After a big snowstorm swept through the Colorado Rockies, I packed up my backcountry skis and headed to the Mayflower Gulch trailhead. With my backpack loaded with camera gear and supplies, I set off under a deep blue sky. The morning was bitterly cold, but the view ahead was too incredible to pass by. I stopped here to capture the snow-laden trees, surrounded by complete silence. Moments like this make everything else fade away, leaving only a sense of total calm.

I captured this while snowshoeing near Beaver Creek, just as the sun was beginning to set. Its golden glow lit up a beautiful stand of aspens, creating the perfect ending to a day surrounded by serenity and mountain beauty.

Winter in the Colorado Rockies turns the landscape into a breathtaking winter wonderland, with sunrises and sunsets that feel almost unreal. This photograph captures a frigid morning overlooking Lake Dillon, where soft light and a peach-colored sky made the cold worth it. Sunrises and sunsets here are almost always spectacular, which is why I find myself returning again and again.

I’ll never forget driving up Highway 131 and coming across this view overlooking the Colorado River. It was a warm, sunny spring day, and I found the perfect spot to pull off the road and take it in. Standing there, listening to the birdsong and the distant rush of the river, I lingered for a while—just enjoying the moment.

I had driven up to Crystal Mill the night before for an all-night photo shoot and decided to stay a little longer to catch the sunrise. Exhaustion set in, but the wait was worth it—fresh aspen leaves glowed bright green against snow-capped peaks in the distance. Getting here is no easy task, but the reward makes every challenge worthwhile.

This photograph almost never happened. A powerful thunderstorm rolled through the Tenmile Range while I was hiking, and I nearly turned back for home. But something told me to wait it out. Just as the sun began to set, the storm broke—the sky lit up with an incredible display of color. Suddenly, everything grew calm: no rain, no wind, just the sound of a stream trickling behind me and birds singing their hearts out. In that moment, I was so grateful I hadn’t given up—making it through the storm made the reward even more unforgettable.

While exploring the backcountry roads of the West Elk Mountains, I found a spot to park, loaded my camera gear into my pack, and set off on a long hike up the mountain. By the time I reached well above treeline, I had to stop to catch my breath in the thin air. Looking west, the view took me completely by surprise—it was too incredible not to capture. These hikes are anything but easy, yet reaching the top brings one of the most rewarding feelings in the world.

While backpacking in the San Juan Mountains, I knew the views would be good—but I wasn’t expecting such a breathtaking sunset. This region is full of incredible hikes and dotted with charming little towns, making it one of the best places to explore.

Stumbling across this ghost town was such a cool experience, especially with the aspen trees glowing bright yellow. This cabin stood out as one of my favorites, with its rustic fence line and the old wagon nearby. I love moments like this—when Colorado’s history reveals itself in such an unexpected and beautiful way.

Twin Lakes is a small town tucked between Leadville and Buena Vista, on the east side of Independence Pass. One morning, my wife and I left before sunrise and arrived just as the first light spilled across the valley. The air was biting cold, a thin layer of ice stretched over the water, and frost clung to the tall grass. I carried my camera and tripod through the frozen field to set up, and with Independence Pass closed for the season, it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.

It was early November, with just a dusting of snow on the trails, when I set out on a pre-dawn hike to this lake. My headlamp cut through the thick forest, and in the bitter cold I could see my breath glowing in its beam. By the time I reached the shoreline, the sun was beginning to rise—steam drifted off the lake while snowcapped peaks towered above. In that moment, I was so grateful I had braved the cold to witness such an unforgettable scene.

Some of the hardest photographs for me to capture are during the early morning blue hour in the depths of winter. The day before, a heavy snowstorm had swept through Breckenridge, dropping several feet of fresh snow. Before sunrise the next morning, I layered up and stepped out into subzero temperatures. When I arrived at this spot, the first glow of blue hour lit up Peak 8 in the distance. With no one else around, I captured this scene—so quiet, so peaceful, it felt like I was standing on a movie set. Cold as it was, I couldn’t have been more grateful to witness it.