Seventy-five percent of the marble ends up in the Middle East or India.”NOW, THAT MARBLE VEIN GOES FROM YULE MOUNTAIN ALL THE WAY ACROSS WHITEHOUSE MOUNTAIN AND COMES OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE. In fact, in its working days, it was called “Sheep Mountain Power House.”Decades now into its proverbial retirement, the old mill sits abandoned. Built in 1893, the mill has been the centerpiece of many beautiful photographs. ATVs kick up the rocks and make for a highly uneven surface, which further worsens the already bumpy terrain.It’s not a ride you’d want to take in a vehicle that’s not made for this kind of terrain. The Crystal Mill teeters on a rock buttress above a picturesque waterfall on the Crystal River near Marble, Colo. I whipped my head to the right and there it was, peeking through the Rocky Mountain maples—this large wooden relic across the river, every bit as beautiful and eerie as photos would suggest.It’s hard to take it all in at first, as the location of the mill looks almost unreal.

THEY TAKE ALL THIS MARBLE AND SEND IT TO A QUARRY IN ITALY AND THAT’S WHERE THEY MILL IT. In this scene, there are leaves in the foreground, textures of wood in the mill, rushing water, distant mountains, you name it. Not surprisingly, it is also the shot that nearly everyone takes. We passed by a lake playing host to dozens of row-boaters and summer lake-goers.“That’s Beaver Lake. There’s no denying it’s a fairly perfect photo—so the question is, can you do something different?You can head into town and buy the ticket (and sign the waiver) that allows you to climb down to the river and take shots from down there. In retrospect, I could have shot this a stop or two darker (I was at f/5.6, but could have done it at f/8). Here’s a before and after of just those adjustments:This is the main way to bring attention to the mill while still allowing a good look at the surrounding areas.The rest of the look is created using fairly straightforward adjustments, including adding a whole lot of contrast, boosting shadows, and keeping my highlights down.In the final shot, the mill seems to sit front and center, more like a sculpture on the bow of a ship, coming forward big and proud.

The 'Old Mill at Crystal', which is 8 miles east of Marble (via a 4 x 4 only road) is reputed to be the most photographed site in Colorado, and is practically an icon for Colorado. I learned that one can procure a pass from the town of Crystal that offers access to those who’d like to hike down to the river, but my limited time suggested that would be a journey for another day.Eventually, and too soon, Tony returned. With these, you can mask out elements, edit specific points, straighten horizons, and even put together images shot using the Brenizer method. And while I didn’t go down there myself, I looked at more than 100 photos by people who had and the angle didn’t appeal to me.

| Photo: Joshua RoseGive us your email to receive awesome stories from the road right in your inbox. Its precarious perch on an outcropping of rock just above the Crystal River, framed by beautiful aspens and a backdrop of stunning mountains, gives it an undeniable visual appeal.Though some misinformed people have dubbed it the “Dead Horse Mill”, that name is erroneous and was never historically used. Nobody seemed to have a problem with me doing that, and it was perfectly safe. And this versatility is key in what I will do to the image next.You might notice that the image above looks pretty light. And it was there that more of the Colorado landscape became apparent to me. Its precarious perch on an outcropping of rock just above the Crystal River, framed by beautiful aspens and a backdrop of stunning mountains, gives it an undeniable visual appeal. So, with that as an inspiration to come see it, I could not possibly let go of it in deciding how to shoot it.When you arrive at the stop where Crystal Mill is, there are two main areas where people are taking photos, and you can see in these photos how they differ.