Orange starts to take over
As the sun continued its journey toward the horizon a really strong orange shade began to appear. I was very excited by this. The clouds were in the perfect place to help that orange explode upwards. I just had to be patient and wait for it.
Dennis
I wanted to shoot this for a long time. I finally got the time and sun lined up and made it happen one July morning.
The difference between night and morning on Broadway is striking. The peacefulness of the still street, hiding the debauchery of the night before, is amazing.
Also - my favorite ball of fire climbing above the tree line to look down the empty street.
Dennis
The sky begins to come to life
It wasn’t the most beautiful sunrise. There were no layers of color. Just a muddy orange color.
But the neon lights kept humming. And standing in an almost still Broadway continued to be a strangely peaceful experience.
Dennis
The moon was bright in the clear sky.
While the goal of the adventure was to capture the sun rising on Broadway, I kept getting distracted by the moon. It was a bright, nearly full moon that stood out against a clear, dark sky.
As it made its way toward the horizon, it crossed the radio tower that sits on top of Bridgestone Arena. I thought the features of the moon, set against the dark ask sky the crossing metal in the foreground was a beautiful photo.
Dennis
The neon lights of Broadway shine bright while the streets are empty.
Broadway is an incredible place. Normally packed with people and music pouring out of every honkey tonk. It’s a very fun night out on the town.
But early in the morning before the sun comes up, it’s still and peaceful. The neon lights hum softly as a few employees finish cleaning and locking up for the night.
Dennis
This is the full trip through Rocky Mountain National Park. From sunrise at Rainbow Curve Overlook to sunset at Moraine Park. It covers the park from top to bottom and I love every minute of it.
Dennis
This is another photo from Rainbow Curve. I’m usually not a huge fan of lens flares and I never try to get them on purpose but there is something to the way flares look like pulses going across the valley in waves that I really liked.
Dennis
People and Elk dot the mountain side
The scale of these mountains is so large that it messes with your perception of distance. This ridge line is off to the right of the Alpine Visitors Center. There’s a trail that leads to the top.
I have no idea how far away I was from this other mountain but the tiny dots to the right along the trail are people hiking and the tiny brown dots to the left are elk. A very large animal made very small by the scale of the mountain.
Dennis
Top Of The World
The hike to this spot from the Alpine Visitor Center isn’t long but man did the elevation kick my butt. It was worth it though. You really do feel like you are on top of the world. It’s not the highest point in the area but it feels like you can see forever.
Dennis
I love being in the mountains. I dream about it often. Standing at the edge of this cliff on a crisp July morning, watching the valley below come to life, as the sun rose over the peaks is a memory I will never forget.
Dennis