James H Egbert's

It is utterly impossible to consistently make good photographs without having a simple yet solid understanding of ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture – the Holy Trinity of Photography, also more commonly known as the “Exposure Triangle”.  While nearly every DSLR on the market has “Auto or Program” modes that automatically pick the right shutter speed, aperture and even ISO for you, using an Auto or Program mode limits you on what you can creatively achieve and understand with your camera. In most cases, the camera has to guess what the right exposure should be by evaluating the amount of light that passes through the lens. While doing this, the camera will more than likely churn out what will look more like what you get from a point and shoot camera costing hundreds of Dollars less, and you didn’t buy that nice expensive DSLR to be a point and shoot photographer, you really want to create images that say something.

Thoroughly understanding how ISO, shutter speed and aperture work together allows photographers to fully take charge of the situation by manually controlling the camera. Knowing how to adjust the settings of the camera when needed, helps to get the best out of your camera and push it to its limits to take great photographs. There are those times when you can get that camera to see what your eye sees and you can create art with it.

Let’s quickly review a summary of the Exposure Triangle as a introduction:

1.    ISO – the level of sensitivity of your camera to available light. It is typically measured in numbers, a lower number representing lower sensitivity to available light, while higher numbers mean more sensitivity. More sensitivity comes at the cost though, as the ISO increases, so does the grain/noise in the images. Examples of ISO: 50,100, 200, 400, 800, 1600.

2.       Shutter Speed – the length of time a camera shutter is open to expose light into the camera sensor. Shutter speeds are typically measured in fractions of a second, when they are under a second. Slow shutter speeds allow more light into the camera sensor and are used for low-light and night photography, while fast shutter speeds help to freeze motion. Examples of shutter speeds: 1/15 (1/15th of a second), 1/30, 1/60, 1/125.

3.       Aperture – a hole within a lens, through which light travels into the camera body. The larger the hole, the more light passes to the camera sensor. Aperture also controls the depth of field, which is the portion of a scene that appears to be sharp. If the aperture is very small, the depth of field is large, while if the aperture is large, the depth of field is small. In photography, aperture is typically expressed in “f” numbers (also known as “focal ratio”, since the f-number is the ratio of the diameter of the lens aperture to the length of the lens). Examples of f-numbers are: f/1.4, f/2.0, f/2.8, f/4.0, f/5.6, f/8.0.

1) How do the Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO work together to create an exposure?

To have a good understanding about exposure and how shutter speed, aperture and ISO affect it, you need to understand what happens within the camera when a picture is taken.

As you point your camera at a subject and press the shutter button, the subject gets into your camera lens in a form of light. If your subject is well-lit, there is plenty of light that travels into the lens, whereas if you are taking a picture in a dim environment, there is not much light that travels into the lens. When the light enters the lens, it passes through various optical elements made of glass, then goes through the lens “Aperture” (a hole inside the lens that can be changed from small to large). Once the light goes past the lens aperture, it then hits the shutter curtain, which is like a window that is closed at all times, but opens when needed. The shutter then opens in a matter of milliseconds, letting the light hit the camera sensor for a specified amount of time. This specified amount of time is called “Shutter Speed” and it can be extremely short (up to 1/8000th of a second) or long (up to 30 seconds). The sensor then gathers the light, based on a pre-defined sensitivity, also known as “ISO”. Then the shutter closes and the light is completely blocked from reaching the camera sensor.

To get the image properly exposed, so that it is not too bright or too dark, Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO need to play together. When lots of light enters the lens (let’s say it is broad daylight with plenty of sunlight), what happens when the lens aperture/hole is very small? Lots of light gets blocked. This means that the camera sensor would need more time to collect the light. What needs to happen for the sensor to collect the right amount of light? That’s right, the shutter needs to stay open longer. So, with a very small lens aperture, we would need more time, i.e. longer shutter speed for the sensor to gather enough light to produce a properly exposed image.

Now what would happen if the lens aperture/hole was very big? Obviously, a lot more light would hit the sensor, so we would need a much shorter shutter speed for the image to get properly exposed. If the shutter speed is too low, the sensor would get a lot more light than it needs and the light would start “burning” or “overexposing” the image, just like magnifying glass starts burning paper on a sunny day. The overexposed area of the image will look very bright or pure white. In contrast, if the shutter speed is way too high, then the sensor is not able to gather enough light and the image would appear “underexposed” or too dark.

