Quite by chance I spotted some California Golden Poppies on the campus of Ohlone College in Fremont California. This was an unexpected treasure. I stopped in a nearby parking lot, put a 15mm semi-fisheye lens on my camera, put my camera almost on the ground and started shooting up at the flowers with the sun in the background. The side of my head was in the dirt as I looked up through the camera’s viewfinder to get things lined up. Tim Fitzharris gets some credit for inspiring images like this.
I became acquainted with Tim’s photography in the mid-1990s and started buying his “how to” photography books. I learned a lot and he became part of my development as a photographer. I highly recommend Tim’s books. They will make a dramatic difference in your photography (link below). I pulled these books off the shelf to take a picture for this article but these are just four of Tim’s many books.
I love this image. It was images like this that made me want to find some California Golden Poppies. When I am out taking pictures the ideas and concepts that I learned from Tim have become a part of my photography. When I create some of my better images I like to think I am channeling a bit of Tim Fitzharris.
Mt. Sneffels and the Sneffels Range is one of the best places in Colorado to capture fall colors with a stunning mountain range as the backdrop. This photo was taken from County Road 7 about 7 miles south of CO-62. As you leave Colorado Highway 62 and drive south, the first 7 miles do not have any spectacular viewpoints. Then you come to a turn in the road and this beautiful valley comes in to view.
As I prepared this article I looked through Tim’s images for subject matter or locations that were similar to some of my images. Tim was at a location farther east than me for his image of the Sneffels Range. He might have been on County Road 5. County Roads 5, 7, and 9 in Ouray County all have beautiful views when you get to the right places in the road.
In the fall of 2019 I was on Kebler Pass for the first time. Fall colors were running about a week late that year so the huge expanse of aspens was still pretty green, but still a glorious sight. This is one of the largest aspen groves in the world. The view here is to the south so West Beckwith Mountain is on the right.
In this beautiful image, Tim caught the aspen at a better time of year with late afternoon sunlight kissing the peaks. The snow on East Beckwith Mountain adds a touch of magic to this image. Tim created this image a few miles east of my photo location on the Kebler Pass road.
Series Link
Series: Channeling My Inner . . . – some of the photographers who inspire me
More Links
Tim Fitzharris – official web site
“How To” books by Tim Fitzharris are in the Nature Photography Books section of my Amazon powered photography store.
Colorado Fall Color Travel and Photography Guide – my scenic guide to Colorado in the fall.
CR 9 Photographer’s Guide – at Photographers Trail Notes