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Got this shot on a bicycle ride north of Steamboat Springs in 2008.

Starlight Spectacular Preparations

As the sun sets behind the Rockies, volunteers are hard at work preparing for the 2013 Starlight Spectacular bicycle ride, which starts and ends at the Garden of the Gods. The ride starts at 10:30 PM and winds through the streets of Colorado Springs to downtown and back. 2014 marks the 20th anniversary, so make plans now to take part in this special event.

Siamese Gods

The Siamese twins in Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. Caught the sun right as it was setting. That required a quick run up the trail to the stone structures. Luckily I arrived just in time.

Siamese Sunset

We arrived at the Siamese Twins in the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs just in time for sunset. If you've never been to the Garden of the Gods, it's well worth the detour off I-25 if you ever find yourself in the area.

Fintastic Sunrise

The outstanding geologic features of the Garden of the Gods are the ancient sedimentary beds of deep-red, pink, and white sandstones, conglomerates and limestone that were deposited horizontally, but have now been tilted vertically and faulted by the immense mountain building forces caused by the uplift of the Rocky Mountains and the Pikes Peak massif. The following Pleistocene Ice Age resulting in erosion and glaciation of the rock, creating the present rock formations. Evidence of past ages; ancient seas, eroded remains of ancestral mountain ranges, alluvial fans, sandy beaches and great sand dune fields can be read in the rocks. -wikipedia

Garden of the Gods

Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak from the visitor's center in Colorado Springs early on a summer morning.

Water Ripples

Standing in Medano Creek in Great Sand Dunes National Park a couple of weeks ago. The ripples in the water are part of the surge flow phenomenon of the park. It's really quite interesting as the ripples appear our of no where. One minute the water is flat, the next minute these ripples occur as sand dams upstream break and allow water to 'surge' down the creek. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Weather Beaten

The highest sand dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park rise to a height of 755 feet, but from this vantage point as we were leaving the park they look almost as tall at the 13,000 foot peaks in the distance. The dunes cover over 300 square miles and can be seen for miles before you arrive at the park. I captured this image of the dunes in the early evening as the sun was still fairly high in the western sky and we were heading back to town and our hotel for the night. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Afternoon Delight

Watching the sun descend on another day at Great Sand Dunes National Park. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Boys Toys

A reflection of life on Dillon Lake in Colorado. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Rosie Path

Happy World Photo Day! I made this image in June as we were taking in a hike in Silverthorne, Colorado. The wildflowers were in full bloom along this path making for a very enjoyable walk through the woods. I had found the trail through some online research and Google Maps. Looked like a nice hike and it did not disappoint. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Mountain Blues

Along Ten Mile Creek Trail outside of Frisco, Colorado. We were told about this trail by a hiker on another trail we hiked a couple of days earlier. That woman said this was one of her favorite hikes as it ended up being for us too. We saw a few people on the trail that morning, but I think the threat of rain was keeping some away. As you can tell by the water drops on the foliage, we did not escape without a little rain. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Freedom Flag

Happy Fourth of July! I made this on Saturday as we were returning home from Colorado. We saw this neat looking old building as we were passing through Fairplay, Colorado and had to stop to capture it. The town was getting ready for their Fourth of July celebration and had placed little flags in the flower pots along the street. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Time Portal

Looking into the past through a window at Mesa Verde National Park. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Long House

The only way to see the cliff dwellings up and personal at Mesa Verda National Park is on a tour. Tours are often sold out days in advance, but we were lucky on our visit to the park and snagged tours of two of the cliff dwellings. Tours are great to learn information about the site, but hard to get photographs without other tour members in them. But if you're quick and on the ready, you can get some shots devoid of other members of the tour party. This was taken about halfway through our tour of Long House, one of the largest of the cliff dwellings in the park. This was built in the 1300s and still remains today. A true testament to the construction of the people that once called this home. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Turning Yellow

Low clouds and fall colors along the San Juan Skyway in southwest Colorado. Standing in the rain is part of the job as a landscape photographer and there was quite a bit of that on this day touring the skyway. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Golden Road

Being careful to stay off this landowners property, I made this from the highway their private road opens onto. Definitley a place I'd love to call home, especially with all the superb fall colors. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Atlantic Cable Mine

One of the sights along the San Juan Skyway from fall 2018. We just booked our campsite at Rocky Mountain National Park for later this summer and now I have Colorado on my mind. Can't wait to get back to the Rockies! Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Colorful Colorado

A scene along the San Juan Parkway as the fall colors were peaking. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Storms Fall

Fall colors were exploding when we drove the San Juan Skyway in southwest Colorado in early October. It was raining on us for most of the trip as the reminants of Hurricane Rosa made their way into the States. The clouds from the storm provided just the right backdrop for this image made from one of the scenic pullouts along the road. The cross seemed to be leading the viewer to look out at this wonder of nature. It also makes me wonder who placed it there and why. Crosses typically indicate where someone has died. I know we all must die at some point, but if that is why the cross is here, what a beautiful place to leave this world and go on to the next. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Reflective Bear

We have returned from Colorado and I am finally working through the images I captured while we were there. This image is at the end of a day on Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. By this time of day the crazy crowds that dominate this part of the park to hike to and see Dream Lake and Emerald Lake are gone. Although Bear Lake is overlooked in comparison to the other two, it has it's own charm and is best enjoyed early or late in the day. I caught a break in the wind and was able to capture an almost mirrorlike surface in the lake. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Evening Bear

I needed a little escape to the mountains today. Evening on Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Sprague Sunrise

Sunrise on Sprague Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Getting up before dawn can have it's advantages. We finally had a few clouds in the sky on this morning after several days of clear blue skies. I always enjoy what a few clouds add to a scene. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Bierstadt Lake

I have been a fan of the 19th century painter Albert Bierstadt since I was in college and discovered his work. When we made our trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, Bierstadt Lake was on my list of places I wanted to hike to when we were there. Although I would have preferred a little less wind for better reflections off the lake or a little more dramatic weather, I'll take what I got and share it. It is still a beautiful scene that I would gladly revisit if given the opportunity. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Mountain Chapel

Just one of the images you'll be able to enjoy for an entire month on your wall if you purchase one of my 2020 calendars. Your continued support is always appreciated! A link to my calendar can be found on my website under the Merchandise link in the header of any page on my website. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Rise Up

View from one of the more scenic drives I have been on. This is in a remote part of Colorado without a lot of traffic. I loved how this ranch land led up to the summits of Chair Mountain and Ragged Peak. Beautiful part of the world that I hope to return to in the fall someday. With the aspens on the slopes I can only imagine what this looks like in the right light in autumn. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Gunnison Fall

Most photographs I have seen of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison show images of the canyon looking down to the water. The canyon is impressive and I can understand the focus for those images, heck I've taken quite a few with that vantage point as well. But sometimes I like to focus on different aspects of popular destinations. We got up early one morning to catch the canyon before the walls were illuminated. I found this clump of trees hanging to the edge of the canyon as the first morning rays of sun hit them. The rest of the canyon was still cast in shadow at this point providing a nice contrast with the illuminated trees just beginning to show their fall colors. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Bishop's Castle

Remembering not so long ago when social distancing wasn't a thing. This was probably one of the more closed in feeling places I have ever been. So many people all over the place with little respect for personal space. Quite a feat of architecture. Makes you feel like you stepped onto a Harry Potter set. But the sheer number of people inside was enough to put me off. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Colorado Sunrise

Sunrise on a smoky morning near Canon City. The smoke from the wildfires in the western US was pretty thick on the morning I took this as evidence in the red glow in the sky. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)