Little Red House on the Mountain

I spent the first weekend in April on a mountain top in Utah. It snowed for 24 hours straight and when it stopped snowing, Oh. My. what a beautiful world. This shot was taken just before dawn. The sun is illuminating the sky in the west, but hasn't hit ground level yet. Notice how the trees lead up to and embrace the little red "house," in a very satisfying composition.

Aspens 1

Adobe's Lightroom is the most amazing tool. I used its "cold tone" preset as a starting point to make this image look as wintery as possible. By contrast, the next picture has no manipulation at all. The file is pretty much just how it came out of the camera.

Aspens 2

This is how the aspen grove looked in real life.

Winter Scene 1

Another "cold tone" treatment. I love how the tops of the trees pop against the shadowed hillside behind them.

Winter Scene 2

This is the scene as it actually looked. It's beautiful, but it doesn't evoke winter as strongly as the toned picture. In fact, to my eye, the toned picture almost looks more realistic!

Sunshine and Shadows

The valley floor is bathed in late afternoon sunlight. Rapidly moving clouds shroud the mountains. A red tractor casts a long shadow in the pasture. Springtime in Cache Valley, Utah.