ASPEN Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

ASPEN

The state of Colorado is virtually synonymous in the American mind with the Rocky Mountains, and the town of Aspen in Colorado is synonymous with skiing, fashionable stores, and the rich and the famous. There is also a dichotomy of the environmentally minded and those given to ostentatious excess and conspicuous consumption. At the airport a Hollywood actress was seen descending from the stairs of an airplane, wearing an ermine fur coat, when an environmentalist approached her, and declared with disdain, “Do you know how many ermines lost their lives so that you could have that coat!” The actress, without blinking an eye, responded, “Do you know how many men I went to bed with to own this coat!”

Aspen Mountain is the premiere ski resort in the Aspen area. The rich and famous come from across the country to ski these slopes, varying from intermediate to advanced. There are no beginner runs here. Among the advanced slopes is “ the elevator shaft,” a seemingly vertical drop, certainly not for the faint of heart.

I had visited Aspen several times in the past both in the summer and winter. Last weekend, I was participating in a conference on Florence and Leonardo da Vinci at the Aspen Institute, and indeed, signing advance copies of my new book, “Leonardo’s Universe.” (My new, but already good friend, Ross King, author of the best selling book, “Brunelleschi’s Dome,” was one of the other two lecturers.) The three days, December 12-15, were marked by almost continuous snowfall, and frigid temperatures, often around -18° C (0° F). I was staying with close friends, who live on Red Mountain, facing the ski slopes on Aspen Mountain. On my last day in Aspen, as we drove down from Red Mountain on our way to the conference, I saw this glorious view, with the sunlight having replaced the overcast sky, illuminating the valley below. When we stopped to take a series of photographs of this winter wonderland, I steadied my camera against an aspen tree, the species that give the town its name. My host pointed out the claw marks on the very same tree that a grizzly bear had recently used to sharpen its claws, an image which I will post later. These trees, known for their silvery bark, are reminiscent of The Birch Tree.

Nikon D200, 28-200 mm Nikkor lens. Aperture set at f/22 for maximum depth of field.

ChrisJ, ahmetgedikli, papagolf21, meltemi, Buin, zeynepe, ymrk, Tezic, kermit350, feather, belido, azaf1, cunejo200, stego, Bluejeans, gunbud, dareco, jhm, isabela_sor, g_panakia, JCG, Kielia, fulvio52, paololg, Gerrit, MLINES, yedirenk, Clementi, Uhu, gracious, Sistercosmo, Wandering_Dan, parbo, siolaw, Emile, Charo, daddo has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

feather (50144) 2008-12-19 5:49

It seems I arrived before you put your WS up, so I will see that later. This is a beautiful snow scene, with the winter light just reaching a small part of the landscape. F22 certainly gave you plenty of depth as the foreground and background are equally in focus. Good framing/cropping with the trees on the left standing guard over the whole scene.
Well done
Kath

kermit350 (8988) 2008-12-19 5:51

Merhaba Bulent, Very beautiful environment in half-tone because of antagonism between this marvellous light and parts in opposition with dimensions semi-shade which encircles this territory of the bears, a sight which carries very far and is with the image of Colorado, beautiful and imperceptible, the bond towards the cardinal to perch on one of the branches of are birch, from its colour arises marvelously well from the landscape, your text to support well by a note of the photographer, centres the interest on a fauna partly occulted by the imposing decoration of this area of the world, your photograph and are text centres by colouring all the interest of this fauna, arkadasça selamlar ........................Merhaba Bulent,

Très belle ambiance en demi-teinte du fait de l’antagonisme entre cette merveilleuse lumière et les parties en opposition coté mi-ombre qui cerne ce territoire des ours, une vue qui porte très loin et est à l’image du Colorado, belle et insaisissable,
le lien vers le cardinal percher sur une des branches de sont bouleau, de par ses teinte ressort merveilleusement bien du paysage, ton texte bien appuyer par une note du photographe, recentre l’intérêt sur une faune en partie occultée par le décor grandiose de cette région du monde, ta photo et sont texte recentre par imager tout l’intérêt de cette faune, arkadasça selamlar

Tezic (16927) 2008-12-19 5:52

merhaba Bülent Bey,
geri plandaki yatay ışığın sıcaklığı ve sayesinde elde edilen pastel ton yumuşak renk armonisi çok güzel... öndeki bölümün karanlık ortamda kalmasına rağmen belirginliği ve netliği de harika olmuş.. enfes bir doğa kompozisyonu... tebrikler....

