Headed for Colorado this fall (or any other time of year)? Welcome to my complete Colorado fall color photography and travel guide with 136 photos, 18 maps, and over 100 pages of information (if you print it all out). I cover some of the best known fall color locations in Colorado, and most of these locations look great any other time of year. Spend anywhere from two days to two weeks exploring the beautiful Colorado Rockies at a gorgeous time of year.
Marshall Pass is a beautiful fall color drive in southern Colorado, and still pretty much a secret. It does not turn up on most lists of the most beautiful fall color drives in Colorado. It is a beautiful drive with a lot of fall color photo opportunities.
Bear Lake, Longs Peak and the Keyboard of the Winds.
The Hype
The hype. If you went outside early this morning expecting to see something like this, this is not what you got.
Vet sign, original and optimized
Digital cameras have a tonality range that is much more limited than what our eyes can see. Because of that, in some situations the digital file falls far short of what our eyes see when we click the shutter. When I “optimize” an image, my goal is to use software to create an image that is as close as possible to what I was seeing when I clicked the shutter. This photo is an example.
Perseid Meteor photographed from Rose Hill Cemetery west of Lamoni, Iowa. 4:55 am CDT, August 13, 2018. Cropped from the original image.
Tonight, August 11-12, you can still see the Perseid Meteor Shower. But you can also look for the next few nights. This article will tell you what you need to know to see and photograph the most popular meteor shower of the year.
Nineteen years ago I was looking through some of my images and decided my portrait photography was lacking. That is when I got the bright idea of working with a professional model.
Canon Rebel T7 camera body and two lenses, July 31, 2025.
Yes, you can get a quality, name brand DSLR with two lenses for under $350 at Canon USA. I found this particular kit July 31, 2025 at the Canon USA web site.
One year ago today I was watching the Olympics and taking pictures of the TV screen. I noticed how the photographers were equipped.
I’ve met a lot of fine park rangers and become acquainted with several of them as a result of meeting them more than once, some of them over a period of years. Today is a good day for me to say thanks to all of the NPS employees I have encountered over the years and the excellent work they do.
Test Prints. iPhone photo. Click for a larger version.
One of my two favorite photo labs was bought out and no longer exists, so I am searching for another favorite photo lab. I sent the same 10 digital files to three of the highest rated photo labs in the country and had them make 8×12 or 8×10 prints. My third batch of prints arrived and I am like a kid in a candy store!
The Temple, Independence Missouri
Because of the clouds this is one of my favorite evening photos of The Temple.
Kim (left) and a friend at Park of the Pines.
You don’t realize the significance and importance of some events until long after the event.
St. Joseph (lower left) and Kansas City Missouri from the air.
Constellations (Sagittarius and Scorpius), Meteor (left center), and Saturn (above the scorpion’s back).
Norwalk Lutheran Church, Manistee Michigan.
56 years ago today Apollo 11 launched into space. This journey would culminate in two human beings walking on the moon for the first time.
Apollo 11 lift off. July 16, 1969. This launch put two human beings on the moon for the first time.
This brief article was inspired by two blurbs I came across online. One was about which Japanese companies sell the most digital cameras, and the other was about which cameras “real photographers use”. Far be it from me to define “real photographers”.
Samantha, July 10, 2011, RR tracks, Ohio.
When I created this image 14 years ago this evening, shooting on railroad tracks was popular and still pretty much an accepted thing. I have several railroad track images in my collection. All kinds of professional and amateur photographers created images on railroad tracks. A Google image search will turn up hundreds of photos. Careful photographers chose long, straight sections of track with great visibility and they paid attention.
4th of July parade collage in chronological order. Individual photos follow.
Every year I photograph the annual 4th of July parade in Lamoni Iowa. In addition to the 14 “selects” I share below, I discuss the equipment I use, the number of photos, and at the end of this article I describe what I look for when I photograph a parade. “Selects” is a newspaper/magazine word for the best photos (the photos selected) out of all the photos created. An editor working on an event article might say to a photographer, “Send me a dozen of your selects”, so the photographer would send 12 images out of all the photos that were created at the event.
Acadia National Park is 109 nears old today. The photos in this article were taken by me in Acadia National Park, October 2017.
Parade Gear
This is the photo gear I used at yesterday’s 4th of July parade. This is pretty much my standard event photography kit. On the left is a Canon 5D Mark III with a Canon 24-105mm lens. On the right is a Canon 7D Mark II with a Canon 70-300mm DO IS lens. On the rare occasion that I need a longer lens, I take a 100-400mm lens instead of the 70-300mm lens.
Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale, 1800
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
From the Declaration of Independence, signed July 4, 1776. Written by Thomas Jefferson (1762-1826). 3rd US President (1801-09).
More images (including Thomas Jefferson’s original draft) and the complete text of the declaration are after the break.
The Strip, Las Vegas with Fireworks
You can point your camera at the sky in auto exposure and autofocus modes and fire away whenever you see a burst of fireworks, but for the best quality photos, it helps to know a few tricks of the trade. It’s easy when you know what to do.
Last Light on El Capitan. My first trip to Yosemite Valley, December 30, 1990.
What a great idea! It started with Abe Lincoln, 161 years ago today. He was the first President to create “public lands” and it started with Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove.
Kodak 126 Instamatic cartridge camera, Kodachome 64 film cartridge.
This Kodak 126 Instamatic cartridge camera was my first camera. It was a gift from my parents when I was in high school. I used print film cartridges for about 3 years. It was not until I was in college that I made the switch to slide film cartridges. With a few rare exceptions I continued to use slide film until 2003. I did not take a lot of pictures. My first two rolls of slide film lasted from August 1968 to the summer of 1969 and they include two summer camps, some college life photos and my first photo of my girlfriend (and now wife) Melissa. I used this Instamatic camera for about 8 years.
I received a text message on a Saturday night from a very pregnant young woman. Sarah told me she might deliver early and she wanted to know if I could shoot Sunday morning at 7:45 am. It was her only chance to shoot that week. Of course I said yes.
Metaphid Jumping Spider
When a rare photo opportunity comes your way, jump on it (pun intended). You have no idea if or when it will happen again.
Canon Rebel T7 camera body and two lenses.
Yes, you can get a quality, name brand DSLR with two lenses for under $500 at Canon USA. I found this particular kit today (June 19, 2025) at the Canon USA web site.