How did I get this beautiful shot? More interestingly- How did I almost NOT get this beautiful shot? Read on, oh photographic warriors, and see how I almost had my ass handed to me in my giddy enthusiasm!

So this was smack dab in the middle of our massive 9700-mile road trip around the United States of America. Myself, my soon-to-be husband, his blue-haired friend, and her two-year-old daughter were tooling around national parks, Seattle-bound or bust. It was awesome.

When we hit Denver, I knew it was my kind of town. For one thing, there were pianos outside to play. Most were in terrible shape, but as a pianist, I always appreciate a few spares here and there. For another, it’s a very outdoor-centric town. Like the west coast, people are always outside doing exciting things like whitewater rafting or hiking canyons or jumping rattlesnakes.

I made up that last one, but I was a little nervous in the rocky areas, so I’d believe it. As musicians, we paid tribute to the hallowed ground of Red Rocks and as a stage technician, I would say my job would not be improved with more rattlesnakes. No thank you very much.

Unfortunately, although I loved Denver, Denver did not love me- It’s 8,000 feet above sea level. I was walking along the street, minding my own business, when I was hit with altitude sickness so strong I had to sit down. But we still decided to drive up Mount Evans, the “highest paved road in North America”. What could go wrong, right?

At 14,000 feet above sea level, the alpine flowers were blooming and wild goats and sheep were plentiful. Of course I hopped out of the car to get a better shot of the lambs. The wildlife were unfazed and I was delighted as I got closer and closer to the lambs.

Until I got too close.

Which was when a big ram took a good look and started walking towards me. Which was when I realized just how far away from the car I had wandered. Which was when I remembered that I couldn’t run even if I wanted to without fainting because of the altitude.

Oh boy.

Lucky for me and the photos you have today, I took this risk, and much luckier, the ram allowed me to back away slowly without incident. But this is a great example of how quickly and easily you can get yourself into trouble in a foreign environment!

This photo was shot on a Nikon D5000 camera and kit lens. It was edited in photoshop with the help of the Nik filter collection, which I adore.

What else do you want to know about travel photography or this shot in particular- gear? Location? Accessories? Post-processing? Workflow? Ask me in the comments and I’ll fill you in.