Jeff Burch has been busy documenting some of the lesser known views in Western Colorado and neighboring Utah. Some are as beautiful as any I’ve seen, even as they don’t cry “Colorado fourteeners.” A fan of the work of photographers like Tim Fitzharris, David Muench and Ansel Adams – other photographers who’ve worked the landscape in these parts – I’m not easily impressed.
When I met Jeff, I had no idea who he was – but having done some photography and encountered cranky people, I didn’t want to subject him to such treatment. Thus he hung out with us for three or four hours, picking the ideal spot and waiting for the moment when the light made the landscape pop.
We’ve all spent many hours trying to get pictures which do our view justice. Jeff, though, has spent a great deal more time selecting the appropriate equipment and developing the necessary skills. Rendering truly panoramic vistas isn’t easy.
Still, there’s always more to the beauty. While “our” poster – the one taken from the lodge – captures the central drama, Mendicant Ridge alone is a spectacular view. Photographs struggle to convey the power of the uplifts involved in creating the pretty pictures. Not only are the tops of the mountains beautiful; the sheer magnitude of the scene can be more moving.
Jeff has three posters (shown below) providing different perspectives on the West Eks. You’ll find more information by clicking on any of them to reach his poster page.
