Have Camera Will Travel Photographic Features

Exploring Urban Wildlife

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:38:07 -0700

If you live in the United States, the odds are that you'll find a wide variety of wildlife to photograph in your own neighborhood.

On a Spring-like day in the Southern suburbs of Denver, I paid a visit to a couple of the local park lakes. With most of the water on these lakes still frozen, any open water will be a magnet for water fowl I figured. I figured right too.

So, if you're looking for something to do with your camera on that lazy day, take a stroll out to a nearby park and practice a little wildlife photography. You'll find that park birds are just as pretty as the birds you see anywhere else and you'll also find that they are a little less intimidated by the presence of people, so you'll get a lot closer to them at a local park. I would suggest though, don't feed the birds bread as bread has no nutritional value to birds. Take some bird seed or sesame snacks instead. There's no harm in feeding the birds, just feed them something better.

The below images were captured in mid-January at Ketring Park Lake in Littleton, Colorado and as you can see, the birds abound.

The San Juan Mountains of Colorado - Autumn 2011

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:20:02 -0600

Scrub Oak Lighting Highway 92

Road into the Ironton Ghost Town

Red Mountain Creek

Ralph Lauren's Double RL Ranch

Pond on Ralph Lauren's Ranch

Autumn Sunrise at the Base of Mt. Sneffels

Blue Mesa and the Gunnison River Canyon

Highway 92 - Near Crawford, Colorado

Along the Million Dollar Highway, Near Ironton, CO

Dawn Overlooking West Dallas Creek Near Dallas Divide

From County Road 5a, Overlooking Dallas Divide

Cabin Near Trout Lake

Autumn Storm South of Telluride

Autumn Snow Storm South of Telluride

Snow at the Southern Entrance to Last Dollar Road

Snow and Autumn North of Wilson Mesa

Ironton Ghost Town

A Road Less Traveled On Wilson Mesa

Autumn Storm Near Trout Lake

Four Colors at Once

The Mountain Goats of Mt. Evans - Colorado

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 07:48:03 -0600

About 40 miles west of Denver, as a bird would fly, one can find Mount Evans. One of 54 mountain peaks in Colorado that exceed 14,000 feet in altitude, Mt. Evans tops out at 14,265 feet above sea level. The road to the summit of the mountain is the highest paved road in the United States.

If one were to drive to the summit of the mountain on any given day, one may find herds of wild Moutain Goats climbing amongst the rocks near the peak.

I made such a drive on the morning of August 23rd, 20011 and shortly before reaching the peak of the mountain, I found this group of Mountain Goats.

For those of you interested, Mount Evans is an easy drive from the Denver metropolitian area along westbound Interstate 70. The road to Mt. Evans can be found in the mountain town of Idaho Springs. Take highway 103 to the south-west until you pass Echo Lake at Mt. Evans Road (route 5.) Take a right on Mt. Evans Road and drive to the summit. It is paved road to the top, but the road will be closed in the winter so check the status if you are in transitional times of the year. You'll have to stop along the way and pay a $10 fee to access the summit. No cash, the payment station is self service and takes credit cards only, so bring your plastic money.

Colorado Rodeo

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:26:01 -0600

You've heard the phrase "This Ain't My First Rodeo?" Well this IS my first Rodeo. At the invitation of Keenesburg Colorado's Rhonda Thompson, I photographed a Friday evening rodeo. With a few pointers from Rhonda, I quickly got the hang of it.

There is nothing more authentic than a small town Colorado Rodeo on a hot summer day or night. These shots were all made with a Canon EOS 7D and a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS lens. ISO ranges are from 100 to ISO 6400. As you can see, the 7D does a good job in low light with action photography.

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Flowers Wild and Tamed

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 06:37:44 -0600

Chichén Itzá

Wed, 11 May 2011 09:29:02 -0600

About 120 miles west of the popular Caribbean resort of Cancun, Mexico one can find the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza.

The Yucatan was a central location of the Mayan civilization, dated back to 2000 BC and lasted until around 900 AD. Mexico and Central America are covered with Mayan Ruins and Chichen Itza is one of the more spectacular sites one can visit. In February of 2011 I visited the ruins at Chichen Itza again and I thought I'd share a few of the photographs I took while there.

If you are planning a trip to Cancun, Mexico, I highly recommend you take a day to visit the ruins. Bus tours run daily and you'll find it to be a fun and interesting day's journey.