ymrk (9105) 2008-12-19 5:53

Merhaba Hocam;
Bulutlar,manzara enfes...Özellikle karbeyazın üzerine düşe kısmi güneş ışığını çok beğendim.
Elinize sağlık,muhteşem bir görüntü...
Selamlarla

YAĞMUR

zeynepe (9360) 2008-12-19 6:29

Merhaba Bulent Bey,
O muhtesem ısik ve bulutlar bu harika kıs manzarasini daha da mukemmellestirmis.
Ozellikle kar yagmadigi icin buralarda, ve ben de cok ozledigim icin bu kareyi cok sevdim.
Tebrikler, iyi haftasonlari,
zeynep

Buin (38220) 2008-12-19 8:15

Hallo Bulent!
That's what I call a "chritsmassy" atmosphere! A wondeful sight!
This view out of the shade to this sunlit part of the landscape works very well and somehow creates even more depth. I would like to step into your picture ... ;-)
Greetings from wet and cold Germany - and have a Merry Christmas!
Frank

PS: I do not post photos for 7 days - I'm on strike. Please read in the forum about "Polonaise's" deleted account. I think the absolutist and narrow-minded TE moderators behave like children ...

TGULUMSER (12514) 2008-12-19 8:51

Bulent Bey merhaba,
Kar manzarasi muhtesem, sakin bir atmosfer var, arka plandaki gunesli yerler cok guzel gorunuyor,
Elinize saglik,
Tulay

papagolf21 (56733) 2008-12-19 11:41

Bonsoir, cher ami Bulent,
J'admire l'éternel voyageur qui a la gentillesse de ne pas oublier ses amis de TE pour nous montrer des lieux qui font rêver. Ici, encore, la beauté est manifeste.
Quant à la lumière, elle est tout simplement splendide.
Une très belle réalisation (mais, cela ce n'est pas nouveau) !
Joyeuses fêtes mon ami.
Philippe

meltemi (9746) 2008-12-19 11:48

Hello Bulent,
absolutely beautiful. Perfect light, color, textures. This place must be very special,there's a lovely feeling from it - the cold snow, and the warming sun. You capture the moment very well here and I like the way the light is reflected from the snow especially because of the contrast between the warm tone and snow-covered trees imply a cold day. Very interesting nore too.
All the best.
Stella

ahmetgedikli (22094) 2008-12-19 12:50

Hocam; ne kadar güzel bir kış manzarası; yeni, taptaze...
Selamlar, saygılar....
Ahmet

berek (29019) 2008-12-19 14:56

Merhaba Bülent bey,
kışın göbeğinden çıkmış gelmiş bir fotograf çok dengeli ve ışık süper. elinize sağlık. selamlar ve sevgiler.
Burak
yolda...

ChrisJ (70443) 2008-12-19 15:38

Merhaba Bulent

I like the sunlit snowy peaks in the bg. Good high pov, with superb sharpness & lighting contrasts. Nice repetition of the horizontal layers. The blue vs yellow color contrast works well here. Merry xmas!

BWJ (1775) 2008-12-19 20:12

Hello Bulent,
The angle from which the picture was taken gives a very acute enhanced sense of perspective portraying the majesty of Aspen Mountain. Snow covered trees in the foreground, the stream of golden sunlight across the valley and the delicately colored sky with snow clouds on the horizon make a gorgeous winter scene further heightened by the various textures and shapes. Exquisite!
Kind regards,
Betty

mesutilgim (37268) 2008-12-20 3:15

Selam sevgili Bülent,
Muhteşem bir kare ! Arka planda tepelere düşen ışık harika bir etki yaratmış.
Çok güzel kadraj ve çok iyi ışık kuallanımı. Verdiğin güzel açıklamalarla da iyice zenginleşmiş bir TE katkısı.
Tebrikler
Selam ve sevgiler
MESUT ILGIM

azaf1 (15547) 2008-12-20 5:17

Good morning Bulent
A very famous place indeed, taken at a perfect moment. Excellent POV and sharp details, but its main asset is the stripe of light right in the middle giving a nice 1/2 frame and the sharpness of detail.
Have a nice w-end and TFS
Argiris

