Colorado Fall Colors Photography Workshops

Join us for an experience of a lifetime in the dramatic San Juan mountains of Colorado. We will be photographing during peak fall colors and showing you our favorite locations. This will also be an educational experience with two professional instructors who will show you how to photograph everything from grand landscapes to small scenes.

Sept 28 - Oct 2, 2022

[product_qty id=14440]

Group Size

8

Investment

$1,995
Initial Payment – $995

Fly To

Denver, Grand Junction, or Montrose

Fitness Level

Description

Colorado scenery is already a photographer’s dream, but add in the yellow, orange and red of the quaking aspens, you have a set up for scenes that are amazing to photograph. Fall in Colorado is one of the most exciting times during the year. The colors are changing, the mountain peaks usually get their first bit of snow, and the air is crisp. We will take you to some of Colorado’s most scenic areas to photograph, focusing on everything from the colors, to grand scenes and more intimate scenes. This is one of the most scenic areas in Colorado, commonly referred to as “the Switzerland of America.” We will be photographing sunsets and sunrises, along with other mountain and fall color scenes. We will show you how to capture this landscape of color in the various lighting conditions that mountains provide. We will visit some popular areas, along with some areas off the beaten path away from the crowds that we have explored and discovered ourselves over the years. Come along to photograph and experience the most colorful time of year in Colorado with us!

profile-pic
profile-pic
profile-pic

Colorado Fall Colors Workshop 2016

David and Jennifer were excellent teachers, they focused their attention on the students not on shooting their own photos which most other workshop leaders do based on my experience. They were very organized and did their research in advance so we were at all the best locations for sunrise/sunset. I also liked the small class size which was more intimate, made it easier for logistics and prevented conflict between participants which is common with larger groups. I highly recommend David and Jennifer and plan to take more workshops with them in the future.

Ken

Colorado Fall Colors Workshop 2017

David & Jennifer, your 2017 Ridgway Colorado workshop was exceptional. You exceeded all of my expectations and I could not have had a better time! Your knowledge of the area and willingness to chase the best scenes for your clients was commendable. In a challenging Autumn color year you still provided us with exceptional sites to shoot. Your teaching styles and personalities are complimentary and both of you were patient, exceptionally knowledgeable and also accommodating to the various personalities of the group. It was very nice to see how you made beginner and advanced photographers comfortable. I can’t thank enough and I’m looking forward to attending future workshops.

Alan

Colorado Fall Colors Workshop 2017

Thank you so much for the wonderful experience I had in Colorado last week!! I’ve done quite a few photography workshops over many years and working with David and Jennifer in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado was truly a pleasure. The chosen locations included both the iconic photos as well as back road locations for a more intimate experience. We had some long days with sunrise and sunset shoots but we all had a great time. Your attention to detail, generosity and well planned itinerary all contributed to a photo workshop experience that was not only great fun but resulted in some potentially great photos. I wish I could give you some constructive criticism but I can’t because I enjoyed it all. Take care and thank you both for all that you did to insure we got great photos and had a memorable experience. Loved the chocolate chip cookies!

David

What is Included

  • Small class size of 8 maximum to ensure proper attention to each client
  • Two attentive instructors for a client to instructor ratio of 4:1
  • Water and snacks
  • Image Critiques
  • Tailored post processing instruction in Lightroom and Photoshop

What is Not Included

  • Transportation - 2 people can ride in our vehicle, others will carpool together (all roads are paved)
  • Lodging - we have a block of rooms held for you
  • Meals - we will be eating some meals together as a group

What You Will Learn

In the Field

  • How to read a scene to create compelling compositions using shapes, lines, visual mass, texture, and more
  • Reading weather and lighting conditions to know when to go out on your own in the right light
  • How to use apps to scout out your own locations and plan your next shoot
  • When and how to use lenses to bring focus to your subject
  • How and when to use a polarizer to make colors pop
  • Depth of field and hyperfocal distance to help you create sharp photos
  • Achieving maximum sharpness using focus stacking
  • Creative use of ND Filters to create motion in clouds and water
  • Creating panoramas without using expensive equipment
  • How to take correct exposures for bright skies; to be later used for exposure blending
  • Identifying the best light and how to expose correctly

