Photographer in Colorado

This week I am posting some images that I made last week. Last Saturday, we went down to the Platte River for an afternoon stroll. Angela with the objective of viewing new water birds. Myself to capture some images. Whilst walking beside the river, we were rewarded with a new experience. We met Robert, who was panning for gold on the banks of the river.

Robert, Gold Panner

Robert explained how panning is done. In fact, he was using a sluice box as the first step of the process; this can be seen at the bottom right of the above image. He explained the process to Angela. As an ex-mining engineer, I was familiar with the process. Robert has been panning the area for several years. This is probably a good time of year to pan the Platte… but Robert said the water is very cold! When the snow melt starts in earnest in the coming weeks, the water level in the Platte River will rise by several feet.

Robert

Here is a close-up of Robert’s sluice box. Looks like plenty of material from the hardware store went into the box. The first step is to screen the gravel by passing through the green screen (at the back). Robert then transfers the gravel that falls through the screen to the top of the sluice box. Water from a pump flows over the gravel. Lighter sands and gravels are washed away. Heavier materials, including tiny flakes of gold, are trapped in the riffles in the base of the box.

Sluicing The Gold

We left Robert and continued along the riverside. There were several puddles of water that have frozen during the winter, trapping colorful leaves and stones under ice.

Frozen Under The Ice

In the distance, I noticed something colorful and headed towards the area. Someone had run the supermarket cart and buggy down the bank and into the river.

Abandoned Buggy

Heading back towards the parking lot, I noticed this colorful garage adorned with graffiti.

Orange Garage And Graffiti

Nearby, at an adjacent house, was this window box. The plants were looking worse for wear and withered from the cold winter.

Window Box

We both enjoyed the afternoon walk, made more rewarding with our encounter with a gold miner. Angela commented that there are some really interesting people here in Colorado.

Last weekend we had another snowstorm in the metro area. During the morning commute, there was a thin layer of snow remaining at the DU light rail station. These two pieces of real estate were snowed under.

Real Estate, Snowed Under

Please take your seat! Enjoy the view and the rest of the day.

Please Take Your Seat!

Later in the week, I took vacation day for mid-week snowboarding at Keystone. There was fabulous snow and untracked powder… if you knew where to look. On the return home, I stopped off at Silver Plume to take a look at some of the original Victorian era houses. Silver Plume is one of  mining towns where silver mining took place in the 19th century. There seems to be a thriving community of antique stores in the older buildings. Santa Claus was busy, sitting on the ladder!

Santa In The Window

Some of the original main street businesses are now homes. Here is one of the windows, decorated with colorful drapes and what appears to be Buddhist manuscripts.

Colorful Manuscripts

At the entrance to one of the stores a pair of antique chairs sit on display.

Antique Chairs

The Silver Standard Building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, as noted on the placard. This building houses the US Post Office.

Silver Standard Building

The interior of the Post Office is adorned with period pieces. Original photographs hang from the walls. Also, just inside the entrance are these ornately sculpted mailboxes. Each mailbox appears to have some form of combination lock that allows access to their contents.

Brass Mailboxes

Enjoy.

Thursday was a vacation day that I spent snowboarding at Keystone. The weather was perfect – mostly cloudy, with periodic snow showers and occasional sun. After a day riding the bowls and trails, it was time to return home. A snow storm arrived at Loveland Pass.

Winter Clouds Over Loveland Pass

Returning towards Denver along I-70, I noticed ice fountains along the west-bound lanes. I just had to find somewhere to head back west.

Silver Plume Ice Fountain #1

I have been wanting to make images ice formations like this for the last couple of years. This is one of several images that I made.

Silver Plume Ice Fountain #2

Whilst stopped, off the edge of the highway, a tow-truck stopped right behind me. Maybe the truck operator thought I was having problems. After seeing that I was making photographs, he asked if I could make a picture of him against the ice with his his cell phone. I obliged and he went on his way.

Silver Plume Ice Fountain #3

Another…

And another!

Silver Plume Ice Fountain #5

Finally, I headed back until, at Silver Plume, I stopped to take a look at the rail yard for the Georgetown Loop Railroad.

Silver Plume Rail Yard

During the warmer months of the year, this narrow gauge railroad runs tourist trains between  Georgetown and Silver Plume. This section of railroad is unique in that the train completes seven circular loops on the journey over a distance of a few miles.