Sandhill Cranes of Nebraska

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 07:11:36 -0600

Each year in late March, the Sandhill Cranes migrate to South-Central Nebraska to an area along the Platte River between the towns of Kearney and Grand Island. There can be as many as 400,000 birds found in these wetlands and it is one of the most spectacular wildlife migrations in the continental United States to witness.

Myself and a few other photographers from the Denver area drove there to photograph this migration from March 22 - 24th, 2011.

Understanding the Sandhill Crane's daily habits helps when planning your photography. Once we got a handle on their overnight locations, we could find them at dawn. This shot taken at dawn is one of the smaller groups along the Platte River, the main group was about 7 miles to the west in the Rowe Sanctuary, but we weren't about to pay $125 a head to get into the sanctuary.

The cranes gather in the fields near the water each evening, and shortly after dark they cluster in the water, normally shallow areas with little flow. They do this for protection against predators. You won't sneak up on the group. You can hear the noise the group makes in the morning for miles. As they wake up at dawn, they begin flying out in small groups of 4-10 birds usually, and sometimes in larger groups. After about two hours of what I call the dripping faucet, they are gone and back out in the corn fields for the day. They move around all day too, never staying in one place very long, always traveling in small groups, always keeping to larger groups until late in the afternoon when they form flights and begin their trek back to the nightly roosting spots. The afternoon movement is something to see. The sky becomes filled with flights of birds in every direction, most of them headed for the same spots they picked out when they arrived. The second night there, we managed to put ourselves very close to their main glide path and photographed them all coming in for the evening. I'd bet there were over one hundred thousand birds in the area.

Below is a selection of photographs taken by me on this trip. I'll refrain from commentary, as I honestly believe the images speak for themselves.

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Twilight Zone Kentucky Style

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 04:49:16 -0600

Photographing The Beech Fork Covered Bridge

Springfield, Kentucky.

by Gary Gray

I'm driving south along highway 55 in central Kentucky on my way to observe the Beech Fork covered bridge in preparation to photograph the structure. In the car with me are my wife and mother. All of us enjoying our drive in the country on a warm Autumn day.

There are at least 13 covered bridges in Kentucky. I selected the Beech Fork bridge long before I made my trip, having looked at a map and determining that it was about the most feasible subject given its proximity to where I would be staying. The picture I found on the internet looked promising as well. I knew nothing of the area though I had been to nearby Bardstown a few times as a child.

The country here is classic Kentucky, with rolling hills, narrow roads that drive like a roller-coaster. Along the route are small forests of oak & walnut trees, streams and farm houses. The autumn color is beautiful. I don't recall ever visiting this particular part of the state before, but it all feels very familiar. I'm all warm and fuzzy. This country is very much like the area where I grew up, some 40 miles to the east and was once a primary migration path for settlers into Kentucky during the late 1700's. Near my destination is the tiny log cabin where Abraham Lincoln was born and to the west is the town of Bardstown, Ky. Bardstown is the historic city where "My Old Kentucky Home" is located and where Stephen Foster penned the famous song of the same name. This is Danial Boone country, Lewis & Clark country, Abe Lincoln country, the original frontier of the United States.

St. Elmo - A Colorado Ghost Town

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 08:16:26 -0600

Nestled in between Mount Princeton and Mount Antero along Chalk Creek in the San Isabel National Forest of Colorado, lies the Ghost Town of St. Elmo.

St. Elmo was a Gold Mining town established in the heyday of the 1880's Colorado Gold Rush. The town eventually dried up around the turn of the century and continued to maintain a very small population and US Post Office until the 1950's.

Today, the town is being restored by private investors and many of the original buildings from this Ghost Town have been restored to their original look. In true American fashion, the town has also taken a commercial bent to attract tourism.

Visiting the town is an easy 3 hour drive out of Denver to the town of Nathrop, Colorado along Highway 285, about 10 miles south of Buena Vista. The road up to the Ghost Town is paved for the most part and totally accessible by private vehicle.

If you're ever in Colorado and looking for a great day drive to a isolated and beautiful area, a trip to St. Elmo is well worth considering.

More Trains

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 06:31:46 -0600

One of my reoccurring subjects in photography is trains. Now I know that trains aren't for everybody, but for me, they make an interesting and lucrative subject. I've sold more train photographs than any other type of photo (on the fine art side of the house).

So here you have it, my latest additions to the subject. Enjoy. The Union Pacific 844 and Georgetown Loop additions.

