I photographed the 2016 Erie High School Softball Tournament of Champions again this year. It’s a always a lot of fun as teams from around the state and even some from Oklahoma come to town to play softball. The tournament is usually a good gauge for what teams might do well when it comes time for the state tournament in October. I saw a number of good teams this year so we’ll see who gets hot at the end of the year.
I photographed the 2016 Rocky Mountain Showdown between Colorado and Colorado State at Mile High Stadium Friday night. The game was no contest from the start as CU rolled 44-7. The game featured several big plays, mostly by Colorado.
Colorado mascot Ralphie the Buffalo runs on the field before the Rocky Mountain Showdown with Colorado State in Denver Friday night.
Colorado State cheerleaders run onto the field carrying the school flags before the Rocky Mountain Showdown with Colorado in Denver Friday night.
Colorado QB Sefo Liufau looks to pass in the first quarter of the Rocky Mountain Showdown against Colorado State in Denver. The Buffs rolled 44-7.
Colorado QB Sefo Lifau evades the tackle of Colorado State’s Jake Schlager in the first quarter of the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver.
Colorado’s Devin Ross celebrates a Buffs touchdown in the first quarter of the Rocky Mountain Showdown against Colorado State in Denver. The Buffs rolled 44-7.
A Colorado fan gets exhuberant over her team’s early lead against Colorado State in the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver. Buffs’ fans had a lot to cheer about as they rolled 44-7.
Colorado fans urge on their team during the first quarter of the ROcky Mountain Showdown against Colorado State in Denver. They did a lot of celebrating on the evening as the Buffs rolled 44-7.
Colorado’s Devin Ross (2) celebrates his first half touchdown against Colorado State with teammate Jay MacIntyre (14).
Colorado’s Bryce Bobo (4) and George Frazier (5) celebrate a first half touchdwon against COlorado State in Denver.
Colorado State’s Jake Schlager recovers a Colorado fumble in he first half of the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver.
Colorado’s Shay Fields avoids a tackle after a long reception against Colorado State in Denver.
Colorado’s Shay Fields avoids a tackle after a long reception against Colorado State in Denver.
Colorado’s Philip Lindsay hugs QB Sefo Liufau after a long completion set the Buffs at the 1 against colorado State in the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver.
One of Ralphie the Buffalo’s handlers celebrates a Colorado touchdown in the first half of the Rocky Mountain Showdown against Colorado State in Denver.
Colorado’s Jimmie Gilbert sacks Colorado State QB Nick Stevens and causes him to fumble in the first half of the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver.
Colorado’s Kenneth Olugbode recovers the fumble of Colorado State QB Nick Stevens in the first half of the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver.
Colorado’s Kenneth Olugbode (31) and Samson Kafovalu (54) celebrate Olugbode’s recovery of a fumble of Colorado State QB Nick Stevens in the first half of the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver.
Colorado linebacker Addison Gilam (44) hits Colorado State QB Nick Stevens after a throw in the first half of the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver.
Colorado State fans show litle creativity in trying to rattle rival Colorado in the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver.
Colorado’s Afolabi Laguda (1) and Ahkelo Witherspoon (23) celebrate a defensive stop in the first half of the Rocky Mountain Showdown against Colorado State in Denver.
Colorado State QB Nick Stevens just gets away a pass before being hit by Colorado’s Jimmy Gilbert in the first half of the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver.
Colorado’s Chidobe Awuzie leaps over a tackler after intercepting a pass in the first half of the Rocky Mountain Showdown against Colorado State in Denver.
Colorado’s Devin Ross is tackled after a short gain in the third quarter of the Rocky Mountain Showdown against Colorado State in Denver. The Buffs rolled 44-7.
A Colorado fan celebrates her team’s big lead against Colorado State in the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver.
Colorado defensive back Tedric Thompson returns the ball in the third quarter of the Rocky Mountain Showdown against Colorado State in Denver. The Buffs rolled 44-7.
Colorado defensive back Tedric Thompson looks for tacklers as he returns the ball in the third quarter of the Rocky Mountain Showdown against Colorado State in Denver. The Buffs rolled 44-7.
Colorado QB Sefo Liufau runs with the ball in the third quarter against Colorado State in the Rocky Mountain Showdown. Liufau had a big part in the Buffs 44-7 vicotry.
Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre chews out his team after giving up a touchdown against Colorado State. MacIntyre didn’t have much to complain about as his team rolled 44-7.
Colorado defensive lineman Timothy Coleman drills Colorado State QB Faton Bauta just after he released the ball in the third quarter of the Rocky Mountain Showdown. The Buffs rolled 44-7.
I backpacked to Lost Man Lake in the Hunter-Frying Wilderness this past weekend near Independence Pass. The weather was overcast for most of the trip, but the sun came out for two minutes at sunset. I was pleasantly surprised to see some wildflowers still blooming in the area. I also got some cool pictures of the area in the moonlight. If I only had a fishing rod with me I could’ve caught some of the trout swimming in the lake.
Lost Man Lake is reached by hiking 2.5 on a well-marked trail. The trail begins near the summit of Independence Pass at 11,200 feet. Views are constant as you while the trail. The trail ascends gradually for about the first 1.25 as it follows a stream through willow. As you climb out of the willow, the trail then steeply ascends towards the pass. The trail passes Independence Lake just before reaching the summit. The lake is a pretty spot to grab lunch or just take in the view. The trail then makes a short but steep climb to the top of the pass. The pass lies just past the two mile mark on the trail. After taking in a panoramic view of the mountains around you, descend a series of steep switchbacks to Lost Man Lake just on the other side of the pass. There are a few camp spots near the far end of the lake and camping is plentiful as the trail descends into the valley below the lake. Some hikes do a shuttle hike connecting back with the highway after 7 more miles of hiking. Or hikers can return the same way they came.