carper (65622) 2008-12-20 9:09

this is a very famous winter sport place Bulent.
a very nice shot you made here, well taken good atmosphere an d a nice balance in the shot, well done and good photo job, have a nice weekend my friend.
regard jaap

cunejo200 (7237) 2008-12-20 13:30

Hello Bulent,
This is indeed my impression of Aspen. Fantastic natural framing. The exposure settings chosen certainly yielded an image with striking depth. My compliments and wishing you happy holidays...Danilo

stego (22448) 2008-12-20 14:06

Hi Dear Bülent,
The scenery is magnificent, and not surprisingly you knew how to get a great compo, but what makes this photo so special is that glimpse of golden sun on the relative darkness of the rest of the image. It looks a challenging light situation with which you coped spotlessly. It was very wise to use that small aperture because any minor blur would make the photo much less appealing.
It seems that your new book is finally about to come public. I congratulate you for it and I wish you have much success with it.
Warm regards, José.

anokutan (7881) 2008-12-21 7:22

Bülent bey merhaba,
Çok nefis bir bakış açısı.Kompozisyon harika.Bazı bölgelerin ışık alması da çok yakışmış karenize.Selamlar.

ysabaner (1067) 2008-12-21 8:05

Bülent Hocam merhaba,
Güzel bir kış manzarası, bakış açısı, ışık ve renklerin kullanımı harika, tebrikler.
Selamlar saygılar.
Yahya

Bluejeans (33049) 2008-12-21 8:32

Ola amigo ,
Lindo ponto de visão com estas montanhas cobertas por um manto de neve ficou muito bonita a luz a iluminar a neve , gostei muito deste primeiro plano com esta casa , parabéns!!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

Bom Natal

gunbud (28153) 2008-12-21 8:59

Hi Bulent,
Beautiful shot across the modern rooftops to the timeless beauty of the rugged snow covered peaks.
Love the brooding winter sky that promises more snow.
It's a tad warmer here in the northeast (about 5F) with a promise of a big snowfall this afternoon.
Regards, Tom

dareco (17104) 2008-12-21 19:16

When I look at this picture I start to hear John Denver music playing in my head :) I love Colorado, and the mountains are spectacular (although I nearly died of food poisoning in a tiny little town while the roads were all closed due to snow storm) but still I have great memories and have always planned to go back. You've given us a wonderful view, I love the lighting and the detail is very good. TFS

belido (16813) 2008-12-22 2:36

Hi Bulent,

you know that when I was in Colorado in 1997, Aspen was in the list but unfortunately there was no time to visit such nice place. I was in my way to there but gave up...the choice was Cooper Mountain for skiing. Your image shows a very particular winter scene. Very good composition with the trees and house in the foreground making the inviation and really good dof. Very well done!
Regards,
Carlos

jhm (83298) 2008-12-22 5:11

Hello friend Bulent,

Splendid winter mountain landscape image.
We see regular discussion between photographers about F/22, I am a great proponent for these worth, indeed you create a maximum depth of field.
Like those colours in this well composed and captured take
Quality and sharpness are superb
Lovely colours, splendid presentation. TFS.

Best regards,
John.

isabela_sor (42455) 2008-12-22 6:18 [Comment]

Show Comment

g_panakia (4004) 2008-12-22 7:07

hi bulent!
this is a really glorious view of Aspen!
i like the way snow covered everything and the way the sun's ray get into the picture and shine a small piece of the it so beautifully!!!
great winter shot!
have a nice afternoon :)
georgia

JCG (25745) 2008-12-23 7:46

Hello Bülent,

The French Central Meteorological Office envisages lower temperatures on France as from next Thursday… Perhaps that I will have snow in Brittany during my holidays in family !!! Very beautiful sight on this famous ski station, I like much the contrast of light with these enlightened reliefs which are emphasized well. The very good one and pleasant photograph, Bülent cheer and thank you for the always interesting comment.

