Dubois Fall Color

Ok, just one more from Wyoming, sorry, but this fall color is too good not to share. I took these last autumn, when the cottonwoods were bright yellow . I love how they light up the town.

Last Wyoming Sunset

Spending the summer in Wyoming was an incredible experience. It felt good to get back to a quieter life - one that I remember enjoying when we used to live here. Fewer cars, less noise, more sky, more moose running through your yard. And sharing that with my child was a joy, because she really took to the land. She loved the freedom, no doubt, that comes with seeing endless forest from your windows. And she adapted as needed to be practical in a new environment. She eagerly listened to my husband’s seminars on map contours, and joined me when I spent hours in guidebooks trying to determine what wildflower I had photographed. It was a journey we took together, and I will always cherish my memories from this time.

After the Rain

After the rain, the land is refreshed, and I am thankful for the wet earth and the sparkling drops of water that cling to the foliage.

A Storm Approaches

I love how big the sky is out west. You can watch a storm roll in for hours. However, I only just saw this as I looked out my window one afternoon. I ran outside to get a shot just as the first raindrops began to fall.

Fleabane

I went back and forth and all round with the flower id guides, trying to figure out if this was an aster (which was my first guess) or a fleabane. I decided it was a fleabane, though I am no expert. That was one of my joys of the summer, though, spending hours trying to identify the wildflowers in my yard.

Foggy Morning

If I learned anything this summer, it was that the weather in the mountains can surprise you on a regular basis. When I lived in eastern Wyoming, on the high plains, fog or mist usually appeared only in May, the month when winter became summer (it lasts longer in other places; some people call it spring). I would eagerly await this month and get up early to drive around with my camera, enjoying the crisp air and the low fog that hung in the hills. This summer, however, at 8,500 feet, we experienced a few mornings this way. And each time I awoke to fog, it was a surprise and a delight.

Dubois Rodeo Panning

Panning is a tough technique to master, and I am far from doing that. But I had fun trying at the Dubois Rodeo. I love the motion that results from trying to track the subject while it is moving. It’s really difficult to get the right part in focus - the eye of the horse and the face of the rider are the most important. This was the best panning shot I took all night. It’s not perfect, but I really like it. The rider’s purple shirt just pops, and really is harmonious with the aqua decorations on the horse.