Sunny Face
I admire nature in all of her glory. Flowers never cease to amaze me in their complexity and colors. I’m working on a new series of flowers for the upcoming art show season and this sunflower is a piece I shot just last week. She will be printed on metal and available for purchase at my first show – The French Nest Market in Fort Collins, Colorado on May 21st.
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Gray Reef Shark
On an early morning dive off of Little Cayman, here’s what showed up to check us out…
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Hannah
Hannah Alkire plays the cello during a performance with her husband Joe Scott. Together they comprise Acoustic Eidolon – a Colorado ensemble that travels around the world playing wonderful music. This shot was taken during a concert at The Mishawaka Amphitheater on the banks of the Cache Le Poudre River west of Fort Collins, Colorado. Hannah and Joe shared the stage with the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra. It was a magical summer and a fabulous concert.
I chose this shot because I love Hannah’s facial expression and posture. To me she reflects a state of mind that is contemplative and relaxed.
To learn more about Acoustic Eidolon, click here. If you ever have a chance to see them in concert, please go! I know you would love their music and stage presence.
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Devil’s Backbone
Here’s a shot of Devil’s Backbone in Loveland, Colorado – just south of my home. Taken at sunset, long shadows betray the change from day to night. Golden grasses tell their story as the seasons change from the last days of Autumn to the days when Winter’s snows arrive.
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Glory at the Top
Or, in this case, tires. Here’s a shot of my wonderful new Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. She’s affectionately named Glory and it was a glorious day when we took her to her first Jeep Jamboree last Saturday and ascended to the top of Montezuma Basin near Aspen, Colorado. This trail is rated difficult and she came through without a scratch (well there were a few scratches on the skid plates underneath, but that’s what the plates are there for).
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Montezuma Basin
I’m fortunate to live in a place that inspires on a regular basis, but this past weekend was particularly so. My husband Peter, my sister Becky and I took my new Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk on a road trip to Snowmass, Colorado for the Roof of the Rockies Jeep Jamboree. We spent two days exploring the off-road trails of the region with other Jeep enthusiasts. This is a shot of Montezuma Basin. It’s an area, like many in the Rockies that attracted silver miners.
The gold streaks are mine tailings from the silver mines on the sides of the steep mountain face. And you can see the road we used to ascend the scree field to the top of the basin. Also, if you want to see a larger version of the shot, just click on the photo.
Here’s a shot of Becky standing by my Jeep. I like to name my cars and she had gone un-named for three months. On this trip, I was inspired to name her – Glory! Enough said…
Aspen Mountain
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The View From My Back Deck
Wait…What? Roy G. Biv apparently is an acronym for the colors of the rainbow – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.
Here’s a shot of one such rainbow taken after a storm. It’s the view from my deck!
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Shafer Trail, Moab
Whether it’s hiking in our spectacular Colorado Rocky Mountains, taking a road trip or Jeeping a 4 x 4 road, most of the joy for me is the journey. Here is a shot of Canyonlands National Park and the upper part of Shafer Trail which goes from the top of the Islands in the Sky District to the Colorado River. For anyone with acrophobia (or maybe not even!), this upper part of the trail can be quite harrowing. Further down the trail, one encounters rockier terrain which required me to get out of the Subaru and spot Peter as he drove so we didn’t inadvertently leave our crank case in the canyon! But we made it unscathed – as did the car.
I’m very excited as I just recently purchased a new 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk which will get us safely over Shafer Trail and beyond!
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Blue Tang in Motion
Here’s a shot taken while scuba diving in the Denver Aquarium. This was one of the most unusual dives I have ever done! As part of the requirements for the Underwater Photography Certification with SSI, we had to do a dive and take photographs with our instructor – and the closest place in Colorado was the aquarium.
When we arrived, we were greeted by the director of scuba volunteers who introduced us to our dive master Dave. He oriented us to the procedures for diving in the large tank by the restaurant in the facility and then helped us get geared up for the dives. Because the aquarium tanks are a closed system, we weren’t allowed to use our own gear – a precaution against contamination which is a danger to the fish. I usually wear a 3mm wetsuit in the tropics, but the water was cold and we forced ourselves into Michelin Man-like 5mm suits and were fitted with the rest of the equipment provided by the aquarium – all done behind the scenes and above the water in the large tank.
We were lead to a platform above the water where we donned our fins, masks and BCDs and then slid in to the large tank. As soon as we descended we realized how close we could get to our subjects. We also realized while looking out through the windows of the aquarium that we were part of the entertainment for the people eating lunch! We waved at kids while we shot our photos and harassed the captive fish (just kidding about the fish).
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Morning on the Prairie
I love sunrises, and I am so blessed to live in a place where they are so beautiful. Here’s a shot of Kathy Fromme Prairie Open Space on the south side of Fort Collins, Colorado taken from my deck!
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