During our recent trip to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) my husband and I had a fantastic time hiking and taking in the incredible views that almost litter the landscape. As common as mosquitoes in Florida, a jaw dropping landscape in RMNP is the norm.

I wonder if the people who live here get so used to this?? I can’t imagine it could be possible.

We tried to capture the landscapes with our little “point and shoot” camera but it never really did them justice. I finally looked up a local photographer in his studio just off of the main drag in Estes Park. At last I could find the awesome landscapes of RMNP captured on film. I dug through his collection of prints until I came upon a shot of one of my very favorite lakes in the park, Dream Lake. Here on film he captured the scene that had made my heart race when it came into view during my first hike here three years ago.

The harsh granite plunges down toward the tree line and the lake while clouds try to creep over the ridge. All of this reflected in the calm cold water. I purchased the print and had it shipped home for a very reasonable price. When it showed up on my front door a few days later, I was drowning in Florida heat and a little melancholy. The “Dream Lake” photo brought our trip rushing back to me and will now be a constant remainder of RMNP on my wall.

The photographer, Erik Stensland, has both the eye and the talent to capture all this on film. Check out his images at www.imagesofRMNP.com

This photo, which I took, pales when compared to Erik Stensland's work.