Tempest and Bloom

You can feel the storm coming in this one. The air was thick and you could smell the rain on the wind, but the sun found one last gap to light up Mt. Crested Butte. I was scrambling to find a good spot in this incredible field of lupines, getting down low to make them feel like they were stretching all the way to the mountain. The contrast was what got me—the deep purple of the flowers and the bruised-looking clouds against that final, warm glow on the peak. It was completely silent for a moment, that kind of heavy quiet that happens right before a downpour. I knew I only had a few seconds, and I’m glad I was there to see it.