Photographing Denver at Night

Wed, 19 May 2010 16:55:02 -0600

A quick collection of photographs taken in the City of Denver, Colorado at night.

Maui - With All Its Contradictions

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 07:19:29 -0600

I'll begin this report by stating that I visited the Hawaiian Island of Maui as a tourist, so my observations and photographs will most definitely be skewed by this singular and limited viewpoint. I wish I had more time on the island. There is simply too much to see and experience in one week.

With a few reservations in mind, I can say that I found Maui to be a most interesting and enjoyable travel experience, but not entirely satisfying.

As with most travels I make, my motives are normally centered around relaxation, culture and photography. Maui was a very relaxing trip and the photographs are there for the taking in abundance. The true attraction of Maui is the Island itself.

The most photographically limiting obstacle I faced on the Island was the weather. It was raining for the first three days I was there. Not constant rain, but fairly constant cloud cover and photographically speaking, heavy clouds don't make for dramatic light. The weather on Maui is variable by location. We found the South Shore to have the most consistent combination of sun and light puffy clouds, with the North Shore more prone to rain. The volcano peaks were almost always obscured by clouds and there are points in the central highlands that can receive over 300 inches of rain per year.

Candids in Black & White

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 07:45:08 -0700

From time to time I take candid photographs of people. Here's a small collection, which I'll be adding to in the future.

I'm a big believer in Black & White images. By nature, black and white photographs are abstract. Interestingly, I don't believe a photographer can actually capture the "essence" of a person with a candid photo, but a photographer can certainly create a compelling illusion of the person he/she photographs. The most basic aspect of the photograph is that it can dissect time and motion.

My criteria for good candid photography are.

1. The subject(s) should be unaware or unconcerned with my presence.

2. The photo should either ask a question or answer a question (or both.)

3. The scene can not be staged.

4. The scene must be interesting.

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 06:43:36 -0700

Founded in 1939, Bosque del Apach National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico is one of the premier wildlife photography locations in the United States. Bosque del Apache is located approximately 90 miles south of Albuquerque and about 20 miles south of the town of Socorro, New Mexico, just minutes from Interstate 25. The annual Sand Hill Crane migration in early December attracts photographers from around the world.

From December 3rd - 6th, 2009, myself a group of Denver area photographers made the 500 plus mile journey from Denver to Socorro. Here are a few of my favorite photographs from that trip.

The Denver Zoo

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:04:51 -0600

One of my favorite ways to kill a lazy day is to take a trip to the Denver Zoo.

Not quite the same as traveling to some exotic foreign landscape and photographing critters in the wild, but hey, it is a lot less expensive and a great place to take the kids and grandkids. It's also a great place to test camera equipment and technique.

Here's a small collection of a few of my favorite Zoo shots.

Bad Photography

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 07:18:24 -0600

Part Man - Part Beast

Somewhere off the coast of Belize

As hard as I try, from time to time I manage to take a photograph that simply has no explanation.

Here are some examples of really bad photography. If there is something to be learned, I'll try to point out what I've discovered. If not, I'll let the image speak for itself.

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Vintage Trains of Colorado

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 06:06:57 -0600

One reason I enjoy living in Colorado so much is the abundance of interesting things to see and do. Amongst them, the superb collection of functioning vintage railroads. If you are planning to visit Colorado in the future, you may want to make a visit to one or more of these railroads.

Georgetown Loop Narrow Gauge Railroad: Georgetown, Colorado. About 40 miles West of Denver, a fantastic and inexpensive day. You can ride the train and visit the Lebanon Silver Mine. You'll find more information at this link.

http://www.georgetownlooprr.com/

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: Durango, Colorado or Silverton, Colorado. An outstanding scenic route on one of the best maintained vintage railroads in the country. During the summer months they run three roundtrip trains each day from Durango to Silverton. Silverton, Co is an entire experience to itself. Located in the San Juan Mountains at an altitude of over 9,300 feet, you'll find a complete history book in the form of an old Colorado mining town, complete with dirt roads and more than enough breathtaking scenery. You'll find more information at this link.

Georgetown Loop

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:31:25 -0600

June 25th, 2009 Englewood Camera Club visits the Georgetown Loop Narrow Gauge Railroad.