Underexposed (left)                                   Normal (center)                                   Overexposed (right)

Let’s do a real-life example. Grab your camera and set your camera mode to “Aperture Priority“. Set your lens aperture on your camera to the lowest possible number the lens will allow, such as f/1.4 if you have a fast lens or f/4.5 on slower lenses. Set your ISO to 100 and make sure that “Auto ISO” is turned off. Now point your camera at an object that is NOT a light source (for example a picture on the wall) then half-press the shutter button to acquire correct focus and let the camera determine the optimal exposure settings. Do not move your camera and keep pointing at the same subject! If you look inside the camera viewfinder now or on the back LCD, you should see several numbers. One of the numbers will show your aperture, which should be the same number as what you set your aperture to, then it should show your shutter speed, which should be a number such as “125″ (means 1/125th of a second) and “100″, which is your sensor ISO.

Write down these numbers on a piece of paper and then take a picture. When the picture comes up on the rear LCD of your camera, it should be properly exposed. It might be very blurry, but it should be properly exposed, which means not too bright or too dark. Let’s say the settings you wrote down are 2.8 (aperture), 125 (shutter speed) and 100 (ISO). Now change your camera mode to “Manual Mode“. Manually set your aperture to the same number as you wrote down, which should be the lowest number your camera lens will allow (in our example it is 2.8).

Then set your shutter speed to the number you wrote down (in our example it is 125) and keep your ISO the same – 200. Make sure your lighting conditions in the room stay the same. Point at the same subject and take another picture. Your results should look very similar to the picture you took earlier, except this time, you are manually setting your camera shutter speed, instead of letting your camera make the guess.

Now, let’s block the amount of light that is passing through the lens by increasing the aperture and see what happens. Increase your aperture to a larger number such as “8.0″ and keep the rest of the settings the same. Point at the same subject and take another picture. What happened? Your image is too dark or underexposed now! Why did this happen? Because you blocked a portion of the light that hits the sensor and did not change the shutter speed. Because of this, the camera sensor did not have enough time to gather the light and therefore the image is underexposed.

Had you decreased the shutter speed to a smaller number, this would not have happened. Understand the relationship?

Now change your aperture back to what it was before (smallest number), but this time, decrease your shutter speed to a much smaller number. In my example, I will set my shutter speed to 4 (quarter of a second) from 125. Take another picture. Now your image should be overexposed and some parts of the image should appear too bright. What happened this time? You let your lens pass through all the light it can gather without blocking it, then you let your sensor gather more light then it needs by decreasing the shutter speed. This is a very basic explanation of how aperture and shutter speed play together.

So, when does ISO come into play and what does it do? So far, we kept the ISO at the same number (200) and didn’t change it. Remember, ISO means sensor sensitivity. Lower numbers mean lower sensitivity, while higher numbers mean higher sensitivity. If you were to change your ISO from 200 to 400, you would be making the sensor twice more sensitive to light. In the above example, at aperture of f/3.5, shutter speed of 1/125th of a second and ISO 200, if you were to increase the ISO to 400, you would need twice less time to properly expose the image. This means that you could set your shutter speed to 1/250th of a second and your image would still come out properly exposed. Try it – set your aperture to the same number you wrote down earlier, multiply your shutter speed by two and set it to that number, then change your ISO to 400. It should look the same as the first image you took earlier. If you were to increase the ISO to 800, you would need to again double your last shutter speed from 1/250 to 1/500.

As you can see, increasing ISO from 200 to 800 will allow you to shoot at higher shutter speeds and in this example increase it from 1/125th of a second to 1/500th of a second, which is plenty of speed to freeze motion. However, increasing ISO comes at a cost – the higher the ISO, the more noise or grain it will add to the picture.

Basically, this is how the Holy Trinity works to create an exposure. I highly recommend practicing with your camera more to see the effects of changing aperture, shutter speed and ISO.

2) What camera mode should I be using?

