I have been visiting Crested Butte for 30 years. Crested Butte is located in the Gunnison National Forest in the Elk Mountain Range of the Colorado Rockies. During the last few summers, I began participating in the photography sessions at the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival (www.crestedbuttewildflowerfestival.com) and started to learn how to take “topside” photographs. While the principals of good photography techniques remain the same, I was unfamiliar with the many other variables of taking topside photos. With the help of some of the local pros such as Dusty Demerson, I fell in love with taking photos of wildflowers and wildflower landscapes. Crested Butte is known as the “wildflower capital of Colorado” and if you visit there in late June and July, you will know why. In years of good winter snowfall and May and April rain, one can be overwhelmed with carpets of yellow, white, purple, and blue wildflowers. And taking wildflower close-ups gives me a special joy and appreciation of the beauty, intricacy, and uniqueness of each and every wildflower.