Georgetown, Colorado

Hotel De Paris

Approaching Devils Gate Trestle

Crossing Devils Gate Trestle

Lebanon Mine

Clear Creek Trestle

Ready to Take Photographs

Abandoned Track Near Haul Tunnel

Ken, Gary and Oso Playing on the Railroad Tracks

The Abandoned Line to Georgetown

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Abandoned Track Near the Fairy Pond

Bridge at The Triple Cascade

Triple Cascade - Monotone

Devils Gate Train From Silver Plume

Sightseeing

Devils Gate Crossing - View From Below Track

View From the Goat Trail

Larry On His Way Home.

View From the Haul Tunnel

Clear Creek Bridge Approach - Raining Like Hell

Readers Feedback

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:05:49 -0600

Paul Timpa writes...

"Great note on the Depth of Field comparison between the crop bodies and full frame bodies.

Everything you wrote was 100% accurate. I would say that Joey's point is a valid one, and is really what the "debate" is about. In practical use (say for a portrait of someone's face from forehead to chin) a photographer using a full-frame body with 105mm prime lens would step much closer to the subject than someone with a crop body and the same lens. This change in distance affects the depth of field, as you stated (making it shallower). So for any given framing, an identical lens/aperture combo on a crop body vs. full-frame body will in fact result in less depth of field for the full-frame body. If we were to watch two wedding photographers trying to get the same exact shots ("framing"), the one with the full frame body would always be closer to the happy couple, and the resulting shots would have less depth of field."

Best regards,

Paul

Dear Paul,

"As a pun, it is all a matter of perspective isn't it?

Denver Fire Department

Tue, 05 May 2009 08:32:26 -0600

I've recently finished up a project with the Denver Fire Department and thought you might be interested in a few of the side shots we took while working the job. A month and a half of non-stop photography. It's good to have a rest.

My thanks to Carl Marx for his assistance on this project. Couldn't have done it without him.

Hope you enjoy.

Belize

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:57:23 -0600

Having recently returned from a one week trip to San Pedro, Belize, I've finally found time to share some of my favorite shots from that trip.

For the geographically challenged, Belize (formerly known as British Honduras) is located on the Caribbean coast of Central America, between Mexico and Guatemala. About 30 miles North-East from Belize City, are a series of Islands, called Cayes (Keys.) The City of San Pedro is the main heart of Ambergris Caye and retains it's old world Caribbean charm. Fairly one dimensional in character, it nonetheless is a charming place to visit and offers some of the finest laid-back beach time in the Caribbean without the trappings of the larger resort locations along the Mexican Coast. I found it difficult to venture outside with shoes on.

I traveled fairly light with regards to camera equipment. Essentially, a Canon EOS 50D and EOS 5D with a 16-35L, 24-105L and 70-200L for lenses. I also took a 7 megapixel Sea & Sea underwater point & shoot. My first experience with underwater photography.

Kauai - Hawaii

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:21:06 -0600

We traveled to Kauai, in the Hawaiian Islands in late May and early June. Here are a few of my favorite shots from the trip. Probably the most beautiful of the Hawaiian Islands, Kauai is the Northern and Western most of the main islands. We flew in to Lihue and stayed on the Coconut Coast for 5 nights. We toured the island by car and by helicopter during our stay. This Island is also the oldest Hawaiian Island and is one of the most rainy spots on Earth.

For this trip, the only camera used was a Nikon D300 and the lens kit was a 18-200mm VR zoom, 14-24mm zoom, 80-400mm VR zoom, 35mm prime and 50mm prime. Everything worked flawlessly.

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North Denver Photographers Studio

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 07:57:30 -0600

The evening of Wednesday, March 19th saw the grand opening party for the North Denver Photographers Studio, in Northglenn, Colorado.

Friend and owner, Carl Marx put on a great reception for the associate Photographers, Models, family members and friends. If you are a photographer in need of a studio, check in with Carl. It's a great place and sure to be a success.

Here are a few photographs from the event.

Red Feather Lakes

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 10:44:09 -0700

Colorado's Unknown Paradise

by Gary Gray

North of Denver, south of Laramie, along the border between Wyoming and Colorado, where the pavement ends and the dirt begins. Red Feather Lakes, the land that time forgot.

Red Feather Lakes, Colorado is a small village, about 40 miles west of Fort Collins and about 40 miles south of Laramie, Wyoming. Nestled in the Rocky Mountains at about 8500 feet altitude, it is a hunting and fishing village that has a charm all to itself. I spend my summer months living in this small town. Mostly to get away from the trappings of big city life and to get in touch with the nature and beauty Colorado & Wyoming have to offer.

