Double Exposure Photography on the Four Pass Loop: Maroon Bells Wilderness
The Four Pass Loop
Maroon Bells Wilderness
The Maroon Bells Wilderness is often called one of the most photographed places in Colorado—and for good reason. Its jagged peaks, high alpine meadows, and mirrored lakes offer a backdrop that feels almost otherworldly. Hiking the Four Pass Loop, a 26-mile trek circling the Maroon Bells, presents not just a physical challenge but also an endless source of creative inspiration, especially when the wildflowers are blooming. I can’t recall how I learned of the hike, but about a year ago I decided I wanted to do it. Some people do this hike in one day, which absolutely blows my mind, but I knew I would need to spread this out over a few days. I began planning and organizing six months before the trip. There is a process involved in securing overnight permits to camp, and you have to do a bit of plotting and planning to figure out which direction you’ll be going and where you may be camping each night to get in the right zone. After months of research, prep, sweat, and a little anxiety we set out on the trip in late June. I was also trying to time it so that we would be there with wildflowers in full bloom, which we did achieve, but I maybe timed it too early as there were still significant patches of snow.
I shoot double exposure in-camera and on analog film, which can be unpredictable and challenging. But when I get photos that do turn out, it is magical! Along the Four Pass Loop, I layered lines of ridgelines with the textures of wildflowers, waterfalls, evergreen trees, and glacial lakes among sweeping passes. These exposures become less about documenting the trail and more about creating painterly impressions of place—blurring the line between memory and landscape.
This travel photography project focuses on double exposures and a layered way of seeing. Travel is never just about arrival—it’s about how moments overlap, collide, and the memories and impressions these places leave with us.
As a Colorado travel photographer, the Four Pass Loop remains one of the most rewarding journeys I’ve taken and also one of the most physically demanding. It is a space where endurance, environment, and creative vision meet.