I recommend using “Aperture Priority” mode for beginners (although any other mode works equally well, as long as you know what you are doing). In this mode, you set your lens aperture, while the camera automatically guesses what the right shutter speed should be. This way, you can control the depth of field (depth of focus) in your images by changing the aperture (depth of field also depends on other factors such as camera to subject distance and focal length). There is absolutely nothing wrong with using “Auto” or “Program” modes, especially considering the fact that most modern DSLRs give the photographer pretty good control by allowing for overriding the shutter speed and aperture in those modes. But most people get lazy and end up using the Auto/Program modes without understanding what happens inside the camera, so I highly recommend to learn how to shoot in all camera modes.

3) What ISO should I set my camera to?

If your camera is equipped with an “Auto ISO” feature (known as “ISO Sensitivity Auto Control” on Nikon bodies), you should enable it, so that the camera automatically guesses what the right ISO should be in different lighting conditions. Auto ISO is worry-free and it works great for most lighting conditions! Set your “Minimum ISO/ISO Sensitivity” to 100 on Canon & Nikon cameras, then set your “Maximum ISO/Maximum Sensitivity” to 800 or 1600 (depending on how much noise you consider acceptable). Set the “Minimum Shutter Speed” to 1/100th of a second if you have a short lens below 100mm and to a higher number if you have a long lens. Basically, the camera will watch your shutter speed and if it drops below the “Minimum Shutter Speed”, it will automatically increase the ISO to a higher number, to try to keep the shutter speed above this setting. The general rule is to set your shutter speed to the largest focal length of your lens. For example, if you have a Nikon 70-400mm f/4.5-5.6 zoom lens, set your minimum shutter speed to 1/300th of a second. Why? Because as the focal length of the lens increases, so do the chances of having a camera shake that will render your images blurry. But this rule doesn’t always work, because there are other factors that all play a role in whether you will introduce camera shake or not. Having shaky hands and improperly holding the camera might cause extra camera shake, while having a lens with Vibration Reduction (also known as Image Stabilization) might actually help to decrease camera shake. Either way, play with the “Minimum Shutter Speed” option and try changing numbers and see what works for you.

If you do not have an “Auto ISO” option in your camera, then start out with the lowest ISO and see what shutter speeds you are getting. Keep on increasing the ISO until you get to an acceptable shutter speed.

4) Exposure Compensation

Another great feature of all modern DSLRs, is the ability to control the exposure by using the “exposure compensation” feature. Except for manual mode, exposure compensation works great for all camera modes. Whether you are shooting in Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority or Auto/Program modes, dialing the exposure compensation up or down (plus to minus) will allow you to regulate the exposure and override the camera-guessed settings. If you find your image (or parts of your image) underexposed or overexposed, you can use exposure compensation to adjust the exposure without manually changing the aperture or shutter speed.

5) Should you use flash or increase ISO?

It really depends on what you are taking a picture of. Sometimes it is not possible to use your built-in camera flash in a low-light environment. For example, if your subject is standing far away, you might not be able to reach the subject with your flash. In that case, the only solution is to either come closer to the subject, or turn off flash completely and use a higher ISO. Obviously, for landscape or architectural photography, you should always turn off your flash, because it will not be able to brighten up the entire scene. So in a low-light situation, the only two options are to either increase the ISO so that you can shoot hand-held, or set the camera to the lowest ISO and use a tripod.

6) What are “full stops”?

Have you ever heard of a term “full stop” in photography? Each of the increments between ISO numbers is called “a full stop” in photography. For example, there is one full stop between ISO 100 and ISO 200, while there are two full stops between ISO 100 and ISO 400. How many stops are there between ISO 100 and ISO 1600? That’s right, four full stops of light. Why do you need to know about stops? Because you might see it in photography literature or photographer might mention stops and it is sometimes confusing to understand what it truly means. But the term “full stop” does not just apply to ISOs – the same concept is there for shutter speed and aperture. It is easy to remember full stops between shutter speeds, because you just start from one and divide the number by two: 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, etc. Obviously, the numbers are rounded (starting from 1/15, which should be 1/16) to make it easy for photography. It is harder to memorize stops in apertures, because the numbers are computed differently: f/1, f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, etc.

7) Specific examples and case scenarios

Let’s now go over what you could do in your camera to properly expose an image in different lighting conditions.

