Enjoy the fall colors of Colorado with this months feature print
Member-exclusive perk: 25% OFF a limited number of prints.
Now that I seem to have all the kinks ironed out of the new website I hope to regularly put together special offers like this for my site members going forward. Log into your membership account for more details and to retrieve the coupon code. Not yet a site member? Find more info and join for FREE here!
Crowned in Gold is one of my most popular nature photographs to-date. I captured it during a trip to Aspen, Colorado in September 2018, near Maroon Bells. Although the famous view of the mountains and lake was overrun with other photographers, a short hike into the surrounding aspen grove was enough to find some solitude for myself and those I was with.
I was switching between a wide angle lens and my longer 70-200mm telephoto throughout the morning and this image was shot at the wider end of the spectrum, the equivalent of 18mm. I had been looking for wider shots of the grove to try to capture the intense warm glow created by the early light brushing the tops of the trees; that glow was (and still is) one of the best experiences I've had in nature.
Exploring where I could without disturbing the undergrowth, I looked up as I heard the rustling of the leaves in a gentle breeze. Directly above me, by sheer luck, was a patch of unbroken, brilliant blue sky, surrounded by gold. As you can see in the final image I made, the contrast of colors was spectacular!
I hope you enjoy this image as much as I do. If you'd like a print for yourself, act fast as the quantity that can purchased at 25% off using the member-exclusive code (found here) is very limited. If you opt for a fine art paper print, it will be created to-order by me on my Canon professional printer using archival pigments. Each print I personally create is also signed and numbered, and includes a Certificate of Authenticity (not available for metal or acrylic prints).
I use Red River Paper's Palo Duro Etching 315 for my in-studio fine art prints of this image. This is a heavyweight, matte fine art paper with a subtle texture. It does a wonderful job of reproducing colors and contrast, and the matte finish helps minimize glare when framed behind glass or acrylic.
Below are some behind-the-scenes snapshots for a look at my proofing process for creating this print.
Coming off the printer, one row at a time:
A couple phone snaps of the finished print:
A little "fly by" video showing off some of the details (please pardon the inconsistent saturation in the video):
