Million Dollar View Photo

Photographer’s Note

We were heading from Silverton to Ouray on the Million Dollar Highway, built in 1920s and, according to legend, named for its cost. More than likely I think it could have something to do with the silver and gold mines it passes. There are some of the most stunning views along that road, added to which, the aspens were just turning yellow.

This is somewhere near the Red Mountain Pass, a switchback road at an elevation of over 11,000ft . Note the red colour in the mountain due to iron oxide in the rock. Red Mountain itself (actually three peaks) in the mining area around here is more red still; See here.

ISO200, FL38mm,

rodgerg, ChrisJ, npecanhuk, besnard, ktanska, fulvio52, Guenther, AiresSantos, Floydian, delkoo, Wandering_Dan, carper, Kielia, syd1946, Henryk_Bilor, gunbud, cbrman, Royaldevon, riclopes, josepmarin, sacavem, jwmunro, danos, Dyerco, mark_mk, pasternak, saxo042, PixelTerror, Photo65Net, robiuk, chrisnet, pboehringer, macondo, stego, Cricri, Bluejeans, Emile, jaywalker, JCG, ruisc_pt, axiotea, Didi, xuaxo, plimrn has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

aadilj (17950) 2009-01-27 3:22

Hello Kath, I love this one as well and the hues with which it is painted. the balance and the pov are remarkable. The composition is well regulated

rodgerg (24029) 2009-01-27 3:22

Hello Kath,

A superb landsacpe with a great prospect and a composition well balnced in differents plans . An image rich in various colours very well collected.
A very interesting note too.
Congratulations and best regards,
Roger

ChrisJ (70203) 2009-01-27 3:28

Hi Kath

A wonderful catch of the golden Autumn colours, with good sharpness, and well composed. I like the tiny patch of blue sky at right, & warm, reddish coloured peak, with snow. Tfs!

npecanhuk (13881) 2009-01-27 3:29

Hello Kath!
That's a very beautiful photo because it has magnificent colors (the golden aspen trees for example, they look so nice in here) and a wonderful sunlight reaching all the elements in the image! Adequate sharpness and correct exposure complete the good quality of this picture! Eye-catching and truly nice!
TFS - Congratulations!
Warmest regards!
Neyvan

zeynepe (9342) 2009-01-27 3:33

Hi Kath,
Like a postcard , the combination of the yellow trees in the front and the hill with colorful ranges looks stunning.The gloomy sky adds charming atmosphere.
Congratulations and enjoy your day,
Zeynep

besnard (30656) 2009-01-27 3:43

Bonjour Kath
Un très joli cliché aux chaudes couleurs de l'automne.
Merci pour le partage et bonne journée.
Nicole

ktanska (16567) 2009-01-27 3:45

Hi Kath,
Those colours really pop out, especially against grey clouds. Aspens and tones of the mountain sort of compete of attention, so you are right the mountain deserves another upload. You were there just on the right time. I guess that glow of colours doesn't last there any longer than in Finland.
Kari

fulvio52 (8314) 2009-01-27 3:55

Good morning, Kath.
Awesome, it literally pops out of my screen! You just had the perfect light display to catch this area and its essence in full glory, and you made the best possible use out of it. I mean, it doesn't get any better than this : gloomy and beautiful at the same time... These are the Colorado Rockies, as in reality, at their very best. Absolutely STUNNING lighting and colors, I got this spot printed on my mind and it never looked better to me... LOVE IT!
Have a great day, see ya soon.
Fulvio.

Guenther (6837) 2009-01-27 4:02

Hi Kath,

splendid fall compo, the yellow of the birches and the different hues of the mountain are very appealing... great shot, thanks for sharing.

Günther

coco (27848) 2009-01-27 4:36

Hi Kath.

The ligh is so and so good. And your composition enhances the beauty of this place.

Simple but wonderful work.
Regards.

snunney (34868) 2009-01-27 4:38

Hello Kath,
The particular lighting makes for a very interesting mood and does, indeed, offer a pleasing painterly effect. A very nice palette of autumnal tones that sit well against the cloudy sky. Excellent clarity.

Morac (20397) 2009-01-27 4:44

Hello Kath,

A superb landsacpe with a great prospect and a wonderful catch of the golden Autumn colours.
Regards
Marc

barrufeto_77 (25807) 2009-01-27 4:47

Hi Kath.

Excellent landscape with a lovely light and colours!