1.        What should I do in low-light situations? First and foremost, USE A TRIPOD! Use Aperture-Priority mode, set your aperture to the lowest possible number. Be careful if you have a fast lens such as Nikon 50mm f/1.4, because setting aperture to the lowest number (f/1.4) will make the depth of field very shallow. Set your “Auto ISO” to “On” (if you have it) and make sure that the maximum ISO and minimum shutter speed are both defined, as shown in section 3. If after increasing your ISO you are still getting small shutter speeds (which means that you are in a very dim environment), your only other options are to either use a tripod or a flash. If you have moving subjects that need to be “frozen”, you will have to use flash.

2.       What do I need to do to freeze action? First, you will need plenty of light. Freezing action during the broad daylight is easy, whereas it is extremely tough to do it in low-light situations. Assuming you have plenty of light, make sure that your aperture is set to the lowest number (again, be careful about depth of field), then set your “Auto ISO” to “On” (if you have it) and set your minimum shutter speed to a really high number such as 1/500th or 1/1000th of a second. For my bird photography, I try to keep shutter speeds at 1/1000th of a second and faster:

Colorado Classic Time Trials – 100 iso    f/5    1/640 of a second hand held

3.       What settings do I need to change to create a motion blur effect? Turn off Auto ISO and set your ISO to the lowest number. If the shutter speed is too fast and you still cannot create motion blur, increase aperture to a higher number until the shutter speed drops to a low number below 1/100-1/50 of a second.

4.      What do I do if I cannot get proper exposure? The image is either too dark or too bright. Make sure that you are not shooting in Manual Mode. Set your camera meter to “Evaluative” (Canon) or “Matrix” (Nikon). If it is already set and you are still getting improper exposure, it means that you are probably taking a picture where there is a big contrast between multiple objects (for example bright sky and dark mountains, or sun in the frame) – whatever you are trying to take a picture of is confusing the meter within your camera. If you still need to take a picture, set your camera meter to “Spot” and try to point your focus point to an area that is not too bright or too dark. That way you get the “sweet middle”.

5.       How can I isolate my subject from the background and make the background (bokeh) look soft and smooth? Stand closer to your subject and use the smallest aperture on your lens. Some lenses can render background much better and smoother than others. If you do not like the bokeh on yours, consider getting a good portrait lens such as the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 or the Nikon 85mm f/1.4 , which is considered to be the best lens when it comes to bokeh.

6.      How can I decrease the amount of noise/grain in my images? Turn off “Auto ISO” and set your ISO to the base ISO of the camera (ISO 100 on Canon and ISO 100 on Nikon).

With the world of digital photography and the ever growing capabilities of cameras and computer software tricks one can employ to make better or unique images comes the point of more is less and less is more. When I first jumped into the digital fray I thought I could just do everything like I did when I shot film. Needless to say my journey into digital photography was met with many setbacks in one way or another.

While the basic concepts stayed pretty much the same, techniques had to change and the mental process of how I expose an image drastically changed. Over time cameras have advanced leaps and bounds and alongside that, imaging software has grown in size and wizardry. In fact, I think that instead of making things easier, the technology has in some ways compounded the process of creating great images.

Being a outdoor landscape and nature photographer I strive to make my images appear as they did the moment I saw them as natural as possible. I did this with film and I continue to do this digitally. I want the process of making an image to be 80% done in the camera if possible maybe a little more, but I know I will have to do some post processing of my images in software to make them as perfect as the real scene I photographed. I feel this is the point where a photographer can change their focus from being as pure a photographer as possible or become a photo-artist.

To define the difference between the two would be to enter a fuzzy grey zone, but for myself I define it as follows; A photographer is one who relies mostly upon their ability to compose and expose an image as expertly as possible using only the basic rules of composition and techniques of photography in the camera, only using post production to size, clean and proof images for the resulting photograph. A Photo-Artist captures one image with their camera utilizing many if not all of the same techniques of the photographer but when they enter post production the image can and often will change into an image the artist had in their imagination and taking on characteristics that are too good to be true.

I am in no way saying that the Photo-Artist is in any way the lesser of the two, rather I am just defining the differences of how the two work. I appreciate Photo-Art and often try to do it myself, but know that at this point my expertise with imaging software beyond fixing dust spots and correcting tone or cropping is vastly limited.

