"X Shot" information.
Camera - Nikon D2H.
ISO - 400
Shutter - 1/500 sec.
F/stop - 5.6
Lens - 300 mm
Ken Papaleo
Colorado Photographer
303-674-0615
Leonid Meteor Shower, Guanella Pass, Georgetown, Colorado.
"X Shot" information.
Camera - Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ISO - 400
Shutter - 35 seconds
F/stop - 3.2
Lens - 16/35 mm zoom
Note - Tripod and cable release were used in this photo.
LOCATION.
1. Guanella Pass starts in Idaho Springs and ends in Grant, Colorado, on HWY 285.
2. It is about an hour drive from Denver.
3. The pass is all paved now.
CHALLENGE.
I missed the Leonid Meteor Shower, the weekend of 11/17, but heard it would happen again early morning on Tuesday the 20th. It was only going to be about 20 meteors an hour but I wanted to see what I could come up with.
SOLUTION.
I picked Guanella Pass for my shooting location, it was fairly close and should be pretty black.
Once getting to the top, I set up my tripod, camera and used a 16-35 mm zoom lens. The wide angle lens is best for this shot for two reasons, one - you don't know where the meteors will show up in the sky and two - its best to show something in you photo like mountains, trees, or something to help make the image more interesting. Using a cable release, I took 35 second exposures. I experimented to see what exposure looked best. You can't anticipate the meteors so you just take pictures all the time, hoping you get something. I was surprised to see how much light pollution I got taking time exposure photos looking east. In one image my brake lights were used to make the foreground red. Shot until morning and than packed it in. Not all the below photos have meteors in them but I liked them any way.
OTHER IMAGES FROM THIS SHOOT
ALL PHOTOS ARE FOR SALE.
Contact email address below
Ken Papaleo
Colorado Landscape Photographer
303-674-0615
Weekend Flash Back - Denver, Colorado, 12/6/2005.
"X Shot" information.
Camera - Nikon D2H
ISO - 400
Shutter - 1/320 sec.
F/stop - 5.6
Lens - 70/200 zoom.
Ken Papaleo
Colorado Photographer
303-674-0615
Echo Lake, Squaw Pass Road, Idaho Springs, Colorado.
"X Shot" information.
Camera - Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ISO - 250
Shutter - 1/250 sec.
F/stop - 16
Lens - 16/35 mm
LOCATION.
1. Echo Lake is about half an hour south of Idaho Springs, on Squaw Pass, same exit for Mount Evans.
2. Drive time from Denver is one hour.
3. Squaw Pass runs from Idaho Springs to Evergreen.
4. These photos were shot late afternoon and after sunset.
CHALLENGE.
This is my second blog, following my change to cruising for features, for my "X Shot". This time I picked Echo Lake. I hadn't been there for a couple of months and wanted to see if winter had set in up there.
SOLUTION.
Upon arriving at the lake, I instantly noticed the frozen lake and the interesting patterns on the ice. This is where I would get my "X Shot". I waited for the sun to go down behind the mountains, thus eliminating any lens flare and also the sky and ice would look better with out the bright sun spot in it.
I took a number of different images, some with a polarizing filter, and this was the one I liked best.
OTHER IMAGES CONSIDERED FOR THE "X Shot".
ALL PHOTOS ARE FOR SALE, CONTACT EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW.
Ken Papaleo
Colorado Landscape Photographer
303-674-0615
Weekend Flash Back - 3/9/05, Arches National Park, Moab, Utah.
"X Shot" information.
Camera - Nikon D1H
Shutter - 1/100 sec.
F/stop - 20
Lens - 70/200 zoom
Ken Papaleo
Colorado Photographer
kenpapaleo@highcountrycoloring.com
303-674-0615
Summit County Mountains, Colorado.
"X Shot" information.
Camera - Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ISO - 200
Shutter - 1/500 sec.
F/stop - 5.6
Lens - 300 mm
CHALLENGE.
