Fine Art Photography Blog

I thought I had lost the first image in this series many years ago. This was shot in December of 2000; I had spent the month living in Denver and left at sun up most days to explore the high country. Heading into Colorado’s “interior” along US Route 285 toward Buena Vista, this expansive landscape can’t help but catch the eye.

Without meaning to, I’ve pulled over to enjoy the scenery every time I’ve driven by this particular curve in the road. That hasn’t been very often; three years passed between the road trips that produced the two photos below.

I shot the first image with a disposable 35 mm camera, the cardboard Kodak type. I had already driven cross country a few times and visited a number of national parks, but knew almost nothing about photography. The second is from exactly the same place, but this time with a Canon EOS D60 on a tripod, with a 16-35 mm L. More important than the gear, I had learned how to use it, technically and artistically.

Both photos use the curve in the road to show the foreground, and lend a sense of depth to the scene. In the second, the horizon and snowy ridge is aligned near the bottom third of the image, instead of down the center. This helps emphasize the deep blue sky and puffy white clouds in the second image; the first wastes half the frame on featureless storm clouds. Apart from the composition, the second photo enjoys better weather and light.

The scene above is west of the Kennosha Pass - the first image is from a trip to Leadville, the second to Ouray: