Featured Photo: Climbing lady

This post initiates my Featured Photo series, which will offer a two-week discount and a bit of back story on a particular image. 

I'm not ashamed to admit I've been having a love affair with Colorado for almost exactly seven years now. In 2005, I flew out with a few family members to meet my little sister, who had just started school in Colorado Springs, for a ski weekend in Summit County. As I knew they would, the Rocky Mountains blew me away. We had a wild weekend and vowed to make the trip an annual tradition, which we stuck to for several years (until that whole pregnancy thing made it too awkward for some of us to ski). Those trips expanded to spending as much time as I—and eventually my husband—could on the Western Slope: a winter here, a few summers there and scattered weeks whenever we could make them happen.

I shot this photo, Climbing lady, during the summer of 2007, and it remains one of my favorite images. It brings me back to hiking across an alpine meadow up above Silverthorne with my now-husband, bright mountain sun warming our faces (and probably burning them to crisps, but it's worth it), dog bounding up the path ahead of us, wildflowers in full bloom. I've rarely seen anyone else up there, and in mid-July it becomes a vibrant secret garden. We got engaged that summer, so there's an extra hint of happiness swirling in the air of my memories. Ahh. Good times. 

When I spotted this little ladybug crawling around a brilliant yellow flower, surrounded by other flowers and deeply saturated grass, I knew it was something worth capturing. I hope you agree.

Through February 14, you'll receive 15% off any size print of Climbing lady.