity impels – then do it honestly. Then so called “composition” becomes a personal thing, to be developed along with technique, as a personal way of seeing. -Edward Weston
Sitting in a small coffee shop called Cafe Ole. It’s a new place that I just found out about it. I’m also finishing up a breakfast burrito from a local Mexican restaurant that they serve here. We have overcast skies and temperatures is hovering around 43 degrees. I consider it a good fall day. The forecast is for winds to pick up as a front moves into the area. I found this leaf a couple weeks ago while wandering around outside. The weather and the fallen leaf are bringing on a melancholy feeling this morning. I’m back to work again tomorrow for a 4-day trip. Work sure does get in the way of life.
“What we can easily see is only a small percentage of what is possible. Imagination is having the vision to see what is just below the surface; to picture that which is essential, but invisible to the eye.” – Anonymous
Over time I’ve discovered how to eliminate unneeded elements in my photographs and create a powerful image. A solo tree on the horizon. The fallen maple leaf among the stones. When we first see The Great Sand Dunes we are impressed by their beauty and size as they rise over 750 feet above the valley floor. We grab out cameras,wide angle lens and tripods to capture the grandeur of those dunes. Yet, when we change our view and look closer we can find elements that are essential to making powerful images. Nature is the artist. As a photographer it is our task to find simple images provided by the artist.
One thing I did on this trip I just finished, was take my time. I made no schedule. I took rest breaks while driving and used this time for sight seeing. Strange how we see more when we slow down. The rest stops allowed me to check out several small coffee shops that would catch my attention. There were a couple times I drove around the block just to get back to them. I found this one in Glenwood Springs along Interstate 70 in Colorado. The city is known for its hot springs, fly fishing, rafting, kayaking, biking, Glenwood Caverns and is the turnoff to Aspen ski area. I found the Bluebird Cafe along Grand Avenue. And, with a parking spot in front I had to stop. The man in the photo had the place to himself until I arrived then it was just the two of us for a while. He must have had something on his mind because he stayed in this position for about 45 minutes. Totally lost in his thoughts.
The clouds moved into the area late yesterday afternoon. Rain started falling around 8:00 last night and continued throughout the night. Temperature this morning was just above freezing. By midmorning the rain stopped and the skies began to clear. As I look west I can see a dusting of snow along our Colorado Front Range. Winter has made it’s presence known. It’s a quiet sort of day. Hope everyone has a good weekend.
One of the comments from Bob Dein on this image taken at the Great Sand Dunes National Park suggested I try it in black and white. As soon as I read his comment I knew he was on to something. So here it is. Thanks, Bob!
Icicles on a fence from an irrigation system that had run all night near Loa, Utah
It’s Tuesday night and ready for bed. I wanted to share a bit about this road trip I just finished. This impulsive idea turned out to be an eleven day adventure. I covered 2,680 miles. I saw the Great Sand Dunes National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Capital Reef National Park, Escalante National Monument, Colorado National Monument and a half dozen cool mom and pop coffee shops. I played the tourist rather than a photographer so most photos are more about pressing the shutter. I camped 6 of the 11 nights, spending 3 nights in Phoenix with my parents. I saved money due to my senior status as all the parks were free and the camping sites were half price. Now we can’t even get in. 🙁 A couple of nights were cold as a cold front moved through the area. One morning it was 29 degrees and the next morning it was 25 degrees. The above image was taken the morning it was 25.
Aspens in Dixie National Forest at Sunset
The aspens were in all their glorious colors as I passed through the Dixie National Forest on my way to Torrey, Utah and Capital Reef National Park.
Capital Reef National Park
I want to go back and spend more time in each of them. I found myself emotional several times as I took in the beauty of this Colorado Plateau lands. I loved seeing all those stars at night. I loved the quiet and solitude that surrounds you while you’re there. All of the parks and monuments have hiking trails for day trips or overnight trips. I would like to venture into some of those canyons, to be closer and more intimate.
Some of the trails in Bryce Canyon National Park
If you look closely in the above image you can see some of the self-guided trails that lead down into the canyon. These are what I’m interested in taking in the next time I’m there. I have a lot of catching up to do after being gone for 11 days: blogs to read, respond to comments and laundry.
