Digital Field Workshop

Dates Sep 30–Oct 6, 2007
Leader Todd Pierce
Fee $2,395 from Montrose, Colorado
Deposit $300
Limit 8
Terms and Conditions

The Rocky Mountains vie with New England as America’s most spectacular spot for autumn photography, and nowhere else in the Rockies can one find richer, brighter autumn colors than in southwestern Colorado. The San Juan Mountains, geologically the youngest sub-range of the Rocky Mountain chain, boast not only immense virgin stands of quaking aspen—the most colorful trees in the West—but also a photogenic mountain topography of soaring, saw-toothed summits and deep, breathtaking valleys.

We will explore this vibrant landscape at the very peak of the season and observe whole mountainsides ablaze with the vivid yellow, orange and red hues of the transformed aspen leaves. Often, at this time of the year, the mountain summits will be dusted with white from the first snowfall, imparting the seasonal drama of the coming harsh winter to the panorama of warm autumn tones below. Imagine this scene under the crisp blue of high altitude skies and you will have an idea of the photographic treat in store for us during our weeklong Digital Field Workshop.

 

As we shift with the advancing color from valley to valley, the constantly changing vistas promise enough photographic variety to fill three or four weeks of shooting—not just one. We’ll capture the scenic panoramas encompassing Ralph Lauren’s Double RL Ranch that include the imaginative zigzag patterns of classic western-style aspen bole fences. In addition, we’ll pass through a number of well-preserved historic mining towns on our tour of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. Included in our shoot will be the historic ghost towns of Animas Forks and Alta. At every turn, we will enjoy and photograph the finest display of autumn colors in the West.

To learn the techniques to capture some of the best in western landscape photography, plan to join Todd Pierce on this Digital Field Workshop in the Colorado Rockies!



Day 1 (Sep 30)
Participants fly to Montrose airport, arriving by 4 PM. We offer round-trip transportation to our accommodations in Ouray. (D)

Days 2–6
With only one hotel as our base, we spend these five full days photographing aspen forests ablaze in backlit glory. We’ll shoot rolling aspen-covered mesas, narrow red rock canyons as well as historic ghost towns in the area. Unbroken aspen forests fill our lenses as we concentrate on locations made famous by a host of contemporary photographers—including the spectacular scenics of Dallas Divide, the superb high country along the Million Dollar Highway, and the back roads of Owl Creek Pass leading to Courthouse Rock—the filming location for two classic John Wayne movies, True Grit and Cimarron. Our daily itinerary and workshop topics will depend
upon the weather and on the continually changing altitudinal aspen palette, as we seek out and photograph the shimmering yellows and golds of aspens at their peak of color. (BLD)

Day 7 (Oct 6)
We drive to the Montrose airport this morning. Please schedule your return flight for no earlier than 10 AM. (B)


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