Capture amazing fall color and landscape images in the mountains around Ouray & Telluride Colorado.

Colorado’s San Juan Mountains offer one of the most spectacular fall photography experiences in the country, with rugged peaks, winding mountain roads, golden aspens, alpine reflections, and sweeping vistas around Ouray, Ridgway, and Telluride. This workshop is designed to help photographers capture the color, texture, and drama of autumn in Colorado while exploring a variety of scenic locations, backroads, overlooks, and mountain passes.

Throughout the workshop, participants will photograph grand landscapes, intimate scenes, reflections, rustic structures, and dramatic combinations of fall color and alpine terrain. Hands-on instruction in the field will help you refine composition, exposure, lens choice, and creative decision-making as conditions change. With a small-group atmosphere, shared exploration, and thoughtful guidance, this workshop offers the chance to build confidence, discover new perspectives, and create memorable landscape images in one of the most photographed and visually rewarding fall destinations in the world.

• Identifying strong fall color compositions

• Using aspens as foreground interest

• Photographing color against mountain backdrops

• Working with reflections in lakes and ponds

• Finding intimate landscape details

• Using polarizers to control glare

• Creating depth with layered scenery

• Working with clouds, mist, and atmosphere

• Choosing shutter speeds for moving leaves or water

• Creating balance between color, texture, and shape
  

• Planning around peak fall color

• Using maps to build daily routes

• Finding lesser-known scenic locations

• Understanding elevation and color timing

• Reading weather for better conditions

• Scouting with Google Earth and PhotoPills

• Selecting the strongest compositions

• Editing fall color with restraint

• Enhancing contrast without over-processing

• Balancing warm foliage and cool shadows

• Creating depth through local adjustments

Nearest Airport:

Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ)

Recommended Hotels:
Please email barry@bentondowns(dot)com before booking your lodging. We will work to secure a block of rooms in one location (to be determined). Lodging is not included in workshop fee.

Transportation:

Each participant will be responsible for their own transportation to and from the workshop in Ridgway/Ouray area. The nearest airport is in Montrose, CO (MTJ). We will attempt to coordinate arrivals and departures to minimize car rentals. We will be providing field transportation. The Ouray Visitor's Center has good information about Ouray including "Getting Here" options. Please contact Barry (barry@bentondowns.com) if you have any questions about getting to Ouray.

Arrive in Ouray by 2:00 for introductions, orientation, and a relaxed first evening in the field. We’ll stay close to town, photographing nearby mountain roads, scenic overlooks, and early fall color while reviewing camera settings, composition ideas, and the workshop rhythm for the days ahead. This opening session helps everyone settle in, get comfortable, and begin seeing the landscape with intention.

Begin with sunrise at Dallas Divide, one of the area’s classic fall color locations. Afterward, we’ll slowly explore nearby county roads and portions of Last Dollar Road, allowing time for aspens, ranch scenes, fences, distant peaks, long-lens compositions, and a strong sunset location. The focus will be on working each scene thoughtfully rather than rushing between stops.

Spend the day exploring Owl Creek Pass at an unhurried pace, with frequent stops for aspen groves, winding roads, layered mountain views, and intimate fall details. We’ll work each promising location carefully, giving everyone time to refine compositions and respond to changing light. Instruction will emphasize simplifying busy scenes, finding patterns, and using color as a compositional tool.

Photograph sunrise near Crystal Lake or another reflective location, then continue toward Telluride and portions of Ophir Pass Road. The day will focus on mountain scenery, aspen tunnels, creekside color, rustic details, and flexible stops based on weather, road conditions, and fall color. We’ll look for both grand landscaped and quieter compositions that reveal the character of the San Juans. 

Enjoy one final sunrise session near Ouray, choosing the best location based on weather, color, and what the group still hopes to capture. We may revisit a favorite spot for different light or spend time refining a composition that deserves a second look. Afterward, we’ll return to town for final questions, wrap-up, and departure by 11:00 AM.