Sunny early spring day in Colorado

Bad weather and other circumstances have kept me from getting out and photographing on my day off for the last several weeks.  Nothing was stopping me today, and we went down to the river to see what was worthy of capturing.  Though we had some new snow this week, it's that time of year when it's melting faster than it's falling, and the river banks showed that. 

This bend in the Crystal River, between Redstone and Marble, Colorado, is called Placita.  It's one of my favorite places to go any time of year.  I had a polarizing filter on the camera, but because we were shooting into the sun much of the time, it didn't have much of an effect, other than cutting through the glare on the river.

One of my favorite vistas

Driving north from the Paonia Reservoir on Highway 133, one crests McClure Pass and is treated to an incredible view up the Crystal River valley.  When first time visitors to my home come in from Carbondale, to the north, I'll often pass my house and continue up the pass to show them this scene.

It's also a place from which I like to take many photos.  I got a great night shot here when the January full moon was illuminating the landscape.  It's also great in the spring and fall, when morning fog fills the lower reaches of the valley.

On this morning, the day after taking some okay shots, I waited until the morning light was just hitting the foreground, and put a polarizing filter on the camera to accentuate the blue sky and make the clouds stand out more.  I have to say conditions were near perfect, and I'm very pleased with the result

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

I've been exploring black and white photography lately, as the winter landscape lends itself well to monochrome treatment.  Some of the results have been stunning, which made me wonder what other photos I had that might improve if I removed the color.

The Black Canyon is a challenge to photograph.  Because it's so narrow and deep, little light reaches the bottom, and while the views from the rim are stunning, capturing that on film or digital sensor is not easy.

I really like how this one came out.  The clouds and mottled light on the northwest wall show up well, and you can really appreciate the texture of the walls.