Elements: Cara Eglinton

While I sit and listen to the peaceful sound of water as it pours into the stream below I am relaxed and calm. However, when I look at it a see a force that is so powerful that is sculpts it own way through nature and doesn’t let anything stop it from getting to its destination.

Water moves around, over, under, and though anything in its way. Water isn’t just another element, it is a calm and peaceful part of nature that can have a fatal attraction if not approached with the utmost caution.

Vison: Cara Eglinton

As I wondered through the park reminiscing on all the wonderful days I had with my father, I saw a man with a familiar face. He was an elderly man who frequented the park often.
As I was walking past him we said hello to each other and I couldn't help but mention that I see him often at this park. The man introduced himself, his name is William, he used to take walks everyday with his wife through this park until last year when she passed away. He then began to explain to me the details of the last walk they took.
He told me how they sat on this bench and enjoyed the cool fall air, and how he looked at her and told her that she was more beautiful than that fall day. Her name was JoAnn, she was 76, and they had been married for 53 wonderful years when she had passed away that evening on October 22, 2011. He then told me how he walks through the park everyday and stops just for a moment to stare at the bench where she sat for the last time, and in his mind how he could see her sitting there just as beautiful as she was that day.
I thanked William from sharing his story with me, and took this picture of the bench on the other side of the bridge where he goes everyday to remember his wife.

Cam Parsons - Vision

As photographers, we are stripped from our normal three-dimensional world, and forced into a flat, and seemingly boring two-dimensional world. But in this 2-D state of vision, we make this one eye be our lens to the world. And when you personify that trait of a photographer, the cyclops is kinda the perfect self portrait for a photographer.

(Check out this RadioLab short to discover how even our complex eyes are still only seeing a sliver of how things really look.)

Vision: Thomas Palos

As I run the last lap I can feel the sweat running down my face, my heart beating rapidly I lay down in the grass to take a rest. My vision is always blocked out on what is going on around me after a long run. I recover myself by sitting up and looking straight out into the distance as I wipe the salty sweat from my eyes. My vision becomes a bit more clear, but when I come to face it, there is always something blocking my vision.

Vision: Kevin Reeve

Colorado's ballot and the move to legalize marijuana. Image ©Kevin Reeve

Vision of the future: Marijuana on the ballot

In this brutal election season, we are besieged by the freakishly inevitable campaign advertising assault.  In our Clockwork Orange-style television death-march to Election Day, we Mile High mountain-folk haven’t heard much about the Colorado initiative to legalize marijuana in Colorado, on the ballot in November. Medical miracle? Harmless plant? Gateway to Junkieville? Voters will have the final say.

Which way swims the fickle savage that is the Great Red Shark of American Virtue?  Will the voting public 'legalize it' or continue the war on drugs?

Have a vision of the future? Help decide, VOTE!

Vision- Michelle McClelland Post

"It is within my imagination I find true vision and beauty that surrounds me"

 I forgot somewhere along the way how magical my vision of the world was as a child. I suppose this is just something we lose as we become adults and our minds fade away the unrealistic possibilities and the what if's. But on some amazing occasions we are left to remember those brief moments of wonderment and laughter by sitting back and watching the spark of a child and the imagination that comes leaping from them.


Some other great examples of Shadow play http://www.bestfreewebresources.com/2010/08/30-examples-of-shadow-photography-taken-at-perfect-time.html 

Vision: Paige L. Hill

Staring at the wall, I can just see it now. The place I’d rather be. Out there, way out there, in the mountain tops. Hearing the sounds of nature all around, feeling the cool breeze on my face, smelling the fresh air. Some place where there is no signal, totally off the grid. Just me, my thoughts and I. Places like these allow me to fine tune my vision for whatever project. 

Vision: Ryan Bilawsky

"The only thing worse than being blind is having sight with no vision."

-Helen Keller

Vision: Christi Bode

Amtrak Station, Glenwood Springs, CO

There is something to be said about stepping into a different environment and seeing the world with a fresh set of eyes.  I am more observant and begin to notice the details of my surroundings; everything around me is compelling content for a new visual essay.

I embarked on a 2 day, 22 hour roundtrip train ride from Denver to Helper, Utah this weekend.  Travel by train takes a backseat to other modes of transportation in America, but it truly is a hidden gem.  My curiosity brought me on board the California Zephyr, a daily route that weaves from Chicago to San Francisco.  Every seat felt like first class; nothing compares to watching the landscape transform from the window of a train.

I made some new friends, too! I heard many stories and learned some lessons, including: why Canada is the best country ever, how being 85 years old is the new 30, and Helper, Utah is a place out of "The Hills That Have Eyes".  Follow more of my journey on my blog.

-- Conductor Christi

  

Anna Keiser: Vision

Nighttime skyline of businesses across from Sloan's Lake in Denver.

After a long night of work at the local McDonald's, my vision becomes a bit blurry. The city lights are bright and make me squint. I believe that artists have a vision in everything they create, such as the architects that built the strip of businesses on Sheridan. With a long exposure and some movement, you get a vision of something completely different.

Ashley Ecklund: Vision

What always interests me about photography is the differences in how we see as humans, and how the camera sees. Our eyes have a brain that help them interpret what information they pick up. We also have a high dynamic range, meaning we can see detail in a higher contrast of hilight and shadow. The camera is limited, it only has so much dynamic range and so much depth of field. However, sometimes these limitations are beautiful. They offer opportunities for special visual experiences that wouldn't be possible with our incredible human eye. This image is of the same subject, but the depth of field, framing, and focus are different. I love how some simple camera adjustments can make a completely different look and feel of the same subject.

(Check out this ADORABLE victorian themed little bistro in Capitol Hill where this was taken: Fleur Bistro. They have great options for brunch. I had the Veggie benedict and it was fabulous at a good price too!)