After David Smith retired from a career as a public servant, he launched his dream life as a nature photographer.
Now he divides his time between shutterbugging the wilds of Colorado and tending the Timberline Gallery in historic downtown Evergreen, which he co-owns with his wife, photographer Michele Bolyard.
Even when Smith is at the office desk, he’s surrounded by nature: brilliantly colored images of bluebells and lupines, glacier lilies and larkspur, mountains, valleys and meadows.
Starting this month, his gallery will participate in Evergreen’s “Final Friday Art Walk,” which will continue throughout the year. – Colleen O’Connor, Denver Post staff writer
How did you decide to change your life? I worked for the U.S. Public Health Service as a commissioned officer, and I was able to retire after so many years. I’d always enjoyed photography, so when I retired we started doing art shows and showing at other galleries. We’d always had the idea to start a gallery in Evergreen, which we did in 2000. I enjoyed my job, but I wanted to spend more time getting serious about photography.
We’re heading into wildflower season, and you shoot them a lot. What are your top three suggestions for best places for viewing or photographing? I’ve been thinking about that, because I’m working on book right now.
What kind of book? A coffee-table photography book, with images from the timberline area. There are several (wildflower) areas that I focus on in the book.
What’s your favorite? The Shrine Pass area, near Vail Pass. It’s a really great place for wildflowers in summer, because there’s lots of snow in winter, and lots of meadows that are really open, and get lots of sun.
My other favorite is Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area. They call that the wildflower capital of Colorado.
When is the best time to go? July and August. Snow hangs around till the Fourth of July, although it seems drier there recently.
And what’s your third-favorite spot? The Holy Cross Wilderness Area, south of Vail. All these are fairly close to us. That’s part of the reason we like to go there. It doesn’t take too long to get there, so you can spend a couple days there without a lot of time spent traveling.
What’s the hardest part of what you do? Geez, I don’t know. It’s the ideal job, I think.
NATURE GALLERY
See the work of David Smith and other regional photographers at Timberline Gallery, in the heart of downtown Evergreen at 28186 Colorado 74. 303-674-1270. timberlinegallery.com.