In an earlier article I talked about what HDR is and how I understand it is accomplished with imaging software but it was only my understanding from my limited experience with it. I am asked by friends who are starting out in photography or expanding their knowledge how I accomplish the same results without utilizing HDR software or techniques in imaging software.

I often surprise them with the simplistic approach I take to photographing nature in that I utilize the basic concepts of exposure and composition, just as I did when I shot film. When I shot film I made a promise to myself not to use anything that would result in an image that had unreal or un-natural effects. I wanted to be able to capture the scenery I saw the way it was and to leave the image unaltered as much as possible.

End of lens filters were and still are a large part of photography. The great pioneer Ansel Adams didn’t shy away from using filters in his work, nor did he shy away from applying some magic in the darkroom. One of the techniques he pioneered was the “Zone System” which allowed photographers to more accurately create images that emulated what our eyes could see when we composed our images in natural lighting.

The type of filtering Adams used were corrective filters that filtered out wavelengths of light that the camera and film could not do as naturally as our eyes and minds could. I try and do much the same with my own photography. Instead of using filters that may add rainbows, stars and other effects that do not or did not appear naturally in the scene or add colors other effects that changed the image to appear somewhat naturally as different in time of day, season or effected by weather.

When I use filters, I use them to correct for the limitations all cameras posses with accurately balancing different types of light in different types of conditions. Our eyes can adjust to register millions if not more differences in light so that we see things clearly with natural colors and tones. The camera can only balance a small fraction of the light our eyes can see.

To help my camera correct for its limitations I use filters more commonly called corrective filters. Polarizing, Neutral Density Filters, Color Intensifiers, or enhancing filters do exactly that. They correct how the camera and sensor see light and render images closer to how we would with our naked eye. Just as our eyes often are over loaded with light forcing us to wear shaded or sunglasses our cameras are even more sensitive.

When choosing glasses for your eyes you try to pick out the best optical quality and therefore you would obviously want the same for your camera. When I buy filters and use them on my camera I want the best optical quality to have the most natural results. I use Singh Ray filters on all of my lenses for two reasons. Because I own lenses with varying diameters and sometimes use more than one filter at a time, I want to only buy each filter once due to the expense of each filter. Now to simplify that even more I use two particular filters only. I use the Singh Ray Color Intensifying Polarizer and the Singh Ray 3 Stop Soft Step Gradual Neutral Density filter.

The Polarizer does exactly what it sounds like it does, but the Neutral Density filter is the real magic maker. It allows me to shoot balanced exposures in High Contrast Lighting or High Dynamic Range while balancing the exposures.

This is a point that computer software and HDR techniques come in. While there are programs that do the job, I have found in many cases the results don’t come out as natural as I would want and I end up spending even more time in front of a computer working on images I could have balanced just as effectively in a fraction of the time using corrective filters on the lens. Note, you can achieve the same natural results, but the technique while touted as simple often take far more time to master consistently and you end up using up more memory space on your digital cards that could be holding more images of different compositions.

Neutral density graduated filters are given numbers which tell you exactly how many stops of light they’re going to reduce the brightness by. The filters come in three strengths, although there are two ways used by different manufacturers of indicating those strengths:

The whole reason for using a neutral density graduated filter is to control the exposure difference between the sky and the ground, so we need to take control of the light metering to make full use of the effect. Ideally, we set our cameras to full manual so that the settings don’t change when we start using the filter.

The first step is to determine the strength of filter we need. The simplest method is to take a meter reading with the ground filling the whole of the frame without the filter in place. Now repeat this step but this time with the sky filling the frame. The difference between these two readings will indicate the strength of graduated filter that you need. A 1-stop difference in the readings will need a 0.3 ND graduated filter, a 2-stop difference a 0.6 ND grad, while a 3-stop difference will require a 0.9 ND grad. The most often used filter for me is the 3-stop (0.9 ND one), with the 2-stop (0.6 ND) being used only occasionally. I rarely ever use my ND Grad filter in conjunction with a Polarizing filter.

So, if you’re only going to buy one graduated neutral density filter, the 0.9 ND ( 3 Stop SS ND Grad ) is the one to buy. The soft step makes the graduation of the filter more natural and easier over all to work with so that we do not need to hide the point where the lens gets darker or lighter as much or at all.

