Several years ago, I took a ski trip at the gorgeous Vail ski resort in mid-February. I took along my all-purpose lens for my Olympus camera. I love the portability of my M4/3 gear.

One morning, after a steep run, I was struck by this beautiful scene. The image combines wonderful lines, curves, colors, textures, and contrasts. The easy run guides the eye to the valley at the foot of the mountains and creates a feeling of immense distance.

I stopped and took out my camera, needing to determine the best composition. I opted to take 8 handheld overlapped shots at a focal length of 118 mm, knowing Lightroom could create a panorama with all the photos. In postproduction, I decided where the foreground diagonals would intersect the frame, and I cropped to a 16:9 ratio for the final image.

Steep and flat runs full of snow on which we can play outside and view a beautiful winter background. They are a photographer's (and a skier's) dream!