On Assignment in Colorado - The Maroon Bells

I’ll be on the road much of the summer – shooting on assignment for various clients and photographing Colorado wildflowers. I certainly do not mind escaping the Texas heat, and I do love the mild afternoons and cool mornings here in the Rocky Mountains.

I spent several days this past week in Snowmass Village/Aspen and at the Maroon Bells. It was a pleasure to work with Laurelwood Condominiums in Snowmass Village, and I always enjoy my time around Maroon Lake and the Maroon Bells Wilderness.
When I arrived, I had several goals – to photograph the Maroon Bells in the evening, in the early hours of the morning when the Milky Way is overhead, and just after sunrise. I was blessed with perfect conditions for each phase of this shoot. Also, the client wanted black and white images, and the clouds and conditions cooperated.

That first evening, the high clouds created an amazing effect, and with still waters on Maroon Lake, the reflections were incredible – perfect for black and white photography. Here is the first image in a series of shots:
This black and white Colorado image features the Maroon Bells at sunset.

http://robgreebon.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Colorado-Images-and-Photos/G0000YzsbtDN..Fc/I0000zLNHkZaVa80

I returned to Laurelwood Condos (thanks for taking good care of my family while I was out working!) to sleep for a few hours before returning to the lake a little before 3:00am. With the Milky Way high overhead, I was able to take a three image vertical panorama with the mountains beneath the heavens. I used an astrotrack to take long exposures of the Milky Way, thus alleviating star trails. I also took an extremely long exposure of the mountains and foreground so I could blend that base into the image, thus adding some definition to the mountains. To stitch the images together, I used PTGui, an excellent program for creating panos. Here is the finished product:
This Colorado image features the Milky Way rising over the Maroon Bells near Aspen, Colorado.

http://robgreebon.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Colorado-Images-and-Photos/G0000YzsbtDN..Fc/I0000g05NfYgwF2A

Later that morning, with the waters still calm, the puffy white clouds and deep blue sky made for a postcard image:
Near Aspen, Colorado, a perfect day greets the Maroon Bells and the Rocky Mountains.

http://robgreebon.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Colorado-Images-and-Photos/G0000YzsbtDN..Fc/I0000RvyCxNxT7Sg

You can see more images from this shoot on my Colorado Images gallery.

Soon the Colorado columbine will be blooming. These are Colorado’s state flower, like the bluebonnet is in Texas. On a hike yesterday, I noticed several blooms already showing their shades of blue. With the melting snows, it will not be long until the wildflowers grace the meadows and valleys of these Rocky Mountains.

Feel free to follow my photograph on www.facebook.com/RobGreebonPhotography.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments, or would like to purchase images either with a license or as prints, please contact me at robgreebonphotography@hotmail.com

Have a good week!

~ Rob

www.RobGreebonPhotography.com

Colorado Images Gallery: http://robgreebon.photoshelter.com/gallery/Colorado-Images-and-Photos/G0000YzsbtDN..Fc/
Colorado Wildflowers Gallery: http://robgreebon.photoshelter.com/gallery/Colorado-Wildflower-images-and-photos/G0000SH263kPcZgg/

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