Colorado Places and Beauty

[TerryMiller]

If you have any questions about cameras, just ask. In many cases, if one's needs aren't too elaborate for photography, I generally recommend getting a lower priced body and better lenses. Although my cameras are far from low priced, the lenses actually do more for the photos than the body.

I tell folks all the time that I own two very expensive "point and shoot" cameras. While they have the capability of doing more creative photos, I'm not that creative. I generally use the "Program" or "Auto" modes.

 

[dennishoddy]

Our Sony has a feature that takes three pics with the auto feature.
Takes one under exposed, one at the recommended exposure and over exposes one.
99% of the time the recommended exposure wins.

 

[dosequis]

would love to visit colorado one day after seeing all these pictures.

 

[PanhandleGlocker]

a lower priced body and better lenses.

This is what I have heard as well.

 

[TerryMiller]

Just as a note, but not something to recommend unless one has quite a bit of money for equipment, since I purchased a full-frame camera (the D700), I have become spoiled with the quality of the images. I don't know what they are called in other brand names, but with Nikon, DX cameras have a smaller area with the sensor, thus, one doesn't get quite as much "territory" in the image as the full-frame FX cameras do. I can tell quite a bit of difference between my FX and the DX (D300) bodies.

In a sense, I made a mistake in wanting a Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. When I got it, all I had was the D300 (DX) and didn't know the difference. Later, when helping a coworker's wife choose a camera, I found out that the 70-200mm lens was an FX lens. Well, of course, that led me to looking at FX cameras. I got my D700 on E-bay for about $1500 for the body alone. When it sold new, they were around $3300. While I do have one issue with the FX, it is still the camera I prefer to use, and do use the most.

 

[TerryMiller]

I've been remiss in posting photos, largely because of having been dealing with the health issues of one of our sons. While both the wife and I spent a month in OKC with helping to care for him, she had to stay while I came back to Colorado. Since I've not been out and around to take new photos, I thought I'd just throw in a few that were taken in different parts of the state of Colorado over a number of years.

This first one isn't scenic so much, but it is interesting because of its construction. This is called "Bishop's Castle," and it is a structure that has been built over the decades by someone that really seems to enjoy "messing with the government." He (and his father before him, I think) has done a lot of mason work to build much of this, welding to construct expanded metal walkways in various parts of the structure, and much else. He even has a gas line going to the head of the dragon with which he can make it breathe fire. I'll leave those that are interested in this to look up the place on the internet. Bishop's Castle is located south of Florence, Colorado on highway 165.



This photo was taken from the metal structure at the very top of the tall tower of Bishop's Castle. Getting around on the structure means that one doesn't want to have a fear of heights, and my wife even made sure to stay close to the building itself when walking on any of the outside metal walkways.



This is a view of the Great Sand Dunes National Park from the area of Zapata Falls.



This stream and area of trees is located at Zapata Falls. The falls themselves are back inside of a cave, so the falls are not visible from outside. This next image is taken from the perspective from the trail to the cave and looking north towards Great Sand Dunes National Park.



The couple in this image are at the mouth of the cave. Incidentally, if one wants to go back inside and see the falls, it may require walking in the stream itself to get there, depending on water levels and flow. Oh, and the water is definitely cold.



This next image was taken in 2009 when we were near Pagosa Springs for a two week vacation. This image was taken in the area of some bluffs that are near the Piedra River, which is about 16 miles northwest of Pagosa Springs.

 

[TwoForFlinching]

I got bored at work, hope you don't mind Terry...

 

[TerryMiller]

I got bored at work, hope you don't mind Terry...
View attachment 47107

I don't mind. I don't do much, if anything, in the way of post-processing. At the most, I may crop out something at the edge of the photo, or maybe I'll lighten an image that I think really should be lighter in order to be accurate to what I remember seeing when I took the picture.

 

[dennishoddy]

Do they allow ATV riding at the great sand dunes like at Little Sahara?

 

[TerryMiller]

Dennis,

No, they don't. At least, not according to the url below:

Leave No Trace