Photographing the 2025 Elk Rut

Elk Rut

We just returned from a few days photographing the elk rut in Rocky Mountain National Park. The last few times Kevin and I have visited the park, including an adventure to Yellowstone, we were thinking we were probably too early for the full experience. This time we thought delaying the trip until October might result in cooler weather, smaller crowds, and perhaps a more vigorous rut season.

Stunning Autumn Hike in Colorado’s High Country

Autumn in Victor

I have to say, this has been a spendid autumn, as fall colors go in the high country of Colorado. Sometimes we get too much rain and sometimes we get an early winter storm that blows the leaves all the way to Nebraska. But this year we have been blessed with warm calm days, and the colors are fabulous.

Climbing the Manitou Incline 2025

Manitou Incline

On a rare occasion people do come to visit me, and often it's because they want to climb the Manitou Incline. There may come a day when my old legs will no longer carry me up the 2700 rugged steps over the old cog railway that takes one to 8500 feet in elevation in just one mile of near verticle climbing, but on this day I was willing to give it one more try. Even though the previous sentence may have set a record for word count, last weekend's climb to the summit did not 😦

Photographing Great Blue Heron in the Canyon

Great Blue Heron

Action with the great birds in Eleven Mile Canyon got off to a slow start on Friday morning. Crowds of fishermen arrived early, filling the canyon with dust, and scaring away the birds. As we were repeatedly passed by anglers from the city roaring up the canyon, we knew our morning was going to be limited.

Surprise on the Trail

Many mornings as I sip my coffee, I try to think of locations where I might find new adventure and capture amazing scenes that I haven't yet experienced. Most of the time nothing comes to mind, and I just head out to my nearby trail for some exercise. However, I'm also often astonished at the surprising experiences I encounter there.

Going Analog

I finally acquired the last piece of gear required to do my own analog film and slide scans. With the addition of a Canon 100mm macro lens, I finally have everything I need to do the conversion.

Major Wildlife Road Trip

Pronghorn Antelope

It was supposed to be a regular photo trip to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge. However as it has been so many times this summer, photography in the Refuge was a stunning failure. Birds we have seen in abundance the last few summers are strangely absent. The coyotes were sleeping and the bison nowhere to be found. That's when it began... our short road trip was extended.

Mid Summer Wildlife in the Rockies

Mountain Bluebird

I know my July newsletter is a bit late, in fact tomorrow will be August. Summer photography is a struggle for me, the sunrise is way too early, all the good wildlife locations are crowded with tourists, and the animals scarce. However, in just the last few days beautiful song birds have returned to my usual hikng location, and the pelicans have reappeared at Manitou Lake. Stay tuned to my blog though, on the 1st of August, we will be visiting the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Area in search of burrowing owls and snowy egret!