Colorado Photographer / Author / Wildlife Advocate | Steven W. Krull
Renowned Colorado wildlife photographer and author advocating for our wild living legacy
Aspen leaves in many parts of the state of Colorado are reaching peak color this weekend. A brief excursion around the Cripple Creek and Victor area revealed a variety of gold and red colors adorning vast swaths of aspen stands in the 10,000 foot elevation range.
Today at around noon Colorado time, the sun will cross the celestial equator, marking the passage of summer and the advent of celestial autumn. For me it means that the best photography of the year is nearly upon us.
There is no greater evidence of God's work than the majestic osprey. Yesterday's visit to this year's new crop of osprey in the canyon only added to the anticipation of one His greatest mysteries.
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 😦
Quiet has returned to the mountains. The labor day holiday has marked the unofficial end of summer and thousands of tourists with their RV's and trailers have headed back east to their homes on the great American flatlands. Wildlife are tentatively returning to their favorite feeding grounds, and they didn't seem to worried about a lone photographer. In fact they seemed to recognize me from the quiet months I spent with them, prior to the summer invasion.
Summer isn't giving up yet in Eleven Mile Canyon, or probably anywhere in the Colorado high country. Osprey and great blue heron, and even a bald eagle were enjoying the morning along the rich fishing waters of the South Platte River, and many took the time to stop and pose for our cameras on Friday.
I've noticed something since I began shooting film again this year. More and more I'm taking my old Canon EOS film camera for the simplicity of it.
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.
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.
I love this time of year in the canyon. Young wildlife is past the newborn stage and are just now experiencing the joy of their new legs and wings. Young osprey are especially excited about their newfound powers and unlike their more mature parents, they spend much of their day in flight. They don't realize it yet, but their games are preparing them for a 4000 mile journey that will begin in about a month.
Colorado Photographer / Author / Wildlife Advocate | Steven W. Krull 