My picks for the Best Photos of 2012.

Evergreen Lake, Evergreen, Colorado.

Maroon Bells, Aspen, Colorado.

Arches National Park, Utah.

Guanella Pass, Georgetown, Colorado.

Snow making at Keystone, Colorado.

Moose, Walden, Colorado.

Moon rise, Denver, Colorado.

Lair of the Bear Open Space, Jefferson County.

Bald Eagle, Chatfield State Park, Littleton, Colorado.

Lair of the Bear Open Space, Jefferson County.

Sunset, Walden, Colorado.

Arches Nation Park, Utah.

Thunder storm, top of Mount Evans.

Butterfly,  Evergreen, Colorado.

Elk crossing, Evergreen, Colorado.

Candlestick Tower, Canyonland National Park, Utah.

Rudi Reservoir, Basalt, Colorado.

Top of Mount Evans, Colorado.

Wild flowers, Aspen, Colorado.

Elk, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

Snow line, Evergreen, Colorado.

Guanella Pass, Georgetown, Colorado.

Picknick table, Evergreen, Colorado.

Crane, Monte Vista, Colorado.

Mount Evans, Colorado.

Leonid Meteor Shower, Guanella Pass, Georgetown, Colorado.

Aspen tree, Evergreen, Colorado.

Sunset, Chatfield State Park, Littleton, Colorado.

At the end of every year, I pick my top 25 photos, from my blog shoots. This year I had trouble getting it down to 25. After spending some time trying to figure out which images to get rid of, I thought, hey, it's my blog, do what you want. So this is my top 28 from the year, 2012.

The page views for my blog "X Marks the Shot" toped 30,000, this year. I really don't know how good that is but I want to thank those who took the time to look at my photos.  If you have any questions, or a Colorado location suggestion, please feel free to contact me, email or phone.

ALL PHOTOS ARE FOR SALE, CONTACT EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW.

kenpapaleo@highcountrycoloring.com

Ken Papaleo

     Colorado Photographer

303-674-0615

Weekend Flash Back - Tuba Festival, Denver, Co., 12/10/2006.

"X Shot" information.

Camera -Canon EOS-1D Mark II.

ISO - 400

Shutter - 1/500 sec.

F/stop - 8

Lens - 70/200 zoom.

Ken Papaleo

Colorado Photographer

kenpapaleo@highcountrycoloring.com

303-674-0615

Lakewood Heritage Center, Lakewood, Colorado.

"X Shot" information.

Camera - Canon EOS 5D Mark II

ISO - 400

Shutter - 6 seconds

F/stop - 16

Lens - 24/70 zoom

NOTE - tripod and cable release used for this photo.

LOCATION.

1. The Heritage Center is located at 801 South Yarrow Street, Lakewood, Colorado.

2. The center has it's Holiday Light Display on through December 31st.

3. There is no charge for viewing.

4. Lights are on from dusk to 11 pm each night.

CHALLENGE.

I was hired by the City of Lakewood to photograph their Holiday Light Display, at the Heritage Center.

When shooting for a client, I try to come up with at plan of attack that would impact the photographic  situation. 

SOLUTION.

My plan was to wait for snow, giving the area a nice Christmas look, I had a month to do the shoot, so I waited. With time running out, I went and shot the area as it was and then of course Lakewood got a little snow, so I went back again and shot it again, on my on time. I always do whats needed to get the job done as best as possible. I used two methods for this shoot. The first is to shoot at dusk, when the sun is down and the lights are on, but there is still some day light. This can be done usually without using a tripod. The second is to shoot when it is completely dark, using a tripod and an large f/stop, this gives the lights a glowing effect.

SOME OTHER IMAGES FROM THIS SHOOT.

Ken Papaleo

kenpapaleo@highcountrycoloring.com

Colorado Photographer

303-674-0615

Weekend Flash Back - Clark, Colorado, 12/12/2006.

"X Shot" information.

Camera - Canon EOS-1D Mark II

ISO - 800

Shutter - 1/125

F/stop - 5.6

Lens - 16/35 zoom.

NOTE - an off camera strobe was used for this shot.

Ken Papaleo

Colorado Photographer

kenpapaleo@highcountrycoloring.com

303-674-0615

Geminid Meteor Shower, Mount Evans Area, Colorado.

"X Shot" information.

Camera - Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

ISO - 400

Shutter - 40 seconds.

F/stop - 3.2

Lens - 16/35 zoom.

NOTE - tripod and cable release used.

LOCATION.

1. Drive time from Denver, about one hour.

2. Take the Mount Evans exit off I-70, in Idaho Springs.

3. Echo Lake is at the entrance to Mount Evans.

CHALLENGE.

Watching the 9 pm news, I found out that the Geminid Meteor shower was happening that Night.

I had to find a location that would work for this shot real quick, a storm was moving in and soon would be covering the night sky. 

SOLUTION.

I was on the road by 10 pm and was heading for Echo Lake, near Mount Evans, on Squaw Pass. Drive time would only be about half an hour. Arriving at the location, the sky was clear and full of stars but there was also a real strong wind. The wind gusts were strong enough to move my tripod! I parked my Jeep so it would block the wind, giving me a shield to do time exposures. Looking at the sky I could already tell this show would be better than the Leonid Meteor shower in November. But as always the

meteors came from all directions, so I had to pick what I wanted to be in the foreground. Mount Evans was my choice and I set up my rig, a Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera, EF 16-35 mm zoom, a tripod and a cable release. The camera was pointed at the sky, with my lens set at 16mm length. By just putting a small amount of mountains in the foreground, I was able to get a lot of sky in the frame. Now it was just a matter of taking 45 second photos, for the next three hours, waiting for something to happen in front of my lens. I saw many meteors that night, some were where in the right place but many where elsewhere. If I changed my camera's direction, the foreground would be trees so I stayed the Mount Evans.  Around 2 am the clouds moved in and shoot was over.

MORE PHOTS FROM THIS SHOOT.

ALL PHOTOS ARE FOR SALE, CONTACT EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW.

kenpapaleo@highcountrycoloring.com

Ken Papaleo

Colorado Landscape Photographer

303-674-0615