Summer in SW Colorado is a beautiful time to explore the San Juan mountains. Crisp forests, lush meadows, and colorful wildflowers all come to life beneath the peaks of numerous "14ers." The sun is warm, and the air is fresh – quite a refreshing experience coming from the heat in Phoenix.

This shot was taken from a ridgeline at around 11,000 ft in the Lizard Head Wilderness near Telluride. It was a lovely sunny day with a cool breeze in July. My wife, dog and I were on a day hike that started from just off the US 145 highway, climbed up through the forest and then meandered around several peaks before descending back to the start.

Above the treeline, bunches of clouds danced around the peaks, creating a constantly changing mix of light and shadows across the landscape. A field of yellow flowers with a backdrop of mountains drew my interest to the scene, and I laid down on the ground with my 15mm to get an immersive perspective.

Depth of field was my primary consideration, as I wanted to have the flowers and mountains in focus. So, I aimed for hyperfocal distance at f16 and started shooting. The lingering snow provided nice accents and contrast to the lushness of the rest of the scene.

When I got home for post-processing, this shot with the flowers in full sun combined with patches of sun and shadow on the mountains in the background was the one I found most compelling. I'd love to return during other seasons to see the aspens ablaze or the forests buried in snow.