This series was taken Christmas Eve morning, in the Wet Mountain Valley, SIlver Cliff Colorado. It's my way of paying tribute to Ansel Adams and his concept of previsualization. I envisioned this scene nearly year ago, as a wintery version of one of my favorite photos, Moonrise Over Hernandez. I imagined a cemetary with crosses at sunrise and moonset, as snowcapped peaks rose above a layer of fog and fresh snow. I knew that this cemetary near Westcliffe, Colorado, sitting beneath the 14,000 foot peaks of the Sangre De Cristo Range, would be perfect for my vision. I just had to wait for a light overnight snowfall, knowing that clearing conditions at sunrise would result in the fog in the valley. Everything went as planned, and it was a truly magical morning, and an early Christmas present!
The moon sets over a cemetary in Silver Cliff, Colorado, as fog clears following a light overnight snowfall. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
The same scene, in color. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
I worked this amazing scene from various angles, periodically wiping off a thin coating of ice that was forming on my camera lens. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
Sunrise and moonset on a cold morning at the Assumption Cemetery in Silver Cliff. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
One more look, as the sun continued to rise. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
When I arrived at the cemetary at 6:30 am, the fog was still a bit sparse, and the valley was cold and blue under a bright moon. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
The fog thickened as sunrise approached. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
In this vertical version, I 'replaced' the original moon with the same moon shot at the same time but at a longer focal length, so the moon here is about 50% larger than the origianl. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
A view of the peaceful cemetary. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
The same scene, in color. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
The scene looking Southeast was equally sublime. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
This cemetary is purportedly haunted (home of 'ghost lights) but it just felt peaceful to me. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
More of the beautiful sunrise. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
No Ansel Adams tribute would be complete without lots of B&W images! Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
The atmosphere was just spectacular as the fog cleared from the peaks. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
The scene was stunning as fog cleared from the peaks. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
The same scene, In Black and White. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
The site was equally stunning as the sun rose higher and the fog continued to clear. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
The flowers laid by gravesites were a striking contrast to the bright white of the fresh snow. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
I spent some time phtoographing various headstones and crosses, some of which were over 150 years old. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
The town of Westcliffe looked amazing as morning sunlight broke through the low clouds. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
This scene called for a Black and White version as well! Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
I headed for the far side of the cemetary to take some shots of the Sangres in spectacular morning light. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
The 14,000 foot peaks of the range reveal themselves above the clearing fog layer. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
A panorama of the range as it emerged from morning fog. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
The valley was spectacular after a fresh light snowfall. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
This yuuca was particularly interesting under the light coating of snow. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
As I headed back over the Wet Mountains in late morning, the fog was still hanging strong over the peaks. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
The Wet Mountains are always spectacular following a snowfall. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
Seeing the bighorn sheep following a snowfall in the Wets is almost a sure bet. Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.
One last shot of this amazing family of bighorn sheep, as I headed back to Pueblo. An amazing Christmas Eve morning! Photo © copyright by Stan Rose.