Roadside Art

Sometimes I ski miles into the backcountry, freeze my balls off, even put myself in some precarious situations to get a photograph. This time I pulled off the side of the road just before North Star, and with my nice warm coffee in hand snapped this shot. Aspens sure are pretty in fall, but I think I actually prefer them when the leaves fall and just the bones are left. Underexposing by a few stops will bring the white bark forward revealing an abstract sculpture. This one was easy to compose because I have driven by it for years telling myself, “I need to take that picture.” So, the final product was already in my head when I stepped out of the Jeep. Ten minutes later my hands started to feel the familiar pang of numbness, my coffee was gone, and my picture was complete. Back into the Jeep where the steering wheel and seat heater options made me feel less like a candy ass and more like a genius.