Rgs, OScar

AiresSantos (42080) 2009-01-27 6:09

Hi Kath
Wonderful POV and colours in this excellent composition. I like a lot the contrast beetwen colours of trees. Very good DOF and sharpness
Have a nice day
Aires

Floydian (30970) 2009-01-27 6:48

Hello Kath,

I was there in '94 but the weather was so terrible, only thing i saw were hailstorms and afterwards a lot of rain. Seeing this i know see how beautiful it can be with those beautiful colourfull trees and that majestic mountain on top. Great colour over that mountain and as a bonus some snow parts which make it even more interesting...very nice work.

Regards,

Henk

delkoo (34296) 2009-01-27 6:58

BONJOUR KATH,
What a stunning photo! Marvellous autumnal colors , catched in full glory.

best regards
didier

TopGeo (21789) 2009-01-27 8:02

Hi Kath! They are landscapes that they have exceptional interesting photographic. Have in the background the mountain and in the first level the nature in a chromatic dimension that makes dizzy A very nice palette of autumnal tones! Good imprinting and composition
best regards,
Georgios

Wandering_Dan (3221) 2009-01-27 9:14

Hi, Kath -

The highway was indeed named for its cost; in those days, a million dollars a mile was a lot of money.

And you had much better weather than when I took that road; this is fantastic light and you captured it well. It gives a strong sense of the dramatic weather.

Best,
Dan

carper (64804) 2009-01-27 9:25

marvelous view here Kath,
the photo is very nice, well taken with a fantastic view and colors, well taken and good photo job here, well done Kath. have a good evening
regard jaap

Kielia (8487) 2009-01-27 10:10

Hi Kath,
this is really a masterpiece! Everything is perfect: the great atmosphere of the landscape and the excellent framing. The colors and the light are amazing. A very pleasant view. Congratulation!
Warm regards
Harriet

syd1946 (17901) 2009-01-27 10:24

Hello Kath,
Beautiful landscape composition,looks like a painting!What I like most is the very nice lighting which made the image much more attractive!
Thomas

Henryk_Bilor (20365) 2009-01-27 13:06

Hi Kath
Indeed fascinating view at the mountain with the great coloured trees. Hmm, money were a lot depreciated since 1920...;)
Regards

baba_flies (7985) 2009-01-27 13:53

Hello Kath! I have a mid June version :))) probably from a similar spot taken and yet the yellow aspens make the difference to my soso lala try that is not bad either but never as exciting as this one. Also the clouds give an interesting, maybe a little scary look vs. my June blue sky with some harmless clouds etc. etc. This is exciting to see what comes out when you are working with "same same". Now I hide it forever ... just kidding, maybe I take it out one day but first I am busy with other stuff, sorting out Bologna ... Great, I am impressed ... Have a wondeful night ... sweet dreams ... Barbara.

gunbud (27851) 2009-01-27 17:54

Hi Kath,
Adjusted for inflation I would call this at least a ten million dollar view.
The brilliant yellow autumn color makes a striking lead-in to the lush evergreen forest that gives way to the uniquely beautiful red rock that is beautifully capped with light snow.
The stormy gray sky makes pleasing backdrop to this beautiful landscape.
Regards, Tom

gneufeld (15169) 2009-01-27 18:28

Hi Kath,
This location has just been added to my "must visit" places in the USA. A gorgeous image, Kath! The sharpness, clarity, perspective, and the amazing colors render this a winner. Awesome work and TFS. Gerald

batalay (20920) 2009-01-27 20:51

Hello Kath

The lighting is most compelling her, with the vivid colors of the first day of autumn at the high elevation, and the landscape above the tree line providing the backdrop. A first class photo, but then we are used to consistently good images from you.

Warm regards,
Bulent

cbrman (18847) 2009-01-27 22:11

Hello Kath,

Splendide sommet émergeant des forêts ! Une image pleine de contraste et de couleurs. Bon choix d'encadrer l'image avec ces sapins.
Une très belle vue sur ce paysage.
Bravo !

A+

Dominique

danyy (68738) 2009-01-27 22:38

Bonjour Kath,
splendide à tous les égards, ce sont surtout les couleurs vives et variées qui me séduisent. Un paysage bien choisi et bien cadré, une scène très nette et lumineuse.
Amitié.
Daniel;

emka (21423) 2009-01-27 23:57

Hi Kath, Indeed splendid view worth a lot of dollars. Although it is so high there are trees still. Interesting colours of rocks. Regards

Malgorzata

Graal (57909) 2009-01-28 0:05

Hi Kath,
beautiful view on the mountain. Great light and pleasant colours. An interesting note about highway. Well photojob.
Gr., Aleksander

Royaldevon (5932) 2009-01-28 1:09

Good Morning Kath,

What a lovely scene!
The golden trees in the f/g seem to welcome you into the shot, whilst the two tall outer trees, funnel the gaze towards the centre.
Good textural details on the mountain. I think the broody clouds behind it help to create a strong, moody atmosphere.
A really well balanced shot.

