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Ouray, Colorado.
It isn’t often that I get a second chance to photograph a popular site on our travels. In 2021, we drove the Million Dollar Highway, a scenic route known for its stunning views and dramatic drop-offs. You can visit my post about this popular scenic highway here.
In September 2023, we left the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and headed toward U.S. Highway 550, the Million Dollar Highway. That journey allowed me to improve my photography of the popular waterfall, which is only a short drive from Ouray.
Bear Creek Falls is hidden underneath an amazing bridge that spans a gorge in the rocks, which was a real challenge for the original road builders. I referenced that story in the Million Dollar Highway post mentioned above. From underneath that bridge, the falls plunge 200 feet (61 m) into the Uncompahgre Gorge, making it a truly impressive sight.
There is a parking area and viewing platform just off the highway, making it easy to see the falls. The falls are accessible year-round, but the best time to visit is in the spring when the runoff is high, and the falls are at their most powerful. The falls can freeze in the winter, creating a dramatic ice formation.
Be aware that climbing or hiking near the falls is dangerous. The rocks can be slippery, and there is a significant drop-off. If you want to get a closer look at the falls from below, a few guided hikes are available in the area.
About the photo: When I captured the falls from the same vantage point in 2021, I captured a single image with my Nikon D500. During this visit to the falls, I used my Samsung S23U camera and captured three successive images from the top to the bottom of the falls. If you compare the two images, the major improvement in the panoramic image here is that I could include more detail at the base of the falls where the creek continues on from its fall.
One advantage, dear reader, you cannot see from the photo here on my blog or on my Flickr site, where it is posted in 2K HD, is that the final image before online compression is larger than 4K HD. Using a guide to printing on high-resolution media, the final photo merge before compression would create a 12×16 high-quality print at 300 dpi. I don’t plan to print this image, so my major goal was achieved when I included more of the waterfall’s base than in my photo from two years earlier.
I encourage fellow bloggers to create their own Cellpic Sunday posts. I never have a specific topic for this feature, and the only rules are that the photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or another mobile device… If you have an image from a drone or even a dashcam, that’s also acceptable. The second rule is to link your challenge response to this post or leave a comment here with a link to your post in the comment. Oh, you don’t have to post it on a Sunday.
John Steiner
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Cool to be able to compare between the two. A slightly different angle and it makes such a difference.
Here is mine:
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They are neat looking falls John. A good idea to revisit.
Here is my contribution this week
Thanks, Brian!
Amazing click! Love the first one.
Love the angle!
Thanks, Philo!
Welcome, John.
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Whoa!! I am getting vertigo just looking at the picture! Great shots. My entry here:
Thanks, PR. That’s a tall waterfall. I’d love to get a view from the base sometime, but that’s a lot harder to get there.
[…] I took these dandelion shots yesterday and edited them on my phone using Lightroom John’s Cellpic Sunday […]
Driving the Million Dollar Hwy is not for the faint of heart. We’ve visited that part of Colorado numerous times and remained awed by the beauty. Glad you were able to revisit. I love having the opportunity to revisit places.
You’ve got that right. It’s a beautiful drive, but I have family members that would never consider the trip. 🙂
[…] Partial inspiration this week from Brian’s Last on the Card, Dawn’s last spring festival, and Johnbo’s ongoing Cellpic Sunday. […]
[…] very mixed results. I find it time consuming and hit or miss. The iPhone photos are in response to John’s Cellpic Sunday photo challenge. Thus, this post includes my original cell phone photos along with artificially generated […]
That is an amazing view of the falls, John! I can see it’s worth the effort to try to capture a good shot.
Here is my CellPic Sunday post which you already read! https://secondwindleisure.com/2024/06/02/sunday-stills-great-outdoors-month-is-now/
Good shot of the waterfalls, the scenery is amazing.
Thanks, Alice. It’s hard to take a bad picture in Colorado. >grin<
These posts are making me homesick for Colorado🥰
I always enjoy traveling through this beautiful state.
[…] Cellpic Sunday – Bear Creek Falls […]
I always learn a bit when I visit photography blogs such as yours, John. The comparison between the two photos is really interesting … and what a great view!
Thanks, Marie! Bear Creek Falls is one of the easiest waterfalls to view from a highway.
Love the blue water at the bottom, John. That highway is a bear too!
It is, indeed, Janet!
[…] Steiner, the blogger behind Journeys With Johnbo, has this prompt he calls Cellpic Sunday in which he asks us to post a photo that was taken with a cellphone, tablet, or another mobile […]
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[…] Journeys with Johnbo encourages bloggers to post their own Cellpic Sunday. The only rule is that they are from a cellphone, tablet, or any other mobile device. […]
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Man I miss Colorado! Seeing things like this make me wonder why I ever left.
It is a beautiful state!
We were going back & forth on 550 the first week of September last year! If you saw a purple Jeep, that was us. Lol! We didn’t get to see the falls though. It looks pretty cool so thanks to you we’ll go check it out next time.
I would love to take part in your challenge, but unfortunately I’ve never been to this place. Maybe one day I will see Bear Creek Falls in person.
You certainly don’t need to submit a photo of Bear Creek Falls. Cellpic Sunday posts can be anything you wish to share as a subject of the post. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
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