Autumn Landscape with Mountains and Trees

The leaves have finally begun to turn out here.  In a normal year, the aspens would have been at this stage a week ago, and the scrub oak would be two weeks past their peak.  But this is an unusual year, as you can see from these photos of Chair Mountain and the Crystal River valley.  Shot in the beautiful stretch of scenic road between Redstone and Marble, Colorado, this area is ablaze with great fall colors every year.

Mountain Landscape with Pond and Clouds in both color and black & white

I usually turn the polarizing filter to cut through the reflection on the water, but a lack of subsurface interests prompted me to turn it the other way and maximize the reflection, capturing both the mountains and the fantastic cumulus clouds.

This pond is next to the airstrip, a mile or so west of Marble, Colorado.

Frying Pan Lakes

Spending two nights at Frying Pan Lakes, in the Hunter-Frying Pan Wilderness Area of Colorado, allowed me to photograph them at sunrise, sunset, and all times in between.

As usual with landscape photographs, some of my favorites were those taken with the polarizing filter.  I particularly liked the ice formations on the lower lake my last morning, and the polarizer cut through the reflection to see the rocks beneath the surface.