Fall Sunset at Mt. Sneffels

County Road 7 near Ridgway, Colorado

( Click on image to access high resolution virtual tour. Not for mobile devices.)

September 26, 2020 — I captured this photograph shortly before sunset along County Road 7, southwest of Ridgway, Colorado. The last rays of evening sunlight illuminated Mount Sneffels and the surrounding peaks of the San Juan Mountains, while the aspen groves and scrub oak covering the hillsides displayed their brilliant autumn colors.

The warm golden light sweeping across the foreground contrasts beautifully with the cooler blue tones of the mountains and the deepening shadows in the valley. The colorful aspens, rugged mountain peaks, and dramatic evening sky combine to create one of those memorable autumn scenes that make southwestern Colorado such a remarkable place for landscape photography.

I particularly enjoy the depth of this composition. The colorful foliage in the foreground leads the eye across the valley toward the towering peaks of the Sneffels Range. The panoramic format allows the entire landscape to be appreciated as a single scene while preserving the intricate details of the trees, rocky slopes, and distant mountains.

The original uncropped panorama was created from 81 individual 42-megapixel HDR photographs captured with a Sony a7R II at 300mm, f/14, and ISO 100. Three exposures were recorded for each HDR position at 1/3, 1/50, and 1/3,000 second. The individual images were stitched together to produce the high-resolution panorama shown here.
The original image is:

• 2.156 gigapixels
• 26,815 × 80,407 pixels
• 89.4″ × 268.0″ at 300 PPI
• Approximately 3:1 aspect ratio
• Available as fine art prints, plaque mounts, aluminum prints and PlexiPlaq.
• Available as a Quad-Panel up to approximately 4 ft × 16 ft.
• Wall murals up to approximately 7 ft 5 in × 22 ft 4 in at 300 PPI, or 14 ft 11 in × 44 ft 8 in at 150 PPI.
• This image can be cropped to your desired dimensions.

Click here for information about purchasing a license for this image.