Monday Miscellany

I was experimenting with Neutral Density filters at East Reservoir in Lakewood, Colorado, one of the many times I’ve visited, and I really liked how the results captured the contrast in textures between the concrete of the skyscrapers and the newly budding leaves and grasses.

Red Rocks really stood out from the new growth, thanks to the filter on the camera. The rest of the year, the brown vegetation doesn’t contrast with the rocks—especially in the middle of the day.

The water level in East Reservoir was low, and the city has completely drained the pond in the past. The trails are overgrown in some places, but others are still dry, and a warm forecast for the Spring means that this new growth will likely slow down.

I used a darker filter for taking photos in the middle of the day, but at sunrise, I stepped down to a ND32 filter. This forces the fixed-focal-length telephoto lens on my drone to use a longer exposure when “zooming” in towards the subject.

The multiple shades of green from the top of the Bear Valley to Harvey Gulch to the north contrast with the hazy sky and the glowing buildings in between. With the right color gamut, or range of colors based on the temperature of the “white point,” the colors of the sunrise can glow.

Once the sun rose, it was glorious!

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One more, a dramatic throwback to Loretto Heights. Thanks for reading all the way to the end!