The direction of my blog is now changing! In the past, I would travel to 3 or 4 places a month, in Colorado, to show viewers how beautiful our state is. Due to the economy and a bad year for work, I can no longer do that. One trip a month is now in order, but I wanted to keep my weekly photo blog going. While working for the Rocky Mountain News, one of my photo strengths was cruising for features, images that could stand a lone, with only a caption. I'm going to start picking a certain area and do just that. This time I went up to the Continental Divide area to see what I could find.
SOLUTION.
Driving around for awhile, produced nothing great. I couldn't find anything of interest until coming to the Frisco Adventure Park, where they were making snow. This stop made a good shoot and I finally had a candidate for the "X Shot". Heading back over Loveland Pass I noticed the snow guns of Keystone. The sun was low, just hitting the white blowing snow, making a striking image. The light reading had to be taking from the white snow to make this photo work. My last stop at Georgetown Lake produced another nice image for consideration but I ended up going with the snow guns at Keystone for the "X Shot"
OTHER IMAGES CONSIDERED.
ALL PHOTOS ARE FOR SALE, CONTACT EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW.
Ken Papaleo
Colorado Photographer
303-674-0615
Weekend Flash Back - Steamboat Springs, Colorado,12/11/2007.
"X Shot" information.
Camera - Canon EOS-1D Mark II
ISO - 500
Shutter - 1/800 sec.
F/stop - 5.6
Lens - 70/200 zoom
Ken Papaleo
Colorado Photographer
303-674-0615
Full moon rising, Denver, Colorado.
"X Shot" information.
Camera - Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ISO - 800
Shutter - 1/25 sec.
F/stop - 20
Lens - 300 mm
NOTE - tripod and cable release were used for this shot.
CHALLENGE.
To get a great shot of the up coming full moon rising over the city of Denver.
SOLUTION.
A number of things have to occur in order for this shot to happen.
1. I knew a full moon would be happening on 10/29/2012, but where and when.
2. Looking up moon phases on the internet, I was able to learn that the full moon would be coming up
at 6pm, at sunset. Also it would come up at 68 degrees, east by north east in the Denver area.
3. With this knowledge, I headed to the lower foothills area, west of Denver, Green Mountain Area.
I had to find a good shot of the city and using a compass, find the perfect location.
4. After about an hours search, the location was found. Now I had to have a clear day, with out any
haze and it was, I could even see DIA (middle-left). While waiting for sunset, I shot pics of the city.
5. I also needed the clouds to go away in the east, so the moon rise wouldn't be blocked. I set up my
tripod with a 300 - f 2.8. I needed a f/stop of 20, so the city and the moon would both be in focus.
6. It was time, but the clouds where still there blocking the moon. I always stay at an evening shoot
until it is past dark and this time it proved to be beneficial. The moon popped out of the clouds for
about two minutes, giving me a small widow of opportunity. The photo shoot was a great success.
7. One thing, when I was photographing the city, I made sure that I turned around to see watt was
going on behind me. The last photo in this blog, is what I would have missed, if I had tunnel vision.
OTHER PHOTOS FROM THIS SHOOT.
ALL PHOTOS ARE FOR SALE, CONTACT EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW.
Ken Papaleo
Colorado Landscape Photographer
303-674-0615
Weekend Flash Back - I-25 Castle Rock, Colorado, 11/16/2005
"X Shot" information.
Camera - Nikon D2H
ISO - 200
Shutter - 1/1000 sec.
F/stop - 5.6
Lens - 70/200 zoom
Ken Papaleo
Colorado Photographer
303-674-0615
About Me
- Ken Papaleo
- Evergreen, Colorado, United States
- I worked for the Rocky Mountain News for 28 years, until they went out of business. I now do freelance work, post this weekly blog, ski and play with my four grand children. I still have the love to get out and take photographs, which brings me great peace and comfort.
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