With all my friendships and I also wish you a merry Christmas (into Breton: nedeleg laouen) like with all your family and of very good festivals of end of the year,

Jean-Charles

Silvio1953 (42769) 2008-12-23 10:41

Ciao Bulent, wonderful composition with lovely village, beautiful winter landscape full of snow, very well done, Happy Holidays to you, ciao Silvio

Kielia (8729) 2008-12-23 10:58

Hello Bulent,
Aspen is a wonderful place with a sublime scenery and this is exactly the essence of your composition. A great capture of this beautiful light on the mountains! TFS!
With my best wishes for a wonderful turn of the year!
Harriet

fulvio52 (8314) 2008-12-24 1:19

Merhaba, Bulent.
First of all, thanks a lot for visiting my Independence Pass lately, I greatly appreciate. Wish I could've replied earlier, but the last few days have been quite hectic in terms of work and lack of time. Aspen, uh? Lovely, soothing view, bathing in a most intriguing and magnificent light. Excellent overall focus and great wintery atmosphere. It sure looks very different from the Aspen I saw four months ago, too much confusion for my own taste at the time. I like THIS Aspen much better! Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year to you and your family, my friend. And may 2009 bring us all tons of health, love, great travels and great pictures! Have a nice day, I'll be seeing you.
Fulvio.

Gerrit (36259) 2008-12-24 9:45

Hi Bulent,
Aspen - the classic Christmas resort -it just looks great with that sunlight falling upon the snowy mountains.
Have a great Christmas
Gerrit

paololg (14227) 2008-12-24 9:55

Hi dear Bulent,
as you say in yours beautiful notes, this ray of sun that goes out of the clouds and illuminates the mountain is really suggestive and it makes us understand how much the universe is beautiful. I have to thank you for the whole beautiful photos that you have posted in TE and for all the lessons of history and culture that you have given us in your notes.
I wish you, and your family, a beautiful Christmas and so much happiness!
Merry Christmas ! ( U.S. version :-).... )

Ciao caro Bulent,
come tu dici nelle tue belle note, questo raggio di sole che esce dalle nuvole e illumina la montagna è veramente suggestivo e ci fa capire quanto è bello l'universo. Io devo ringraziarti per tutte le belle foto che hai postato in TE e per tutte le lezioni di storia e cultura che ci hai dato nelle tue note.
Auguro a te e la tua famiglia un bellissimo Natale e tanta felicità!
Buon Natale! ( Italian version :-).... )

Ciao!
Paolo

MLINES (10948) 2008-12-24 13:57

Hi Bulent. This is a well balanced if wintery scene from one of the world's best known ski areas. -18 degrees takes a bit of getting used to i bet, you'll need a good warm dring coming in from that sort of weather. All the best for Xmas, it has been fun to see your photos and read your fine comments on various places especially around the Mediterranean. TFS. Murray.

PS I'd like to buy a signed copy of your new book if you let me know how to pay etc.

yedirenk (7541) 2008-12-25 1:11

Merhaba Bülent Hocam,
Dünyaca ünlü Aspen i harika görüntülemişsiniz.ışık netlik ve detaylar çok doğal.arka plandaki güneş ışıkları ayrı bir güzellik katmış.çok Güzel bir noel kartı gibi.ellerinize sağlık.iyi seneler.
selamlar,saygılar

Cevdet

Clementi (45179) 2008-12-25 2:40

Ciao Bulent,
fine shot,Splendid winter mountain landscape image.
Like those colours in this well composed and captured take.
Buon Natale.
Giorgio

Uhu (7434) 2008-12-25 4:49

Very good photo with strong contrasts and excellent note!
Merry Christmas to you and your dear ones!

gracious (20017) 2008-12-25 9:38

Merhaba Prof.Bulent,
Selamlah!!
I always read through the notes than admire the image later! very interesting and informative always! much appreciated!
I loved the partial sunlight that illuminating the valley below!
good framing with the dried trees and a good fg interests!!
my sincere and warmest greeing to you and family in US!
a hug from NZ
Tony

Sistercosmo (2681) 2008-12-25 11:05

Hi Bulent,
wonderful photo with a very informative note. Good thing you didn't have to fight with the bear over who gets to use the tree! The Aperture setting does indeed give a wonderful dof. Very beautifully done.
Happy Holidays and a healthy 2009 filled with priceless gifts, that's my wish for you!
Warm regards,
Linda

Wandering_Dan (3289) 2008-12-25 15:48

Merhaba, Bulent -

Great light management here in a difficult setting. The light, shadows and snow all combine to create a lovely winter mood. The almost square format works well to keep the trees on the left from unbalancing the picture.

