Colorado's four seasons through the lens of a wildlife photographer
One year through the lens of wildlife photographer Molly McCormick shows that each season in Colorado is spectacular.
Colorado is lucky enough to have all four seasons.
And I was lucky enough to follow wildlife photographer Molly McCormick through those distinct seasons, capturing so many of Colorado's creatures along the way. We did it a spitting distance from Denver.
"My heart just feels like I belong here," McCormick said on the first day of winter, as we scanned Barr Lake for eagles.
The eagles at Barr Lake were shy. The mountain goats and bighorn sheep on Mount Evans were not, during our trek there this summer.
We saw bison in the spring at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, and in fall, elk bugling at Rocky Mountain National Park.
Some of McCormick's proudest accomplishments are being featured in National Geographic, the Remembering Wildlife Book Series, and working with the Tanzanian Children's Fund.
Follow McCormick on Instagram and Facebook to track her adventures both close to home and overseas. It is one of the best ways to procrastinate at work.
Spring
Spring essentially means life. Rebirth. Giving the world a new taste of Mother Nature. It's when a picture is worth a thousand "awwwww's."
McCormick wasn't subtle about her love for foxes.
"His name is Todd," she said. Blame Disney's movie "The Fox and the Hound. "I remember watching that movie and saying I wanna go out and hang out with foxes one day."
Destiny, manifested.
She said she keeps her fox spot secret, and it's for a good reason: "I'm a firm believer if you respect the animal, it will respect you, and you have a better opportunity for viewing it."
Summer
There's literally no place you go in Colorado that's not gorgeous in the summer. Mount Evans is known for mountain goats, big horn sheep, and tourists. Solitude might be hard to find on the side of Mount Evans, but wildlife is not.
"I just like to give wildlife space," McCormick said. "This is their environment, and I'm crashing it. This is their home."
Autumn
"People always say the new year is the time to set intentions," McCormick said. "I think fall is a really good one because you can actually go outside and see the changes."
Fall marches straight out of summer In Rocky Mountain National Park.
"It's cool that we get to live in a state where you can see that whole cycle," she said.
She feels the change. The elk do, too.
"The whole point of the elk rut is mating season," she said. "Listen to that bugle. ... It's elk Tinder, but the females are not swiping they're just forced to swipe."
Joking aside, McCormick's mission is serious.
"I really want people to look at my photos and help me and other wildlife conservationists to take the next step forward to protect these species," she said.
Photos by wildlife photographer Molly McCormick
Winter
"We're in winter!" McCormick said. "Can you see my breath?"
At Barr Lake State Park, she watched about 10 to 15 bald eagles, though they were a significant distance away. She had a long lens, but no lens would be long enough to capture what was going on out there.
"This is part of being a wildlife photographer," she said. "I rarely get disappointed because I can't control Mother Nature. Sometimes it's nice to see this because they're just doing their own thing."
Molly McCormick’s 9 tips for better photos
Winter eventually turns to spring, spring to summer, and on and on.
"It's all about the experience," McCormick said.
She's thrilled to take the ride.
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