Once we have decided on the filter we need, use the meter reading we took from the foreground to take our shot. All graduated filters need careful positioning to get the best effect.

To make the most of this our camera, affix the camera securely to a tripod. This is always a good idea for landscape shots anyway. This allows us to slide the filter accurately into position, so the transition from clear to dark falls on the horizon. If our camera has a depth-of-field preview facility that stops the lens down while we are looking through the viewfinder then use it. The darker viewfinder image will make it easier to see the position of the filter.

Important note! If we are using a Polarizing filter with the ND Grad, we need to consider the dramatic drop in light so consider using a ND Grad filter that is not as strong such as the 0.06 ND or 2 Stop SS ND Grad.

It is my opinion that using corrective filters over post production renders more natural images. For one, you can compare the resulting image with the real scene with our own eyes while still at the location where once we leave the location and get in front of a computer screen, we’re left to our memory or imagination which is not always correct.

Nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the 2.3 million acre White River National Forest is the top recreation Forest in the nation. Home to world-renowned ski resorts and the birthplace of Wilderness, the White River has something to offer every outdoor enthusiast.

It’s fitting that one of the oldest preserved places in the country remains one of those most used by the public. White River National Forest is certainly a national treasure.

Photo By James H Egbert

 

In 1891, with the support of the United States Congress, President Harrison decreed that over one million acres in north central Colorado would be protected under the designation “White River Plateau Timber Reserve,” blazing a trail for the inception of America’s Forest Service and National Parks systems. These lands now comprise parts of White River National Forest (WRNF), which boasts ten peaks taller than 14,000 feet, as well as 2500 miles of maintained trails and nearly as many miles of forest service roads, providing remarkable access to some of the country’s tallest mountains and most bountiful trout-fishing rivers and streams. WRNF has seven Ranger District offices, at Meeker, Eagle, Snowmass, Silverthorne, Aspen, Vail and Carbondale, which oversee designated “Wilderness” areas.

These areas are:
• Collegiate Peaks: Includes Mounts Yale, Oxford, Harvard and Columbia, all “14ers;” also, Mount Elbert, the tallest peak in the Rocky Mountain Range.

• Eagles Nest: Includes the Gore Range with pristine alpine lakes and lots of snow.
• Flat Tops: Includes 100 miles of fishable streams and vast alpine tundra.
• Holy Cross: Includes 25 peaks taller than 13,000 feet, like Mount of the Holy Cross.
• Hunter/Fryingpan: Includes the headwaters of Hunter Creek and Fryingpan River, both medal winning trout-fishing rivers, and the Williams Mountains.

• Maroon Bell/Snowmass: Includes the famous Maroon Bells and Maroon Lake; also, scenic hot springs at the head of Conundrum Creek.
The United States Congress designated the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness in 1964 and it now has a total of 181,512 acres. All of this wilderness is located in Colorado

You’ll have plenty of human company in Colorado’s fourth largest Wilderness. They come because this area may exemplify Rocky Mountain splendor better than any other Wilderness: 100 miles of trail lead over nine passes above 12,000 feet; vast regions lie above the tree line; long glacial valleys point the way to glistening alpine lakes. With six peaks rising above 14,000 feet, this area draws mountaineers by the thousands every year.

Photo By James H Egbert

 

The awesome, jagged symmetry of the Maroon Bells, reflected in Maroon Lake, is perhaps Colorado’s most often photographed mountain scene.

A non-Wilderness road punches into the area to Maroon Lake, creating traffic jams in summer. Climbers come in herds, despite the fact that these peaks are among the most difficult to scale in the state. Caution and skill are advised, but the rewards are stupendous. The Snowmass Creek Trail travels 16 miles to Maroon Lake and provides some of the best views of the Wilderness. Hot springs steam at the head of Conundrum Creek and attract many hikers. In midsummer, the wildflowers are arguably the best anywhere.

Although elk and deer still abound in the Elk Mountains, development around Aspen and Snowmass threatens their habitat. The march of people is having a great impact on this area, especially the more accessible northern trails.

The Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness was established with 1964 Wilderness Act and total size now is approximately 183,500 acres. Due to the popularity of recreation in the Maroon Valley, shuttle buses operate during the summer months (approximate mid-June through Labor Day, plus weekends in September) to Maroon Lake Wilderness Portal.

