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A truly wild scene in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park

September 6, 2019 at 12:30PM

I am interested in submitting the photo; at Susan’s urging. She is the true photographer in the family but after 30 years of coaching me, apparently, I have learned to compose a photo. On July 3rd of this year, we were driving on Trail Ridge Road (US-34) on our way back down to Estes Park, CO from the Alpine Visitor Center in Rocky Mountain National Park. https://earth.google.com/web/@40.42411202,-105.7544666,3684.08510354a,209.14501474d,35y,156.40585262h,60.00007118t,360r We spotted about a dozen elk feeding on the tundra grasses and wildflowers near the Lava Cliffs Overlook near the highest point where you can drive in the park 12,183 feet. I was able to isolate one young doe elk with Longs Peak in the background. Longs Peak is the tallest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park at 14,259 feet. The craggy rock formations to the right of Longs Peak are known as the Keyboard of the Winds. The bright blue sky and snow-white clouds along with the, literally, snow-capped mountain peaks and the green tundra grass made for an interesting contrast to the dark silhouette of the young doe elk. I took the photo with my iPhone XS Max 12mp camera. You may remember my wife, Susan, from this photo she previously submitted: http://www.startribune.com/viewfinders-wild-horses-were-this-photographer-s-prize/411263395/ Thanks for considering my picture. Please feel free to contact me, if you have any questions. Kevin Gulden 18905 39th Ave N Plymouth, MN 55446 (612) 247-0220 (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

THE Traveler: Kevin Gulden of Plymouth.

The scene: An elk feeds on the tundra grasses and wildflowers near the Lava Cliffs Overlook, just off the Trail Ridge Road, at Rocky Mountain National Park in northern Colorado.

The trip: During a trip with his wife to Rocky Mountain National Park, Gulden spotted about a dozen elk near the Lava Cliffs Overlook near the highest point that you can drive to in the park, at 12,183 feet. The park spans the Continental Divide and includes alpine meadows.

getting the shot: "I was able to isolate one young doe elk with Longs Peak in the background," Gulden wrote in an e-mail. The elk is the photo's subject, but Longs Peak is another key element. At 14,259 feet, the mountain is the tallest in Rocky Mountain National Park. "The craggy rock formations to the right of Longs Peak are known as the Keyboard of the Winds. The bright blue sky and snow-white clouds along with the, literally, snow-capped mountain peaks and the green tundra grass made for an interesting contrast to the dark silhouette of the young doe elk," he continued.

Equipment: Gulden shot this photo with his Apple iPhone XS Max, using its 12-megapixel camera.

Share your photos: To submit your travel photo for consideration to Viewfinders, share it on Instagram tagged with #STtravel, or e-mail a jpeg to viewfinders@startribune.com.