The unreal, emerald-green waters of Fossil Creek blew me away. The colors ranged from a light, robin's-egg blue in shallow water to a rich, emerald-green in the deeper pools. The only spot where the road crosses the creek is one of the best examples of this...

I'd just finished shooting and was packing up to leave when a family arrived to enjoy the water. One after another, 5 or 6 young boys braved the frigid water and jumped off the rocks. I could tell it was pretty darn cold from the first kid's reaction as he frantically scambling out of the water. It wasn't long before they didn't care anymore...

Several factors make the water so colorful. Calcium carbonate dissolved in the water solidifies which encases everything in travertine. The bottom becomes a solid surface. The water stays completely clear and free of anything to cloud it. Leaves, roots, rocks and any debris that falls into the water is enveloped in travertine and deposited on the bottom to become a fossil. Hence the creek's name.

Then, sunlight is reflected off the light-colored travertine bottom and filtered through the mineral-laden water to produce the unreal blues and greens. The deeper the pool, the more light is filtered and the darker the blue-green color.