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

riclopes (32993) 2009-01-28 1:12

Stunning colors here, Kath. I was wondering if the title had to do something with the "Million Dollar baby" movie from Clint Eastwood...In spite of the clouds filling the sky, you still got a good light coming from the right. The yellows are amazing but I think that the 'paintings' on the red mountain are even more beautiful. The total combination of colors make a spectacular image and you did a good work with the pinetrees framing the view.
ricardo

josepmarin (33785) 2009-01-28 2:33

Hello Kath,
the beautiful scenery that surrounds these majestic mountains is very well received in this framing. The quality of the vivid colors on the first day of the autumn gives great chromatic beauty to the trees of these so magnificent forests.
The lighting of the image is perfect, I like the balance of the light and the shades, and the dramatism of the sky.
A superb work.
Best wishes,
Josep

sacavem (8259) 2009-01-28 6:19

Olá kath,

Wonderful view!Good note.Good work to capture this image. Good color and contrast.
Well done.
Best wishes,
Filipe

jwmunro (6575) 2009-01-28 7:58

Hello Kath -

You made the best of the cold, windy, wet day, with the in-and-out light. Impressive! Well done!

The original cost of the highway was a "Million Dollars" but the ore taken out of the ground id more like billions of dollars. The Yankee Girl was in production well into WWII. I think I mentioned these were gold mines, but further reading after you returned to England indicated mostly silver with some gold.

Well done

John

For those who wish to visit, plan on the 3rd week in September as the aspens turn in mid September and last, if lucky, to October 1. This year Kath and Rob were in Colorado at the right time, but the season was about 10 days late. I crossed the central mountains on October 5 and the color was at it's peak. The seasons color is fleeting from year to year.

[2] +

danos (32432) 2009-01-28 8:19

Hello Kath,
great title,the Million dollar view, of this brilliant scene with the yellow leafs of the trees to looks so marvellous,with the light to brings out the details of them.The colourful Mt. with the melt snows on it, make the scene gorgeous.Well done.

Have a nice evening,Danos

Dyerco (9070) 2009-01-28 9:37

Hi Kath
I think the partial sunlight from the side and the mostly grey sky really highlight the colours in this image.
Phil

mark_mk (246) 2009-01-28 10:22

Hi Kath,
a festival of colors this one! The yellow aspens contrast well with the rather dark sky on top. POV is well chosen and the landscape is of course superb. Another great image of your USA trip, looking forward to many more!

Take care
Mark

pasternak (13324) 2009-01-28 11:00

Looks like an old American painting of 19C... the mountain is so well framed and the aspens (I thought they were birches, looking at the picture...) add some neccessary color splash.

Cheers
A

gilou530 (35204) 2009-01-28 12:40

hello kath
these yellow trees of the foreground flashent well in framing, the arid mountain under this cloudy sky contrasts well with the colors of the foreground, a good work
friendships
gilbert

saxo042 (15650) 2009-01-28 12:42

Hi Kath,
Really interesting to see the autumn colours already in September here. We were going the other way about three weeks later, from Montrose down to Durango. A fantasic trip! Indeed a vey fine picture here!
Best regards
Gunnar

PixelTerror (86088) 2009-01-28 13:01

Hi Kath,
Not a very reasonable image in financial crisis times ;-)
But as far as the landscape is concerned, and the pov, and the picture quality, the view is worth every penny... ooops, I meant cent !
Have a nice day jY

Photo65Net (43084) 2009-01-28 13:24

Hello Kath,
Wonderful compo, I like a lot how you used the bright yellow trees in the FG.
Nice job,
Have a nice day,
JB.

Scharan (13951) 2009-01-28 13:39

Olá Kath

Linda, linda esta fotografia...que bela paisagem e cores excepcionais, principalmente destes pinheiros em primeiro plano.
Parabéns!
GA
Vera

robiuk (10763) 2009-01-29 8:34

Certainly an outstanding view, Kath where I would like to
see more from the bottom (maybe the highway itself), but
I suppose this part wasn't as interesting as the part you
framed so carefully.
Cheers,
Robi

chrisnet (20374) 2009-01-29 11:20

Hello Kath,
This landscape is really amazing, I like much the yellow trees in the foreground, nice work.
Regards
Christian

pboehringer (770) 2009-01-29 11:33

Kath,
I have seen already some pretty impressive view of this area and I always get stunned of how much color there is in this surrounding nature. The aspen certainlyu boost it even more. I like the dark clouds but I also imagine how it would look like with a dark blue sky and the sun shining through the leaves.
Peter