Over the years I have taken about 5,000 photographs in and around this part of the country. While bigger names in photography work the more common parts of the Rocky Mountains, I find this to be a secluded and unknown treasure, and a perfect place to practice my craft of Landscape Photography. Many of my best selling fine art photographic prints are scenes from here.

I'd like to give you a photographic tour of my summer home.

Main street in the center of town. An unassuming place, the road is still dirt and you won't find a Walmarts or McDonalds nearby.

The Red Feathers Trading post is one of only two places nearby where one can buy groceries. They also make a great milkshake.

The Panhandle Creek hardware store has most of the tools and supplies the locals need to keep their modest homes maintained. It is also a local gathering place for gossip. Something no small town should be without.

During the summer, the tourists come to get away from the crowds. With a number of lodges on the town's lake-fronts, Red Feather Lakes offers people a tranquil place to get away from it all. A little fishing, mountain hiking and beautiful scenery are just waiting.

Two young ladies relax in the morning sun at Lake Ramona during the annual July fourth fishing derby.

Another young angler with pole in hand.

The July 4th fireworks are funded totally by donations from the town locals and visitors. Each year seems to get better and watching this pyrotechnic display from the shores of Lake Hiawatha is a special thrill.

In the heart of "Cowboy" country. Horseback riding is a way of life here. The trails are endless.

Each lake has it's own unique and tranquil setting.

A young buck strolls the shore of Lake Apache.

Red Feather Lakes sports several public and private lakes for fishing and camping.

Wild deer are abundant in the area and pay little attention to the people.

The lakes are full of Rainbow, Brown and Cutthroat Trout. I spend many an hour relaxing on the shore, waiting for my fishing pole to wiggle as I watch hawks and eagles fly overhead.

West of the village you will find the Medicine Bow Mountains. As the early morning sun rises above the long sprawling hills, the colors are mesmerizing. I often drive up Deadman road into the mountains, where wildlife is abundant and often waiting in the road for you.

In the spring, herds of wild elk roam the mountains near Red Feather Lakes. There is rarely a day goes by that one can't find a wildlife photographic opportunity, such as this young buck grazing in a high mountain meadow.

The area is also a sanctuary for wild moose.

Deadman road continues westward into the Laramie River Valley. To the west lies the Laramie mountain range, to the north the Snowy Mountain Range of Wyoming. Herds of Antelope roam the valley below

Looking north into Wyoming. This is the road to Laramie.

A peaceful sunset on Parvin Lake.

The night stars reflect on Lake Nikomas. Night photography is fantastic here. With no city lights for miles, the skys literally reveal the wonders of the universe.

Summers come and go quickly in this part of the country.

Autumn color begins in late September and by the end of October, winter has established its grip.

Though winters can be brutal, even in January one can find their way into the more remote lakes and areas.

The frozen Creedmore Lake, 11 miles north of Red Feather Lakes glistens with the long winter shadows across the ice.

The Village as viewed from Lake Ramona at sundown. If you listen, you can almost hear the fish jumping from across the lake.

So there you have it. My little piece of heaven, nestled in the Rocky Mountains, where the pavement turns to dirt at the end of the road to nowhere. Come visit us sometime.

Autumn in the San Juan Mountains

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 05:46:37 -0600

South Western Colorado is one of the most scenic parts of the state. I could spend the rest of my days exploring the San Juan mountains and never find an end to my adventures.

I've made two trips to this area this past year, staying in the town of Ouray and working a great deal out of Ridgeway. Ouray is a photographers Meca, and one can find a number of fine photographers and studios in this small and historic town. North of Ouray is the small town of Ridgeway, the gateway to the San Juans when traveling south out of Denver. This area was the primary location for the 1969 John Wayne movie "True Grit." After seeing the beautiful scenery this part of the country has to offer, it is no wonder why the producers elected to film the movie there.

If you are traveling to Colorado, this area is a must. The best times of year to plan your photography is in the Spring around the last week of May through the first week of June. During spring time, you can find the mountains still covered with snow with bright green trees, fields and plants beginning their bloom.

Costa Rica

Thu, 10 May 2007 07:55:21 -0600

In April of 2007, I made a two week photographic tour of Costa Rica.

The first week was spent in the Jungle in the far South-Eastern part of the country on the Caribbean coast, near a town called Manzanillo. The second week of my trip took me through the heart of the country and eventually to the north central and northwest parts of the country near the Arenal volcano.

I documented this trip photographically and below you can find some of my favorite shots from this wonderful country.