Lens-Artists Challenge #353: Stormy
We have had our share of stormy weather in Texas. I have shared photos of the infamous 2021 Snowmaggedon, as well as other ice storms. However, whenever I think of storms, the Rocky Mountains come to mind. The beauty of an approaching storm over the Rockies is an unforgettable view. As an extension of that, stormy skies in Colorado offer a different scene than what we are used to in Texas.
This week, Beth (of Wandering Dawgs) presents us her inaugural Lens-Artists challenge, and what a great challenge it is. Beth writes: “What does stormy look like to you?” She goes beyond the obvious and suggests other options: “stormy feelings or stormy situations.” Please look at her post here, see the beautiful images she shared, and read more about the challenge. Welcome to the team, Beth!
I will never forget one of our last visits to Sprague Lake at Rocky Mountain NP. We had to run back to the car a couple of times before being able to hike around that beautiful lake. At some point, the clouds above us were showing a sweeping motion of the storm about to happen. Unforgettable!
While at Rocky Mountain NP, we also visited an alluvial fan created by the power of a storm. None of those rocks were in this location. This alluvial fan happened on July 15, 2018. The Lawn Lake Dam broke and released over 200 million gallons of water down the mountain. It flooded all the way down to Estes Park.
Now, we move to another section of Colorado: Summit County. We love that area for the views, hikes, and altitude. We love staying in Silverthorne, at an altitude of 9,035 ft (2,754 m). Surrounded by the White River National Forest, the area offers a lot of different hikes. One area, in particular, is the Eagle Nest Wilderness. During a hike to Lily Pad Lake, we had to seek shelter because of a passing storm. Luckily, we got to experience the beautiful clouds and stormy sky, but the rains were to the east of us.
A couple of times, we witnessed the beauty of storms over the Dillon Reservoir. As the storm dissipated and clouds moved away, the light across the reservoir was magical.
Besides providing photographers with great moody scenes, after a storm, we often find rainbows. This image was captured at the overlook area at the Dillon Reservoir. A double rainbow is usually seen as a powerful symbol of hope, transformation, and new beginnings. It signifies that positive changes are about to happen.
I hope you will enjoy this challenge as much as I did. We went from Sofia’s Mellow theme last week to Beth’s Stormy challenge now. Just like the beautiful photos we saw this past week, I am certain this challenge will astound our senses. Don’t forget to use the “lens-artists” hashtag when creating your post so we can easily find it in the Reader.
Next week, Anne (of Slow Shutter Speed) will return with another challenging theme. It will go live at noon EST in the USA. Tune in to find out more about the challenge then. Please see this page to learn more about the Lens-Artists Challenge and its history.
That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you might also be interested in others featuring Alluvial Fan, Colorado, Eagles Nest Wilderness, Landscapes, Lens-Artists, Lily Pad Lake, National Parks, Rocky Mountain NP, Silverthorne, Sprague Lake, and White River NF. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
Gallery Slider
Approaching Storm
Alluvial Fan
At the End of the Day
Double Rainbow
Stormy Sprague Lake
Lily Pad Lake
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Albatz Travel Adventures
Those are some spectacular storms, and the light! They must have been fun to watch.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you. Yes, it was great to experience them.
Weekend Sky #148 – July 6th – Blog of Hammad Rais
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Hammad Rais
These rocks ROCKS!
Egidio Leitao
Thank you!
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography
Mountains are a GREAT some place to capture dramatic weather , powerful images. I like that I can sense the movements of the clouds.
Egidio Leitao
They were moving fast. Thanks for the feedback.
Amy
Incredible! The second one, wow!!
Egidio Leitao
Yes, to witness those clouds was really special. Thanks.
philosophy through photography
Egidio, storms over the Rockies truly paint a different sky—wild, sweeping, unforgettable.
From Sprague Lake drama to rainbows over Dillon Reservoir, the shots capture both nature’s power and its calm after. Love how this challenge brought back such vivid memories. A stormy beauty, indeed!
Egidio Leitao
Nothing like Colorado storms. There is so much drama. Thanks for writing.
philosophy through photography
I can imagine from here, about these storms.