Each season brings endless options for outdoor recreation and western-style culture. When enjoying these protected wilderness lands, be mindful to carry provisions, such as water, food and warm and wet weather clothing. Some roads, due to high altitude, mountainous nature of the region and rapidly changing weather conditions, are subject to closures.

There are many places I’ve been blessed to be able to visit and photograph. There are some however that are special and deserved many return trips. One such place is the ruins of Crystal Mill near Marble Colorado.

Photo By James H Egbert

 

The picturesque Crystal Mill is one of the most photographed sites in Colorado. Its precarious perch on an outcropping of rock just above the Crystal River, framed by beautiful aspens and a backdrop of stunning mountains, gives it an undeniable visual appeal.

Though some misinformed people have dubbed it the “Dead Horse Mill”, that name is erroneous and was never historically used. Historically speaking, the Mill was known as the Sheep Mountain Power House, and was located on the Lost Horse Millsite. Today it is known as “The Crystal Mill”.

Image via Wikipedia

The mill, constructed in 1893, harnessed the river adjacent to the mill to power the air compressor housed inside. Early engineers had built a dam across the river, which funneled water down the vertical pen-stock (the ladder-like structure) onto a horizontal wheel, which drove an axle in the pen-stock. The pen-stock powered the air compressor. In turn, the enormous compressor ran drills in the nearby Sheep Mountain and Bear Mountain mines. The drills were used to bore holes in the mine walls for the placement of dynamite. Once the dynamite was detonated, the miners removed the ore.

The mill closed its operations in 1917. Continuing efforts to preserve it have been aided by Gunnison and Aspen Historical Societies, residents of Crystal and Marble, and interested individuals caught by the spectacle of the old Mill.

The Crystal Mill is located 6 miles east of Marble, just before the ghost town of Crystal. It is reachable only in the summer and fall months by a rough, one-lane, 4-wheel-drive road. If you are not interested in driving, or your vehicle does not have generous ground clearance, the trip to Crystal and The Mill can be reached by foot, mountain bike, or guided jeep tour. The Mill can also be accessed by horseback, but on a busy summer or fall day, riders will encounter many vehicles and the route is very rocky. There are better places to ride in the Marble area.

Now I’m sure, you’re wanting to know how to get there yourself, so if you’re coming from Denver take I-70 to Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Head south through town 12 miles on Colorado Highway 82 to Carbondale. Take a right at the stoplight and head south on Colorado 133. (Right after the bridge, you’ll find various services, such as three motels, a restaurant, and a gas station. The better restaurants are in town a mile ahead. This is your last chance for gas and groceries.)

Head south 25 miles on Highway 133. You’ll pass the town of Redstone, where there are two restaurants, little store and a couple of hotels. Drive another 5 miles to the base of McClure Pass, and take a left on County Road 3. It is well marked, “Marble”. There is no cell or wifi (even if you’re using G4) reception once you’re about eight miles out of Carbondale.

Now I have driven it myself a couple of times in larger SUV’s which I only recommend a vehicle with good ground clearance like a Jeep. I would however, like to recommend you take the Crystal River Jeep tour.

Photo By James H Egbert

 

CRJT was established in 1951 and ranks among the oldest adventure tour operations in the state. Take one of our guided tours to historic Crystal City and the Crystal Mill, experience the breathtaking views and wild flowers along the Lead King Basin road or the valley panorama from the top of Sheep Mountain. Overlook the Yule Marble Quarry from Treasure Mountain, or experience the Devils Punch Bowl at the foot of Schofield Pass. Their guided tours are an experience found nowhere else in the world, which skirt the edge of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass wilderness area in the White River National Forest.

The road to Crystal City and Lead King Basin follows the trail blazed by settlers, prospectors and miners over a century ago, and is still today as pristine. The upper Crystal River Valley is ranked among the top locations in the state for viewing wild flowers and fall colors.

Let their tour guides negotiate the difficult terrain in our heavy duty Jeeps, while you ride along and enjoy the grandeur of the Crystal River valley. They also provide transportation services for photography, hiking, fishing and hunting. Bring your gear; they’ll get you there and back.

