One of my favorite places to get away, without leaving Colorado, is the Crystal River valley- several of the scenes hanging on the gallery walls are from this area. While I wasn’t thrilled about the wildfires that were raging everywhere, nor the ensuing the smoky haze that covered the entire continent, I kind of felt bad going out and shooting with any remnants of those natural disasters evident in any shot.
I headed out to a trail I’ve been wanting to check out for years on a nearby mountain pass, which is abundant with beautiful aspen trees. But I was searching for a special shot: I wanted something that draws the viewer’s eyes in to elicit a feeling of being surrounded by beauty, not just in front of it.
Hiking up the steep trail, coughing on the smoke in the air, I kept my eyes peeled for the right scene. I heard an animal turn tail over my right shoulder, and there it was: A grove of young Aspens, completely unspoiled. I bounded over fallen logs and made my way through the brush until I arrived at this scene. The hazy smoke in the air softened the warm light of late Summer and caught the trees with just enough glow to create a mood I’ll forever be able to recall looking at this image. The “Allure” of one of Colorado’s distinct moods is evident in this Limited-Edition of 450 prints.