Overview

Aspens and autumn just go together, and there is no other place that radiates more yellow-gold light than the aspens of the southwest Colorado Rocky Mountains.  Red and orange variants spice up golden groves for highly sought compositional elements. When placed against deep blue, high-altitude skies the leaves pop off page and screen.  On bright days the colors are so brilliant that images may have to be desaturated!  All this is set against the dramatic backdrop of the rugged Colorado San Juan Mountains. With more than a hundred peaks over 13,000 feet – and a few over 14,000 feet – combined with forests, lakes, waterfalls and streams, the stunning San Juans provide endless photographic opportunities.

This workshop, led by renowned photographers and natural teachers Jack Dykinga and Bill Ellzey, will be based out of Ouray, Colorado, a historic mining town nestled in the heart of the San Juans that has become known as the “Switzerland of America”. We will travel along the Million Dollar Highway from Ouray to Silverton; visit Sneffels Range and the Dallas Divide; cross Owl Creek Pass to the east; and take in Telluride’s lovely, lofty environs.

Jack and Bill will lead the group on field sessions during the prime, luscious hours of day—predawn to mid-morning, and late afternoon until no-more-color-in-the-sky evenings, with an emphasis on hands-on instruction and helping participants to refine their vision and improve their landscape composition and technical skills. Between field sessions there will be presentations and opportunities for in-depth constructive critique of existing work and images created during the workshop.

This well-rounded workshop is appropriate for any level of outdoor photographer.