Anatomy of a Composition - Pikes Peak Winter (Panorama)

My first year in Colorado was spent int he shadow of Pikes Peak. Initially I lived in Colorado Springs and woke up every morning looking directly up the mountain face, and then later in the year moved to Teller County where the mountain was now to the west and the expanse of the mountain reached across the morning horizon. The mountain is easily recognizable from really any direction, but this northern view seems to show the layers of the mountain, and what it really takes to reach the top.

That first summer we did climb the mountain, and that was from the western approach with two overnight stays along the western flank. Known as Tava, or “Sun Mountain,” this place was home to the Mountain Ute Tribe, who basked in the waters of Manitou Springs, and hunted Elk throughout the summer months. Spanish explorers arrived in the are in there early 1700’s, and later Fremont and Pike expeditions became the first anglos to view and document the region, with botanist Edwin James the first to ascend it. The ensuing rush of trappers, miners and homesteaders arrived, popularizing the “Pikes Peak or Bust” slogan after rancher and prospector Bob Womak discovered gold near Cripple Creek in 1890.

The mystique of the mountain wasn't lost on me that first summer, and 33 years later the beauty is something I can still get easily lost in. This composition was shot on a 135mm lens, which has become a new standard the past few years. It is normally a portrait lens, but has shown real benefits while out photographing landscapes, especially when I can be patient enough to use the tripod and slow down. The 12 images, shot from the lookout in the Pike National Forest, after a morning of exploring and photography around the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs show off the absolute scale of the mountain underneath a moody, December sky. I’ve been searching for a composition like this for few seasons, and finding an unobstructed view of the mountain isn’t as easy as I thought it would be, but I was really excited to find it as it holds real potential for astrophotography which I think will be incredible.

Just as a reminder, this year’s calendar is still available but almost gone! It features a collection of shots taken each month from around Colorado to share the unique beauty of the state throughout the entire year. You can preview a Web Gallery for all of the images inside this year’s calendar.

December, 2021 - As always, thank you for the support and for joining me on this adventure.

For more thoughts on some of these images, and life’s other travails, head to www.wordpress.com/alma175w  

Pikes Peak Winter Panorama - ISO 100 | F/1.8 | 1/8000 sec. - 12 images stitched together, edited in Lightroom and Photoshop - Sony a7riii & Sony FE 135GM