Last Light on the Sawatch Range

from $90.00

I reached the summit parking lot on Independence Pass just as the sky began to bleed a deep, heavy orange. A small handful of travelers were gathered in the gravel area, bundled tight against the sudden drop in temperature. I hoisted my heavy camera pack, grabbed my carbon fiber tripod, and broke into a jog up the paved summit trail.

Let me tell you, running at 12,095 feet is a violent reality check for your lungs. Within fifty yards, my chest was heaving and my throat was burning from the thin, crisp air. But as I stopped to catch my breath at the top of the overlook, a profound sense of joy completely eclipsed the physical strain. I was standing on one of the highest paved mountain passes in North America.

Originally an old toll road carved through the mountains during the silver boom, this narrow stretch of Highway 82 is a seasonal wonder. It sits closed entirely all winter under tens of feet of snow, only recently cleared by heavy bulldozers for a brief summer window. It serves as a stark, wild gateway to the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness, a place where human engineering stops and the raw, unyielding elements of the alpine tundra take over.

Standing there, looking out over the endless waves of peaks making up the Rockies, a single thought repeated in my mind: I love where I live.

I felt an overwhelming wave of gratitude in that moment. I was thankful for the health and physical stamina to run around at twelve thousand feet, for the means to drive just a few hours from my front door to witness what felt like the edge of the world, and for the exact timing that placed me here for this specific sunset.

The peaks of the Sawatch Range were caught in a fiery, deep crimson light, and the remnant clouds from the afternoon storm had transformed into brilliant pink mares' tails across the sky. I moved off the paved path carefully, stepping only on solid rock to ensure I didn't crush the fragile, slow-growing alpine flora that takes decades to recover from a single careless footprint. I locked down the tripod and pressed the shutter, capturing a fleeting moment of pure alpine fire.

I reached the summit parking lot on Independence Pass just as the sky began to bleed a deep, heavy orange. A small handful of travelers were gathered in the gravel area, bundled tight against the sudden drop in temperature. I hoisted my heavy camera pack, grabbed my carbon fiber tripod, and broke into a jog up the paved summit trail.

Let me tell you, running at 12,095 feet is a violent reality check for your lungs. Within fifty yards, my chest was heaving and my throat was burning from the thin, crisp air. But as I stopped to catch my breath at the top of the overlook, a profound sense of joy completely eclipsed the physical strain. I was standing on one of the highest paved mountain passes in North America.

Originally an old toll road carved through the mountains during the silver boom, this narrow stretch of Highway 82 is a seasonal wonder. It sits closed entirely all winter under tens of feet of snow, only recently cleared by heavy bulldozers for a brief summer window. It serves as a stark, wild gateway to the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness, a place where human engineering stops and the raw, unyielding elements of the alpine tundra take over.

Standing there, looking out over the endless waves of peaks making up the Rockies, a single thought repeated in my mind: I love where I live.

I felt an overwhelming wave of gratitude in that moment. I was thankful for the health and physical stamina to run around at twelve thousand feet, for the means to drive just a few hours from my front door to witness what felt like the edge of the world, and for the exact timing that placed me here for this specific sunset.

The peaks of the Sawatch Range were caught in a fiery, deep crimson light, and the remnant clouds from the afternoon storm had transformed into brilliant pink mares' tails across the sky. I moved off the paved path carefully, stepping only on solid rock to ensure I didn't crush the fragile, slow-growing alpine flora that takes decades to recover from a single careless footprint. I locked down the tripod and pressed the shutter, capturing a fleeting moment of pure alpine fire.

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Metal Prints

Metal prints are celebrated for their unmatched durability and vibrant color presentation, delivering extraordinary sharpness and detail. The sleek, modern finish enhances the luminosity of each image, making colors pop with a radiant glow. With superior fade resistance, metal prints maintain their brilliance over time, embodying the pinnacle of photographic reproduction.

Each image is first printed to a transfer paper, then infused into Chromaluxe metal by heat and pressure. This process combined with our custom made color profiles give true to life colors and exceptional detail.

Fine Art Glicee Paper Prints

Fine art prints stand out with their exceptional quality, capturing the subtlety of shades and the intricacies of texture, ideal for reproducing artworks and photographs with artistic merit. Their archival inks and heavyweight papers promise longevity and aesthetic appeal, offering a sophisticated, gallery-worthy presentation that honors the creator's vision. All fine art prints require framing. I currently do not offer framing or mat boards for photo prints and fine art prints.

My fine art prints utilize the highest quality archival inks printed onto premium photo paper. This process ensures a sharp and true-to-life image, reflecting both the subtleties and vibrance of the original.

Canvas Prints

A museum-quality canvas ready for display. Using the giclee printing process, archival ink is sprayed onto these fine art canvases and gallery-wrapped. These prints feature subtle fine art texture with ultra-tight corners and sharp color accuracy.

All photos are printed on certified archival quality canvas that is hand-stretched in the USA around a 1.5” wood stretcher frame. Canvas includes a smooth matte finish that eliminates any unwanted glare or reflections. Canvas is a poly-cotton blend that is guaranteed to have a 100+ year display life. With no optical brighterners or synthetic fibers, this is considered the highest quality canvas available in the photo printing industry. Once wrapped, a durable display handware is attached directly to the back of the canvas. Depending on the size, this will either be a sawtooth or wire for hanging.

Recommend using a microfiber towel to remove dust or fingerprints.