Clear Lake – Funeral at 12,000 ft
Followers of this blog rarely see photographs of flowers. No offense to flower lovers, but I’ve never been inclined to shoot them. However, July in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado offers opportunities to shoot wild flowers in spectacular landscapes that cannot be ignored. Clear Lake, at 11,965 ft above sea level, serves up an unbelievable combination of wild flowers, water, ice, and snow covered peaks. It also served up quite a surprise that I could not have predicted.
As I approached this beautiful scene, I noticed a small group of people huddled on a rock out cropping just above the lake (right of frame). I approached the group to say hello. To my surprise and embarrassment, I realized they were conducting a funeral ceremony. I apologized for interrupting and backed away to give them their privacy. After spreading ashes and singing a hymn, two members of the group approached me. They dismissed my apology for intruding on their private moment. In fact, I was told “she” was a friendly sort and did not mind my presence (their mother, I presume). They indicated she loved this place and visited often. After a few moments of friendly conversation, they asked me to use their camera to take a picture of their group. Of course I was happy to oblige. We chatted a bit more after which they got into their vehicles and left me and their loved one to make this photograph of summer at nearly 12,000 ft. I guess if one had an opportunity to choose, Clear Lake would be a suitable view for eternity.
In the midst of my awkward intrusion, we failed to exchange contact info and the idea of offering them a photograph of their special place escaped me. I hope they will contact me if by some incredible chance they should discover this blog.
Technical: This photo was made from a three image stack blended with CS5 (to maximize sharpness front to back). The three images were taken with a Canon 5D Mark II and Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 L USM II 1/60s f/16.0 at 19mm iso100. I also used a 2 stop hard edge graduated ND filter to avoid blowing out the highlights in the snow and clouds.
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Click image for larger view.
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Clear Lake - San Juan Mountains, CO
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Date: July 9, 2011
Categories: Landscapes, Nature, Photography Technique