We are located within commuting distance from Redstone, Colorado (about 12 miles), Carbondale, Colorado (about 30 minutes), Glenwood Springs, Colorado (about 45 minutes) and Aspen, Colorado (about 1 hour). See the Location and History page for additional regional information. For tour descriptions and pricing see our Jeep Tours page.

• Open from June 1 to October 1
• For more information or reservations call (970) 963-1991
• Email or visit our website crystalriverjeeptour.smithfamilycolorado.com

At almost to no end, I am asked this every day... I almost want to climb atop Pikes Peak and Scream as loudly as I can..." What does it matter!?" Seriously, I have used almost every brand of camera made and guess what? They're all quite capable of making the greatest photograph ever made, but the real key to the puzzle is, it all depends on who's hand they're in and how they are used.

To define how great photography is made, you need to take the camera out of the room for a moment. Great photography is made first through a visualization in the mind made by an optical impression captured by the eyes and sent to the brain then emotionally filtered, spiritually filtered and then frantically but purposefully stuffed into the lens and little black box where the film or digital sensor is waiting to record the result of your short term mental breakdown.

Actually when I am teaching my workshops or speaking to those who are gearing up for one, I don't say it quite that way, but this is the point I try to convey in a more politically correct fashion. When seeking a camera system for your photographic journey, consider what you need to capture the images that your eyes and mind tell you are the best thing since slices bread or a six pack of bottled beer. the questions you need to be asking are, what am I trying to capture, what is my main subject matter, what do I want to do with the images I capture. Each of these will determine the equipment needed to do what you want.

When a potential student asks me anything about what they need, I turn in to Socrates and start asking questions of them so that they can answer their own questions. I do this in the field when teaching as well, but the best way to find answers is to ask questions and sometime the best answers are questions. When I go out to buy equipment my primer is usually that I saw an image in a magazine or website that made me stop and go wow. Then if I am lucky the photographer left some notes on how he or she created the photograph and thus I find some gadget or tool I must have or I will surely die. that's what I tell my loving and patient wife and as she rolls her eyes and hands me the credit card I am off to buy the holy grail of photography. Thus the moral of the story is that a smart photographer will never have the credit card on them at all times, or they will surely become the poor starving divorced "wanna be" photographer. personally I know some really well equipped photographers who never get out to photograph anything because they spent all their money buying the latest and greatest, "bestest" and most highly rated equipment known to man kind and now they're broke. I know "bestest" isn't a real fancy or even a real word, but it works for me.

When I buy my equipment, I make Abe Lincoln Scream in pain as I pinch every penny I can, while not compromising on quality. I look for the basic functions versus the bells and whistles. I ask myself, do I need a camera that does it for me, or the one that makes me think for myself and create the images I want to create. Hint... the answer is go cheap! Heck I can't drive 255 mph so I don't need a Ferrari I'll take the beat up abused Jeep in the corner that's going to get me where I want to be when I get there.

I used to work at a camera store and a lady came to the counter and asked to see a professional camera, I grinned turned around and grabbed a throw away Kodak box camera and handed it to her. With puzzlement she looked at me and pointed at the super gigantic Nikon F5 sitting on the golden pillar of honor bathed in a warm glow of halogen light saying, "No that's the camera I was talking about I want a professional camera for my husband to learn on." Again I grinned and pushed the little Kodak disposable her way and said, "This is as much a professional camera as the one you pointed to as well." I had her hooked and confused. She then asked me, "What makes that camera a professional camera like the one I was pointing to?" "It depends on who is holding it." I explained, "Every camera in this store can be a professional camera in the hands of a professional, but on that same note every camera including the one you pointed to is also an amateur camera in the hands of an amateur."

Once she saw that I wasn't going to sell her a camera that her husband didn't need and was the most expensive, I began to ask her what his interests in photography were and what he hoped to do. I also asked her if he planned to do this as a casual hobby or become an overnight professional. I asked about his current knowledge of photography and equipment and by the end of the sale I sold her two lower priced fully functional Nikon F100 bodies and lenses so she could learn photography along side of her husband. She came back once a month after that and always asked for me when buying new equipment. By the way they have also attended many workshops and classes that I recommended as well.

So does it matter what Camera I use? What Film I use or what lens? The answer is both yes and no! Yes it matters what I use for functions I need, but brand and model do not. Go out and buy whatever brand you find that has the functions you need and enjoy!