You are welcome, my friend.
restlessjo
These are some of the most beautiful storm scenes I have ever seen, Egidio. They are fabulous xx
Egidio Leitao
Jo, I appreciate these kind words. Many thanks.
Sofia Alves
Beautiful, Egídio. I love that you captured that sweeping motion, it’s just breathtaking.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Sofia. I was at the right place and right time.
JohnRH
Wowwww. Great photos Egidio. 👏👏
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, John.
Teresa
Wow Egidio, great choices here.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks a million, Teresa.
Sheila
Such a beautiful gallery of storminess. That rainbow looks magical. There has to be a pot of gold somewhere there!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Sheila. We were lucky to see rainbows two days in a row at that location.
K. Ravindre
The idea of communicating telepathically with animals is truly fascinating—what an intriguing subject for a book
Egidio Leitao
I wonder if that comment was meant for another post.
margaret21
This is all so beautiful it’s hard to remember that some of it accompanies dramatic and even dangerous conditions. A lovely contribution.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Margaret. Luckily, the storms were not violent.
K. Ravindre
Wow! I couldn’t view the photos from the reader, but once I visited your site, I was able to enjoy them all—including that wonderful slideshow at the end.
Egidio Leitao
I’m glad you went to the site. I don’t know why the Reader is not showing the photos. Thanks for writing.
Toonsarah
Mountains can often trigger some dramatic weather and you’ve captured some great examples here! I love the shot of Sprague Lake and the one of the rainbow in particular 🙂
Egidio Leitao
Thanks a million, Sarah.
Wandering Dawgs
Wow! Egidio, thank you for this post. Your stormy images are stunning. I love that your images show that sometimes a storm can create a beautiful scene. I really like the shadows in At the End of the Day and I’d like to watch the storm roll in at one of those lakes. I hope you had good luck after that beautiful double rainbow.
Egidio Leitao
Beth, thanks for your note and for this challenge.
Prior...
I was not able to see the photos from the reader, but going to your site – I was able to see them all and then the slideshow at the end. What amazing photos from RMNP – and the last two really were my fav – the one before the double rainbow one especially – the end of the day – you showed so much beauty there – beauty after a storm and maybe all the more because of it.
Egidio Leitao
Yvette, I had the same issue. I don’t know why the Reader doesn’t show them. I sent a message to support to see what they can tell me. I think your assessment about that photo is right on target. The light was all because of the clouds moving out. Thanks for writing.
Prior...
If your photos are really large files that coule make a difference – but it was not that hard to go to the main site to see them – and we were able to get the writing in the post via reader, which was a special part
Egidio Leitao
Yvette, I think the issue is the image plug-in I used. The photos are all small and under 160 kB. I’ve contacted the plug-in author to see what they say. Thanks for the troubleshooting suggestion.
Prior...
thanks for letting me know
🙂
Leanne Cole
NOthing like a rainbow after rain, one of my favourite things. Beautiful stormy images Egidio.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Leanne.
Eterea
Wow
Egidio Leitao
Thanks.
Vicki
Fantastic images, Egidio.
Everyone seems to have completely different storm views and I admit to being almost embarrassed to share my own feeble efforts. I must say I love seeing the countryside and mountains around the world.
The light across the Dillon Reservoir is amazing in that image.
Egidio Leitao
Vicki, I think the variety these challenges brings is a big plus. We all have experienced different things. Thank you for your wonderful feedback. I like spending time at that overlook at Dillon Reservoir. Although it’s right off a main highway, the view beyond that is often magical, especially after a storm.
nesfelicio
Beautiful landscape shots!
Excellent light.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Nes. I appreciate your note.
Anne Sandler
What a beautiful post Egidio. Rocky Mountain NP is truly a beautiful place and you are lucky to be able to handle the altitude. We had one full day there before my husband got altitude sickness. Your photos are absolutely amazing.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Anne. We are lucky indeed. Most of the hikes we do are in pretty high altitude. Of course, we have to go slowly, but we haven’t got sick so far.
Tina Schell
Egidio, your photography this week is truly magical. With each image I thought I’d found my favorite and then the instant I saw the following image I knew THAT would be my favorite – until the next shot of course 🙃. turns out they’re all magnificent. Wonderful post.
Egidio Leitao
Tina, thanks for this compliment. Rocky Mtn is a magical place.