Post Processing for Beginners

  • Making dull RAW files pop in Lightroom and keeping files organized
  • Use of local adjustments for dodging & burning, and many more creative opportunities
  • Using white balance to create mood in your images
  • Properly sharpen and reduce noise for maximum image quality
  • Stitching panoramas easily in Lightroom
  • Exposure blending using HDR for natural looking results

Post Processing for Advanced users

  • Exposure blending using luminosity masks to create balanced, natural looking images
  • Focus stacking using Photoshop and/or Zerene Stacker for maximum depth of field
  • Blending different focal lengths to correct for wide angle diminishment
  • Creative burning and dodging techniques to bring focus to your subject
  • Using the Orton Effect to add glow to your highlights
  • Creating drama with Light Bleed
  • Using Midtone Contrast to make images pop off the screen
  • Sharpening for web and print

Safe, Legal, Responsible.

We are proud members of Nature First Photography. This movement is dedicated to responsible nature photography. At its core are seven principles that we abide by and promote to our clients. We hope you will join the movement!

Concerned About Your Safety

We understand how important your safety is when we’re in remote locations. This is why David and Jennifer are both certified Wilderness First Responders, we are prepared for any situation large or small. We also carry satellite communication devices should we need rescue assistance in remote areas.

Legal

We always run our workshops on the up and up. For this workshop Exploring Exposure operates under a Special Use Permit on the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, Gunnison, and San Juan National Forests. We are also an equal opportunity service provider.

Our Philosophy

We encourage you to find your unique style of creativity with focused training based on your style and skill level. You will experience a rigorous learning experience in the field and the classroom to take your photography to the next level.

Our passion is seeing you grow in your photographic journey. We put your interests ahead of our own. Early on in the workshop, we will not photograph at all. Our focus is your learning experience, and we will not run off to chase the light and leave you behind. As the workshop progresses, we will take a few photos in a limited manner. This is so you can see how we approach a scene, demonstrate techniques, and create comradery with the group. Our focus will always remain with YOU.

We understand everyone comes to workshops at different points in their photography journeys. We will be there to guide and help you, whether you are a beginner or advanced shooter. There is always something to learn about photography, and we will do our best to help you find your creative vision.

Above all, we want this to be a fun experience for you. With our small group size, we get to know our clients very well, and we feel like they are part of our extended family. We do this for the love of photography, and there is nothing that gives us greater joy than seeing our clients grow and find their artistic vision.

  • Fitness Level

  • How to get there

  • FAQ

  • Cancellation Policy

This workshop is very easy. Most of our locations we will be shooting near the road. There might be some brief, short hiking for some locations (all under a quarter mile in length with a gentle grade.) We will be at high elevations though, so a short hike can quickly leave you out of breath. There is one location we might go to that is about one mile with a somewhat steep grade up a dirt road, if you’re not physically able you can opt-out of this hike. We should be able to drive most of this unless it has rained recently.

Questions?

Please do not hesitate to send us any questions you may have, we would be happy to help.

0 of 350

Private Colorado Workshops

If you are looking for a private guide to show you around Colorado, look no further. As Colorado natives we have spent our lives exploring all Colorado has to offer. We can be your private tour guide or we can turn your experience into a full workshop training you on composition, vision, post-processing with Lightroom and Photoshop, all without the group.

Below are the locations we know intimately and would be more than happy to show you our favorite spots.

Crested Butte
Aspen
San Juans Mountains (Telluride, Ouray, and Ridgway)
Rocky Mountain National Park
Pawnee Grasslands
Great Sand Dunes National Park.