The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is running a very cool series over on their My Public Lands Tumblr right now featuring guest photo editor Bob Wick, who has taken many of the amazing photos featured on this Tumblr. We highly recommend you head over there and check it out today! mypubliclands: Handies Peak Wilderness Study Area Colorado by Bob Wick, mypubliclands Instagram Guest Photo Editor About this photo: Depending on which way you point your camera relative to the location of the sun, you will be making use of one of the three primary types of lighting—front, side, or back lighting. This image of Sloan Lake is an example of front lighting, meaning the sun is behind my shoulder and illuminating the image directly. This is the safest kind of light to photograph in. It works really well for subjects with lots of color and bold forms like the dramatic mountains, lake and wildflowers here in the Colorado Rockies. Front lighting is also good for photographing people and wildlife. In many situations, front lighting can appear flat, so I mostly ignore an oft touted photography tenet of “always shoot with the sun behind your shoulders”. About this Area: The Handies Peak Wilderness Study Area is in Southwest Colorado between the towns of Lake City and Silverton. Sloan Lake is at an elevation of 12,900 feet on the trail to 14,000 foot Handies Peak . Access to the trailhead is along the Alpine Loop National Backcountry Byway and does require 4-wheel drive vehicles. For those unable to make the hike, there are equally spectacular views from the byway corridor. The use season is short at these high elevations with access usually available from June through September or October. The dramatic wildflower bloom peaks in mid-late July, while golden aspens put on a show in September. The area offers ample opportunities for either morning or evening light. Camera settings: lens focal length: 17 mm, shutter speed: 1/8 sec, aperture: f 16, ISO 100
