When the love for a place and a passion collide

I’m a born-and-raised Coloradoan, but what makes my life extra special is that much of my childhood development occurred between two towns in Custer County called Westcliffe and Silver Cliff, Colorado. Where is that you might ask. It is what we called a wide-spot-in-the-road, or a don’t-blink-or-you’ll-miss-it sort of place.

My grandparents bought a beautiful ranch there in 1959. My mother’s family lived in Pueblo and would spend family time in Westcliffe, which is where my parents met. Days growing up there were spent fishing with grandma in one of the ponds, sledding behind grandpa’s jeep, throwing rocks into fresh cow patties, or “helping” in the hay barn. I can keep writing about the ranch and growing up there, but that is a short-story all on its own.

My dad and aunts graduated from Custer County High School. My third-grade teacher also taught my dad. My family once owned a little motel we named The Silverado Motel, which is now the Silver Cliff Mountain Inn. Chances are, if you’ve had a meal there, it is likely where my bedroom used to be. My father was the County Road Supervisor and volunteer Fire-Fighter and my mother was a dispatcher for the sheriff’s office. I’ve often said I’m related to half the town because both my mother and father have siblings still there who also married into other families.

We moved to the bigger city of Durango, Colorado in 1989. After graduating Durango high, I went into the Air Force for 4 years, but ended up having a phenomenal 25-year career. Those years were spent living all over the United States and overseas only to visit family as often as I could, but never enough. While I’ve had a love for photography since I was a child, it was in the Air Force that I expanded my photographic skill. I endeavored to “capture the remarkable,” the remarkable things I so often witnessed. When I retired from the Air Force a few years ago, I moved to Durango, which is where I now live full-time as a freelance photographer.

When I go back to spend time with family, I don’t spend any of that time for photography. So, when I saw that Dan Ballard coordinated photography workshops at the Music Meadows Ranch in Westcliffe, it was an opportunity to create beautiful images of a place I love so dearly in a way that connected me to my grandparents’ ranch growing up. Combining my love for a place and my passion for photography was a must-do!

I credit Dan Ballard Photography to much of my photographic capabilities. I’ve gone with him on workshops in Rocky Mountain and Great Sand Dunes National Parks. I learned a lot from him over the years and highly recommend his teaching and workshops over all others. This one couldn’t have been any better!

The Music Meadows Ranch is a working ranch across the valley from my where grandparents once ranched. Their passions are ranching, horses, and people. They are a smaller operation than most guest ranches, which allows them to offer personal attention to each guest and expertise that makes the difference. The ranch is nestled at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It is owned by a family that has a rich history in the area ranching through many of the same decades as my own family. The owner, Elin, runs a great operation with an outstanding team of folks that made the experience one-for-the-books. You must go to the website, see all the awesome things are doing, and join in.

The weather conditions and light on the first morning were the best anyone could have asked for. The night before, it snowed just enough to leave a powder-like coating that rested in the fields and clung to every piece of grass and yucca plant and glimmered in the soft sunlight. Although the sky was blanketed with clouds, they were just thin enough to filter the sun and cast a soft glow prefect for these ranch scenes.

The second morning was clear and cold. It was an impeccable recipe for that alpenglow you see on the Crestone Needles in the image below

From the great team who allowed us to create these amazing images to the scenes that unfolded before us, all the elements aligned. There were horses running to the corral, barn cats delighting in the sunlight, and a fluffy dog greeting guests with a hello. I certainly appreciate the patience and professionalism these people possessed as we snapped away.

This kind of imagery requires the precision of focus, a quick mind to see remarkable compositions in the scenes as they unfold so quickly, and an expertise in camera handling that is second nature. The images I created are very rewarding.

Visiting and photographing this authentic little ranch connected me back to my roots and gave me such joy. I am extremely excited to share this collection. I hope you enjoy it!

After you take a peek, I’d love to hear what your favorites are by commenting below.