Rio Grande

Finally, here is the detail of the original Rio Grande boxcar that was used on the narrow gauge railroads in Colorado.

This week we had another snow fall early in the week. Earlier in the day, most of the snow had melted. On the way to the light rail station, I was greeted (hoot, hoot) by an owl, perched on top of a street light. Probably a Great Horned Owl, but it was too dark to see the horns.

When I arrived at the light rail station, the air was cold. As a result the fountains were immersed in a sea of mist.

Fountains In Blue

The fountain lights cycle through the three primary colors of red, green and blue. This results in many colored fountain jets. Here is red.

Fountains In Red

After work on Friday, I stopped at Samson Park.This lamp post had some interesting rust patterns.

Samson Park Rust Patterns

Samson Park has a collection of sculptures depicting characters from “Alice in Wonderland”. Here is the “Queen of Hearts”.

Queen Of Hearts

This is one character that you don’t want to mess with.

Heart Of Gold?

I don’t think she has a heart of gold… That is one mean looking finger.

Remains Of Some Missing Sculpture

This looks like the remains of some sculpture. Many of the sculptures have a descriptive plaque that was lacking with this one. I am not sure whether this is a sculpture, part of a pedestal or some other artifact.

Finally, will you share a seat with me?

Share This Park Bench With Me

This week’s images comes from several shoots this week. I was waiting for the train just as the sun’s rays cleared the top of the parking garage, casting these long shadow patterns from the bench.

Light Rail Bench Shadow

There are usually several bikes chained to the bike racks and railings nearby the parking garage. In the pursuit of material for Project 52, I am often rewarded with making several images that form the title for the post. This colorful seat is no exception.

Bandana Bicycle Seat

After a day at the office, I meandered back to the light rail station. Opposite Fiddler’s Green, this pond is reluctantly giving up its ice sheet. There was a sizable opening in the ice to view reflections of this office block.

Reflection In Frozen Pond

Some months ago, the city installed new traffic lights. These lights have not been in operation, probably because of the low traffic volumes over the winter. Perhaps they will be activated in the spring when concert performances resume nearby.

88 Traffic Light

Sunlight from the setting sun caught these clouds above the station.

Clouds And Sunset Over Village Station

Nearby these jets were in a red huddle in the fountain. Is this part of the  Superbowl football fever?

Red Huddle In The Fountain

All the best.

This week I have included images made from two photo shoots. Fiddler’s Green is a summer concert music venue close to the office. Returning from work, I pass this transformer with the remains of revelry left by previous music lovers.

Beery Heads

Meandering up to the light rail station, I passed by several sculptures at Tuscany Plaza with their feet planted firmly in the ground.

Feet Planted Firmly In The Ground

The recent snow fall (the previous day), still covered the ground in the shady areas, exposing this pile of pebbles.

Pebbles in the Snow

Yesterday I made my way down to the Platte River. There is a Mini Golf course by an iced covered pond. Also located here is an Aqua Golf Range. Here are two golfers surounded by all these golf balls.

Aqua Golfers

The Platte River flows slowly at this time of the year. But there is enough water to catch reflections of the sky. In green…

Platte River Water Flow

And reflections of the trees with the approaching sunset…

Platte River Reflections

Finally, the setting sun falls on the trees that are reflected off the water.

Sunset Reflection in the Platte River

That marks the end of another Colorado winter’s day.

Leaving the office, I stopped past the exhaust fan outlets from the underground parking garage, to be greeted by…

... A Smiling Moose

Near the light rail station is the new office building.

A Different Perspective

The office building is at top left. Bottom right is a tower with video display panels. At night the tower is lit by strip lighting.

Fountains At Dusk

These fountains are lit by underwater lights at night. The lights had recently been switched on. The underwater lights are placed below the fountain jets.

Fountain Jet in Red

The lights sequence through various colors, red, blue, green and shades in between. Here are the blue jets.

Fountain Jet in Blue

Looking up towards the blue sky, the moon was revealed behind passing clouds.

Blue Sky, Clouds, Moon and Street Lamp

The station plaza and new office building is surrounded by street lamps, similar to the one above. The light emits from the top of the pole, reflecting in the plate to illuminate the plaza below. Neat.