Spindrift rushes across the road as wind rocks the car. We look at each other and share a similar thought...what the heck? We are parked at the winter closure gate on the Guanella Pass Road, wondering what would possess us to drive up here. The car shakes in the wind, snapping me out of thoughts of a warm couch and hot cocoa. Now I remember why! We came for a nice long hike. In freezing cold. Our plan is to start at the closure gate and walk 2 miles to the top of the pass at 11,500 feet of elevation. From the pass, we would continue hiking 4 miles on a broad ridgeline to the top of Geneva Peak at 12,500 feet. The weather forecast is a high in the 20s, partly cloudy, with wind gusts to 45 mph and a windchill below 0. After a mostly lazy winter, I am looking forward to using the E-M1 and 12-40 in more difficult conditions than my apartment has to offer. I pull the camera from the bag and gasp. Surprise surprise...the 17mm f1.8 is mounted on the camera. My 12-40 is sitting warm at home. Well, throughout the hike, that little O17 became plastered by spindrift and ice, which I continuously wiped from it. But the camera kept clicking and so did the lens. The autofocus was speedy and accurate the entire hike. Overall, it was fun and challenging to be constrained to 17mm in such a wide open space. I love that little lens.
Fantastic scenery, but could I make a suggestion. All the shots appear to have been taken at eye level (ie standing up with the camera held to the eye) and a number could have been made quite dramatic by lowering the camera to ground level or a lower aspect or even holding the camera above your head and pointing slightly down. Different perspectives can have an amazing effect on a scene.
Thanks all - glad you enjoyed the pics. I think my toes are still thawing out from that trip. OzRay - appreciate the suggestion. I do enjoy different perspectives. And that reminds me...I should put the pivoting screen on the E-M1 to good use. I forget that capability is there.
Varying things can make an enormous difference to shots. Your shots reminded me of when I used to do cross-country skiing over 30 years ago and lugged my Zenza Bronica ETRs with me everywhere. These two shots are scans of 5"x3.5" prints taken all those years ago (the first was with the camera sitting on the snow and the second with the camera on a rock outcrop):