Happy holidays,
Dan

Graal (58714) 2008-12-26 3:52

Hi Bulent,
very nice winter landscape, good POV and composition. An interesting informations. I like it but I have proposal on other version.
Happy New Yar 2009 to You and your family!
Aleksander

[workshop] [compare] +

anesugur (16998) 2008-12-26 12:27

Merhaba Hocam;
Bu hafta itibarıyla Ankara'da kar görmek için camdan bakmak yeterli. Dağlara çıkmaya gerek kalmadı.
Adını çok duyduğumuz bu yeri çok güzel fotoğraflamışsınız.
Selam ve saygılar. Uğur

Colombiana (2546) 2008-12-26 14:21

Hello Bulent,
I remember this beautiful views very well from last trip to Colorado back in March. We did not go to Aspen, but to Beaver Creek and Vail. Can you believe we drove all the way from Miami? I don’t recommend it. It was the most exhausting experience ever! I was sick by the time we entered Kansas (literally)! It took us two days from Miami, but only day and half on our way back.
I enjoyed the views, but no talent to ski whatsoever. No even the ultra beginners’ class was enough for me :) so I gave up and just sit watched people ski :-) and yes, some photos here and there…

Best wishes to you and yours! Prosperous 2009!

Maryori

emka (22285) 2008-12-27 2:00

Hi Bulent, Magnificent panorama of the snowy mountains. I like the houses in the fg and trees covered with a thick layer of snow and this light is fantastic. I was not so far from Aspen but we had no time to go there. It is not possible to see everything. Splendid composition. Warm regards

Malgorzata

parbo (11006) 2008-12-27 17:00

Hello Mr. Atalay,

I selected your this wonderful photo due to fantastic light on Aspen. Your timing is really amazing for capturing this rarely available moment. I liked your way also for building a wonderful scene very creatively while including a difficult part of snowy weather under very different light conditions. Splendid clarity and sharpness in natural colors. Congratulations.

With my best new year wishes to you and your family.

Best Regards,

Ertugrul

siolaw (25830) 2008-12-28 21:21

Hi Bulent,
I appreciate the fine exposure, balancing well highlights and shadows which retained good details. A refreshing view for us who live in the eternal warmth of the tropics!
Best regards
Laurent

Angshu (34093) 2008-12-29 19:57

Hello Professor 'A'
I've heard about Aspen as one of the favoured skiing destinations. Beautiful effect of the light as it makes that part stand out from the shaded parts. We see a good amount of details in the shade as well, which makes this lovely viewing. Framing with the trees on the left was also a fine idea. The depth is impressive thanks to the f/22. Excellent!
Hope you had a great Christmas...
With warmest Regards
Angshuman

kensimage (8543) 2009-01-01 9:22

Nice wintry light here, Bulent, and those branches set against the sky add to the cold and stark mood. I think the WS has better colors, but I think I prefer the way you kept the shadowed areas dark, to de-emphasize the houses and make the sunlit areas stand out more. It feels more wintry that way. Happy New Year! Regards, Ken.

mumek (17506) 2009-01-03 12:38

Good afternoon Bulent!
Very artistic winter landscape from Aspen.Fantastic colours, lovely light, fine details. Thanks for very informative note
best regards
ziggy

Emile (20117) 2009-01-04 7:10

Hola Bulent.
Nice winter scene captured from a high POV, your f22 was a good idea to see the whole landscape in perfect focus. Nice lights and shadows contrast. Very well captured.
Happy New Year my friend and thank you for your wonderful note.
Greetings.

Charo (31779) 2009-01-09 17:51

Hello Bulent,
This is Europe at the moment, a Siberian cold snap has arrived and has brought heavy snow.
Excellent composition and wonderful light.
Best regards,
Charo

daddo (11535) 2009-02-10 19:00

Merhaba Bulent Bey. Nice juxtapositioning of a world of shadows and a world of light.although the foreground is devoid of sunlight, it is rich in details and the eye wanders and wonders there before it is drawn to the area of light.Beautiful scene. Selamlar. Klaudio.

sand (2) 2009-12-02 16:24

Thank you for your beautiful photo. You certainly know how to find the light. It must be your painter's eye. Also I very much like how the bare trees stand out against the lighted sky.

Sand