A new year is almost upon us and it seems like a good time to take a look back at 2024, one year in the life of a photographer. Join me in this post as I review a year of pictures in the rugged mountains of Colorado.
2024 began on a sour note with my associate Kevin in the hospital recovering from a stroke. But with January being the start of a new season of bald eagle photography, I ventured out on my own. January 2nd found both of our eagle nesting pair back at the nest, preparing for a new breeding season.
My buddy the rough legged hawk, had also returned to his usual winter hunting grounds for a new season of rodent hunting. This fellow has been hunting near my home in Cripple Creek ever since I moved here almost a decade ago. On this occasion, I found him resting in a tree while being harassed by crows. Eventually, he grew weary of them and took flight. Fortunately, I was prepared to capture a photograph.
As one might expect, it wasn’t long before fresh snow began to cover the Sangre de Cristo Range just south of town. I never miss a chance to photograph dramatic storm clouds enveloping the range during and after a snowstorm.
By the middle of January, the eagles were off to a good start, finishing up their nest and catching fish in the South Platte River. On this occasion I was fortunate to capture one of the pair as it launched.
The Three Amigos also returned to their grazing grounds on the top of Grouse Mountain. They looked on curiously as I moved in close to photograph their activities.
One of them posed for this nice portrait with a snowy background just as the sun began to clear the ridge to the east. I hadn’t seen them in a while and was glad to find them healthy and strong.
The pronghorn herd was also looking good out at Eleven Mile State Park. Snow had covered most of the prairie by then, but the animals still had some bare ground to graze upon. They too were curious about my camera and long lens.
I missed the Ice Festival in 2023, when the sculptures were promptly removed with a front loader the day after the festival. I made sure to get out early in 2024 to capture them at sunrise.
My pride and joy, my Canon A-1 film camera died in late 2023, and I finally got the call from the repair shop that it was ready to pick up. Of course a test run around town was in order to see how it was working, so I set out with a roll of Ilford HP5 to test it out. A couple weeks later I picked up my film and a disk with the scans. Fortunately the 40 year old engineering marvel was working perfectly
By April, Kevin was out of the hospital, and the osprey had completed their 4000 mile journey back from their winter home in South America. They soon returned to their nest at Eleven Mile Canyon, and began sustaining themselves with trout from the river. I caught this one in full dive after his prey in the clear waters of the trout stream.
Unfortunately it was then that disaster struck my photography business. My old Dodge Ram began to fail, and three trips in a row to Eleven Mile resulted in a tow. Front wheel bearings failed twice and then the rear differential had to be replaced. While I waited for the repairs to be completed, I bought a used Jeep Cherokee, but unfortunately the rear differential on my new ride failed as well. Those repairs didn’t go well and I was afraid to drive my truck, so I was pretty much out of the picture business until almost August.
Eventually all the leaky seals and broken gears were fixed, broken shocks repaired, and new tires installed. My new ride was ready to go, and I was finally back in the picture business.
Eager to test out my new wheels, I took a cruise around the area at sunset one evening. I was happy to find the deer herd out enjoying a cool evening.
Our eaglets were growing big and strong and nearing flight. Mama eagle wasn’t watching over them every minute of every day, but I was able to catch her at the nest waiting for dad to return with a fish.
By mid summer it was time for the Top of the World Rodeo. Since the fairgrounds are only a couple of blocks from my house, I usually try to get over there for some pictures if nothing else is going on.
The blue herons had emerged from their nesting season and were out in force at Eleven Mile Canyon, and this one posed for us long enough to capture this wonderful portrait!
It was a slow summer at the art gallery in Victor, where I have many framed pictures and some books for sale on weekends when the shop is open. One day while testing out some Ektar film in my Canon A-1, I captured one of my favorite pictures of all time of the coffee shop on the main drag. It’s hard to see in the small image, but if you look close you can see the barista serving coffee in the soft glow of the incandescent light inside.
By early autumn the time was drawing near to publish my new novel, Thundering Hooves. I would need a trip to the Sand Wash Basin in Western Colorado to photograph the horses, with the hope of capturing a suitable image for the cover. I spent two days in the desolate landscape driving the rugged dirt roads of the Sand Wash Basin with my Jeep. Of course one of the main reasons I had purchased the four wheel drive and outfitted it with rugged BF Goodrich K02 tires, was to negotiate the unforgiving terrain of the horse management area.
I was able to capture a few nice images during my stay, and ultimately decided upon an image for the book’s cover. You can purchase this book, the second in my wildlife novel series along with it’s prequel, Spirit of the Wolf on the book page of my website. These historical fiction novels are intended to shine a light upon the tragic treatment of our nation’s wild animals at the cruel hand of those tasked with caring for them.
Sadly, 2024 was not without loss. My little buddy Fonzy, who accompanied me through thick and thin for 22 years, could not continue with me along life’s journey. He crossed Rainbow Bridge the night after I returned from the Sand Wash Basin.
I had been searching for some time for a more modern film camera when I finally found this Canon EOS-7. This model comes equipped with modern auto focus and is compatible with all my professional lenses that I use with my mirrorless Canon R7.
Naturally I had to take it along on all our fall excursions, loaded with a roll of Kodak Ektar 100 professional color film. The results were positively sublime, if I do say so myself!
However of course, the warm colorful rocky mountain autumn could not last forever. Snow returned to the high country early this year, and my snowshoeing season began ahead of schedule.
Each year as Thanksgiving draws near, the bighorn rams of Waterton Canyon grow restless. Early winter is the rut season in bighorn country, and the big rams come down to the South Platte River to compete for rights to the ewes, which are preparing for the breeding season in their own way. Our mountain bike ride up the canyon was a successful one, as we caught quite a bit of action in the placid waters of the river just above the lower dam.
As the early snow continued to fall, deep snow drew the coyote out in search of prairie dogs to dine upon. I was lucky to capture this image with my long lens, before this big beautiful guy vanished into the hills like a ghost.
As 2024 draws to a close, our eagles aren’t spending a lot of time at the nest just yet. But now with the reservoir now completely frozen over, they are intently watching the river for trout. Unfortunately for the eagle, this dive resulted in empty talons and I captured some nice flight shots as he flew downstream to prepare for another attempt.
The end of 2024 finds the deer at Eleven Mile Canyon still able to get down to the water for a drink. Soon the shore will be lined with ice, far too dangerous for the deer to approach. They are well aware that a mishap on the ice at water’s edge will result in certain death.
As 2025 draws near, please consider supporting the site and my work as a wildlife advocate by purchasing your own copy of my 2025 wildlife calendar!
Steven W. Krull is a renowned photographer and author who has been photographing and writing of the beauty and wildlife of the Colorado Rocky Mountains for over two decades. Please visit his website at S.W. Krull Imaging to view his work, including thousands of prints for sale, stock images for commercial use, and his library of published books.
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Colorado Photographer / Author / Wildlife Advocate | Steven W. Krull 