It rained. In most circumstances, photographing during rain and snow is not ideal for me, but in this case, it was all part of the plan. Well, not the rain part, per se, but the opportunity immediately after the rain. After all, the best way to be in the consummate location after the rain is to be there during the rain. And so I waited, more or less patiently, for the rain to pass, and I could, hopefully, create Autumn Reverie. Time will tell, as it always does.
There’s a location where I’ve waited for several years to create an ideal photograph in Colorado’s San Juan mountains during the peak of fall color. I’ve been there many, many times, but the flawless conditions have always eluded me. However, with the current weather system, the mountains may have snow on their peaks. It might be raining at the elevations I was at, but it would be snowing on the mountains. Perfect. If, of course, it happens.
So far this year, the mountain tops were still barren. The fall color was beginning to peak, but the photograph wouldn’t be the same without the snow. The forecast models will prove correct, I am sure, and I will have my first snow-of-the-season photograph. It’s now raining, so all I can do is remain patient.
In the meantime, I chose to wait out the weather at the top of Colorado’s McClure pass. It’s near where I want to make Autumn Reverie and an ideal location on rainy days.
McClure Pass is one of my favorite locations. I adore the aspen groves at the top and along both sides of the pass. You’d think that aspens are all the same, but to me, they are not. They are distinct as snowflakes, with each grove having its unique personality. I come back year after year and find something new that excites me each time.
Resigned myself to being wet, and rather than try to stay dry, an impossible task, I embraced it. I meandered around the pass, waiting for the rain to stop and looking for, well, I’d know it when I found it.
Speaking of the rain, it was showing no signs of letting up. The low clouds enveloped the mountains and would not relinquish their hold. The aspens are ideal, but there’s no sun, light, or joy that I seek to create in a photograph. Today would not be the day to create a stunning photograph of the mountains.
But, as fate would have it, it would be a day to create something sensational of a completely different sort.
I tramped through the woods, moving through the soggy forest, seeking the perfect scene. The light rain brought out the colors, making for unexpectedly vibrant scenes. The urge to push onward drove me forward, and I continued my quest.
Eventually, I turned, and there it was—the perfect Autumn Vignette. I smiled as I made this photograph, even though I was thoroughly wet.
The red bushes in the corner giving way to the aspens in the rest of the photograph, to me, represent autumn in all its glory. Sure, it isn’t a soaring mountain—that would come later, thanks to the rain—but it is intimate and peaceful. It showcases the changing of the seasons, too, which I adore. There’s plenty of green and just as many golden colors, too—a perfect mix of the two, all counter-pointed by that beautiful red bush.
I kept looking for more scenes, but in the end, Autumn Vignette was the best one. Eventually, daylight began to fade, and my time on the pass drew to a close. Hopefully, the weather system will cooperate, and the mountains of the Dallas Divide are now snow-covered.
The following day, much to my delight, that was precisely the case!
The mountains, now glistening white, stood tall against the fall colors. The clouds, still heavy from the previous day, continued to fill the sky, but there were plenty of gaps where patches of blue managed to find a way through. The conditions were perfect; I just needed to find the right location to create the photograph I was visualizing. That is far, far easier said than done, however.
On the surface, all I have to do is drive up, pull out the camera, take a quick picture, and come away with a marvelous photograph. After all, if the scene is perfect, the photograph will instantly come together. For me, though, that is not the case. I want, I need, every element to be perfect in its own right. The sun must be out and shining, making the fall colors bright and vibrant. I want the mountains covered with the perfect amount of snow, and I want clouds in the sky, neither too heavy nor too thin.
In short, I must wait for all elements to come together. On days like today, where the weather is very dynamic, the moment is fleeting. I have to be in place, waiting and ready. If the scene comes together, I will have little time.
Luckily, I know the area well, and there is a specific location I have in mind. I’ve been there many times, but it has never worked out. Today may be the day, and there is only one way to find out.
I headed down a county road full of hope. The road is relatively straightforward to drive, but it is challenging in spots. It’s rock and dirt, rough in most places, and can cause problems for the unwary. I need to pay attention, go slow, and be careful. In other words, it’s just my type of road. I reached where I wanted to be without incident and began my vigil.
The scene before me was almost perfect. There is a stand of aspen, glowing in glorious fall color. The surrounding hillsides are a stunning mix of gold and greens, contrasting and telling the story of the changing colors. Mount Sneffels presides over it all, now adorned with fresh, white snow. Not so much that I can’t see the features of the mountain, but enough to let us know winter is just around the corner.
I just needed to sky to be “just right.” Camera at the ready, I waited patiently.
The minutes slipped into hours, and still, I watched for precisely the right moment.
Finally, all the conditions came together to create Sneffels’s Valley.
With a perfect mix of clouds and sun, the photograph I had visualized was now a reality. I could not have been happier, and my years-long project is now complete.
My time in the San Juan mountains still needs to be completed, however, as there are many locations I adore and many more photographs to create. But now, Autumn Reverie is ready for you.