macondo (13107) 2009-01-29 14:16

Hello Kath.
Very striking colours in this late summer/early autumn picture. I love the sky here, the amazing colour of the mountain and the gold foliage underneath. And that tiny but nonetheless vital piece of blue sky on the right! An excellent exposure and interesting note.
Regards and best wishes for 2009.
Andrew

stego (22352) 2009-01-29 16:00

Hi Kath,
I am amazed by the apparent quality of the light that doesn't match with the clouded sky. I guess you were both lucky and clever to catch those sudden burst of brighter light that occur in those days. Of course, the spotless exposure and PP also contributed for that. The compo and colours are gorgeous. Indeed a million dollars view, masterfully photographed!
Regards, José.

John_F_Kennedy (31391) 2009-01-29 22:56

I like the vibrant colours of your photo. The leaves looks lovely in their yellow clothes. Well done.
Best wishes,
Achim

Cricri (43092) 2009-01-30 10:24

Hi Kath
Magnifique cette image, une vue intéressante de la montagne de diverse couleurs et de blanc pour enrichir la vue, beau cadrage de ses arbres jaune et vert, une image qui plaît tout assurément, compliment
Good evening for you
cricri

Bluejeans (32269) 2009-01-31 2:21

Ola Kath ,
Que linda visão este parque tem umas paisagens lindíssimas , ficou muito belo este primeiro plano com estas árvores em verde e amarelo , gostei muito do céu nublado , parabéns !!
Um abraço Gonçalo

Emile (19973) 2009-01-31 12:08

Hola Kath.
This is really a superb shot captured from an upward POV, excellent composition, the autumn trees creates nice colors contrast with the different tones of the impressive mountain. Very good light despite a cloudy day. Very well captured.
TFS.
Wish you a nice weekend.
Best regards.

jaywalker (12190) 2009-01-31 15:42

Hi Kath, A Million Dollar View indeed, you have composed this shot brilliantly with the yellow of the trees in the foreground & a stunning mountain range behind, excellent lighting under the cloudy sky, TFS, kind regards Wilson.

JCG (25315) 2009-02-01 3:37

Hi Kath,

The variety of colors is superb on this photograph and the light is there for much too. A landscape splendid and dazzling. Still thank you to share with us these marvellous moments.

With all my friendships and very good Sunday,

Jean-Charles

ruisc_pt (6206) 2009-02-01 7:18

this is a stunning view and spectacular tonalities compo.
simply great Kath,
TFS
Rui

Angshu (33641) 2009-02-03 2:27

Hello Kath
While the barren slopes, shorn of vegetation thanks to mining & quarrying may not be that beautiful, the aspens (something new I learnt...I thought it was a name of a place) with the yellow colours makes up for it. I can see traces of snow as well on the slopes. Interesting note (as always) about the origin of the name! Well done!
Best Regards
Angshu

axiotea (16093) 2009-02-03 9:42

Hello Kath
I did not know which "Million Dollar View" to choose but at the end I had a slight preference for this one... because, IMHO, I found the luminosity and contrast somehow more special! The golden trees give a lovely touch and I'm quite fascinated by the color palette and the snow trails of the mountains.
Marilyn

cdmonson (2751) 2009-02-03 11:35

Hi Kath:

Lovely. This is the southern ranges of the Rocky Mountains at their finest--those smooth bare slopes and the aspens. Excellent shot given the weather you seem to have had.

Clark

Didi (36084) 2009-02-03 15:51

Hi Kath
Wonderfull place indeed and very interesting vertical lights on the trees who contrast well with the dramatic sky.
Best regards.

xuaxo (5719) 2009-02-04 13:04

Hello Kath!
Outstanding view, even with that sky.
Regards,
F.

Hellas (5123) 2009-02-13 2:24

Well-framed picture with lovely autumnal colours and a terrific sky ideal for shooting, in my opinion, of course!

Congratulations,
Athanasios.

plimrn (19624) 2009-02-16 12:31

Kath, this is just beautiful!! I was thinking that the golden aspen made up for the gray sky and then I read Kari's note. I think he's right; the golden shafts of sunlight on the aspen and the mountain are actually enhanced by the gray sky. The framing is perfect too with the evergreen frame and the ridgeline angling up from the aspen.
HLj, Pat

jmcl (13795) 2009-06-21 13:56

Hi Kath!

I hope you and yours are well.

I love the color with this image .. the way the contrast amplifies the power of the place is tremendous .. very nice. take care, John