First light on timp
Well, this last week was the best powder week all year long. I had the opportunity to ski 3 days last week up at sundance. Most of the storms were from the South so sundance got the most snow. On one of those days I tried out my gopro video camera on my helmet. I was getting some great footage getting first tracks through 12 inches of fluff when on the 5th run or so I got a little close to a tree branch in the Far East and it took the camera clean off! It’s still up there about half way down Wonderboy ski run so if any find it there is a framed photograph waiting for you of your choice! What I really want is the footage!
I usually get up at the resort at sunrise to try and capture that first light hitting timpanogos. One morning stayed cloudy but the next I was able to capture this pano.
I then proceeded to go down to the resort to save my “first chair” in line. I put my skis in front of the chair and proceeded to walk around the mountain looking for compositions. I took this one right at the base of the mount timpanogos. I was able to capture this extreme pano, hand held, from the hillside. It’s amazing how you can stitch multiple images together for a huge resolution image so easily. This image is about 300 meg and sharp as a tack!
Extreme Pano on Timpanogos
I got some great photographs for getting up extra early and was also able to get first tracks down bishops bowl and other runs!
On another morning it stayed cloudy and I could have just bagged it but chose instead to find subjects that would work on overcast skies. Of course I still left my skis in the front of chair so I could reserve my spot, and then proceeded to wonder around. That is when I found these three subjects. The moss with the ice caught my eye and made for a great image. The touch of color added just a tinge of life that exists under the sheet of ice.
Life Under the Ice
I still had the wonder lust bug and snow shoed a little bit father along the creek bed where I found these red berries contrasting against the snow. A shallow depth of field put the background out of focus to really show the color and texture of the berries.
Yum Berries
On the way back the snow piling up on the rocks in this creek bed with the snow still on the trees had to be photographed. I chose to get down into the stream itself so I could fill the foreground with the snow covered boulders, while the side trees framed the creek nicely. When it is time to harvest you have to harvest or all will be lost. It’s the same with the weather. When things are happening, you need to be happening.
Fresh Creek Snow
Moral of this post is if you are going to get up early….then get up early! Early enough to witness the sunrise and give youself time to explore this winter wonderland. And lastly, put your skis in the front of the line so you can have first tracks along with the first light!
After going through my images I picked this one out to be the winning photograph I will be giving away. I had several others but really felt this was the essence of the trip. Although the sun wasn’t out full steam this morning, the way the snow accentuate the sandstone lines leading the eye back to this tree perched on the ridge top with the peak on the right emerging from the breaking clouds got me excited. Of course the fact that I had to scale up snowy and icy slick rock to obtain this photograph probably added to me choosing it as well. The exposures that are the most difficult to capture are always some of my most favorite. Mainly because you will never see another photograph taken from the location. It’s usually a place off the beaten path that took some exploration and chance taking. When I say chance taking I mean not settling for the typical viewpoint or “iconic” vantage points, commonly near the road. Sometimes you’re rewarded, other times not, but at least you have explored some new territory and taken some chances. I absolutely love slick rock hiking!
