Spring Close-ups and reflections

Spring is not the best time for going out with the camera. The colors are faded, the weather is not always friendly, and many subjects are not ready to pose. But... it's a good time for some close-up shots. And if you are after details and patterns, you don't have to go far... just walk around and look. But let's start with something else - what about a hike on Barr Lake? A light hike around the lake is always fun and the weather is mostly nice there (if not too windy :) ). This morning it was nice and quiet but... really cloudy. The sky was unusually gray and blended perfectly with water... And the bare trees created cool silhouettes against this background...

 

But when you look down, you can find something completely different. Definitely some dried grass, and leaves, and some tree pods... simple but interesting to look up close!

The bark of old trees is never boring to look at. The patterns are stunning and beautiful. Don't you agree with me?

What I really like about this place is reflections. Especially before the foliage adds some color and fuzziness to the branches. Usually I can stay there for hours, tracing lines and seeing some crazy patterns created by nature...

A few more small details. Aren't they fascinated?

As I mentioned earlier, the weather was just amazing and very calm. The water was quite still and created perfect reflections, because of which I could not tell which was the real tree and which was its virtual representation ;)

A bit of an unusual pattern, huh?

The skis were cloudy and gray, creating an almost black and white world... faded and subtle...

Later that day, the sky took on color and the surrounding area began to look more normal... more usual...  More like last year when we were there - Barr Lake, early Spring.

 

But this feeling of a nice and sunny day didn't last long... Just a few minutes later the sky was blended with water again, creating the perfect canvas for some abstract images...

It's hard to believe, but Spring has already arrived, and very soon the leaves will upwhirl and add some colors to this withered world...

Gray on gray with some kind of blue-ish tint... I really liked the weather today!

You know, this hike was really special (even though I get this feeling almost every time I am walking there) and also unusual. Barr Lake is famous for bird watching, but we saw almost no birds this time. We've definitely heard them chirping and tweeting... But not as much as we expected.. Just compare to what we saw the year before - Barr Lake in March.

 

Finally we were back to the Visitor Center and ready to leave... But... as usual... we were already planning a return ;) Maybe later in April or in May, when the fresh leaves change the perception of this place - just look here - Another Barr Lake hike...

Pictures were taken in March 2024.