Take Independence Pass road (Hwy 82) from Twin Lakes, CO to the summit of Independence Pass (about 1/2 an hour). Then drive about 1 mile west of the summit and park at the large lot on the right side of the road at the bend in the road.
I once again had the pleasure of photographing Doug McLeod’s performance at the Carpenter Rec Center in Thornton Saturday night. His concert was to benefit the Blues in the Schools program which promotes blues history and education in the Adams County school system. McLeod is the 2016 Acoustic Blues performer of the year and his talent as a blues musician is undeniable. But he is much more than just a musician. McLeod’s warm sense of humor and expressive storytelling make his performances enjoyable even if you’re not a fan of the blues. And it makes for some great photographs!
Many thanks to the Thornton Arts, Science & Humanities Council for sponsoring the event.
Sometimes the photo gods do not smile on you like when I traveled to California recently. I attended a wedding in Santa Barbara and then headed up the coast to Monterey to do some awesome nature photography–or not. A forest fire had enveloped the coastal areas in a smoky haze and forced closures of most of the area attractions. Old Post Road? Garrapata State Park? Pfeiffer Burns State Park? No, no, and no. So I was left with visiting the aquarium and some other places on my trip. I did enjoy the architecture of the Santa Barbara Courthouse. The mosaic tiles, murals, and view from the tower were exceptional. I also visited Hearst Castle near San Simeon. The Neptune Pool was under construction but the rest of the house was amazing. It was a beautiful day for a tour of the 1920’s era mansion.
I also saw some wildlife on the trip. The elephant seal overlook near San Simeon had plenty of seals on the beach and of course tide pools had little crabs and the like to take in. The coolest sighting were sea otters at one of the overlooks on the 17 Mile Drive in Pebble Beach. So while I didn’t come home with any amazing seascapes like I had planned, I still had an enjoyable time doing photography.
I backpacked to the summit of Shrine Ridge near Vail, CO. The wildflowers were bountiful again this year although not quite as good as last year. Lupine and red paintbrush were the predominant varieties with some alpine sunflowers and others mixed in. I camped near the top so I could do some night photography in the moonlight and catch sunrise on the ridge. A thunderstorm hung around until after midnight so I had to wait a while before the moon came out. I was rewarded with some fantastic photo ops when the moon finally emerged. Although I could not see all the flowers, the meadow was filled with flowers. Once the sun came up, I was amazed with the color and variety of flowers.
Shine Ridge is located at the summit of Vail Pass, 10 miles east of Vail. Take the exit for the rest area at the summit and drive on the dirt road to the right for about 2.5 miles. Park at the trail head (get there early because the lot fills quickly). The trail begins by wandering through willow in a boggy area. It climbs past a small pond and then climbs steeply past some meadows of paintbrush. As you climb, you will cross a small creek. Stay on the main trail at the 1 mile marker where it meets a spur trail leading from a mountain inn. After about 1.25 miles, the trail flattens out briefly as you reach the base of the ridge. Snow cornices linger here well into summer. The trail veers right and climbs again steeply up to the ridge. At the summit, veer right and explore the wildflower-filled meadow. Views of the Holy Cross Wilderness open up to the west.
I covered the 2016 Colorado 5A Baseball Finals this weekend at All City Field. Cherokee Trail defeated Rocky Mountain 9-4 to take the title. AS usual, there was plenty of drama and emotion during the games. Enjoy the best of gallery.
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I covered the Colorado 5A baseball semifinals today. The games were;t close as Cherokee Trail and Rocky Mountain easily advanced to the finals tomorrow.
I took some photographs of the first night of the Denver Tango Festival at the Loft at the Opera House last night. I can’t wait to go tonight to the Double Tree Stapleton and listen to my friend Jessica Schilling DJ the event.
I tried out the Olympus 300mm f4 lens at the Denver Zoo this weekend. The lens looks and feels like a 300mm f4 for full frame cameras but provides a field of view equivalent to a 600mm lens due to the micro 4/3 sensor size in the Olympus. The lens is, in a word, impressive. I had no issues handholding the lens due to the image stabilization built in to the lens as well as the in body stabilization provided by the EM1 I tried it out on. The end result–a lightweight combination that makes wildlife photography much more convenient. Normally, a photographer would be required to carry a 2 pound body and a 7 pound lens along with a heavy duty tripod and gimbal head. Not with the Olympus. I had no issue walking around the zoo with this set up. Using the teleconverter in conjunction with the lens I had the equivalent of an 860mm f5.6 lens!
The autofocus of the lens seemed quick and response. However, the one limitation of this setup is the camera. The EM1 simply doesn’t autofocus precise or fast enough to keep up with fast moving people or objects. The camera was also fooled by objects in front of or in back of an object like grass or fencing. Word has it that Olympus is working on an updated version of the EM1 that will address some of these autofocus issues, but we shall see. If it can develop an autofocus system capable of tracking wildlife, this camera and lens combination will definitely find itself in the bags of many more pros who shoot sports and wildlife. The lens is that good.
The Olympus 300 f4 lens produces great photos. It even focuses to a relatively close five feet which allows it to take some nice close ups such as flowers. I did not detect any major flaws with this lens during my time testing it. It produces sharp, contrasty images even shot into the sun. This lens is one of the best telephoto lenses on the market. Period.
