2025 FALL COLORS IN COLORADO

Travel through beautiful fall colors on a scenic photo tour and workshop exploring dirt roads and mountain peaks in Colorado during the Autumn season in 2025

OCTOBER 1 - 5, 2025

The San Juan mountains in Colorado provide one of the most breathtaking backdrops for fall colors in the United States today. Golden Aspen trees sparkle throughout the region and the surrounding mountain peaks give a rugged feel with many diverse locations for interesting and unique compositions. On this 5 day Autumn Photography Workshop we will spend our days driving dusty country roads that wind their way to unmatched fall scenery. We could spend all morning photographing aspen groves, perfectly still pond reflections bursting in color, or jagged mountain ranges above a tapestry of turning leaves. Each day as the sun rises, the light creeps across the landscape slowly illuminating the vibrant yellow Aspens and we will make sure you are in the right locations to capture that magic! With a bit of good fortune we may even catch some early season snow on the peaks to contrast the beautiful fall colors. You will be guided to some of the most beautiful spots in the area including some off the beaten path, and provided with expert instruction on how best to capture the light and interesting compositions. The goal of the workshop is to give you the ability to explore, learn, and fine tune your photography skills both in the field as well in post processing development to bring your images to life.

INSTRUCTOR : GARY RANDALL & NICOLE PINO                   

GROUP SIZE : 8 - 10 Participants

COST : $2950 (No Lodging) | $3950 (Single Lodging Included, 4 Nights)

DEPOSIT : A 50% deposit is required to secure a spot, with the balance due 90 days prior to workshop

NOT INCLUDED: Meals, Transportation

ITINERARY

We will meet in the afternoon of Wednesday October 1st in Ouray, Colorado for introductions and a brief orientation before heading out to shoot through sunset. After the first day, we will meet well before sunrise to get to the best possible locations to chase the morning light and continue shooting until the sun is too high and light too harsh. Our morning sessions can be extended by finding small scenes or backlit aspen groves to photograph while the sun rises in the sky. We will break each day in the late morning until mid afternoon to eat and rest up for our afternoon/evening photography session. This will also be the time dedicated for post processing instruction in both Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop for those that are interested. We will gather several hours before sunset to take advantage of the late afternoon sun and mountain shadows and continue photographing until the last of the evening light fades. This recipe calls for early mornings and late nights, which is why it's important we rest up in the middle of the day. This workshop will end after our morning field session on the Sunday October 5.

USEFUL INFO / PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY

The sun rises at approximately 7 am and sets at 7 pm during this time of the year in Colorado. Add in driving time to and from locations and we could be leaving at 4:30am in the morning or getting back at 10pm some evenings. We will do our best to make sure we have a good meal before setting out for the evening. Temperatures can range from 20 degrees in the mornings to 80 degrees during the day, so be sure to pack layers, hats, gloves, hand warmers, etc.

Physical difficulty of the locations will be easy to moderately strenuous. We will be at a high elevation to start out (Ouray sits at 7800 feet) and may drive or hike to higher elevations. It is important for participants to be in good physical health. While many locations will be a short distance from a parking lot, there is a possibility for longer hikes with an elevation gain of a thousand feet.

AIRPORT / ACCOMMODATIONS / RENTAL CAR INFO

We will be based out of the beautiful mountain town of Ouray, Colorado for the duration of this workshop which will begin the afternoon of October 1 and end the morning on October 5 after our sunrise session.

Lodging is optional and is charged at cost for the nights of October 1 - 4. If you do not wish to include lodging, then please book your accommodations ASAP upon signing up.

The nearest regional airports are: Montrose (50 min drive to Ouray), Telluride (1 hour), Grand Junction (2 hours) or Durango-La Plata (2 hours)

We will be carpooling during this workshop and traveling on some rugged and bumpy dirt roads, a standard SUV is recommended.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

Golden Aspens everywhere! We will be traveling throughout the region as the trees change and fall colors peak. Throughout the mountains and valleys between Ridgeway, Ouray and Telluride there are countless groves of aspen trees that are photogenic in their own right or make wonderful foregrounds for more grand landscape scenes. Crisp mountain air, windy dirt roads and beautiful mountain scenery will be a daily experience. All in an effort to create breathtaking and memorable images. There will be early mornings and late evenings all in an effort to cover as much ground as possible of this diverse area. The days are structured to not wear anyone out and get the most enjoyment of the surroundings and scenery. We will provide tips in the field to capture images correctly "in camera" with the goal being that technical part becomes second nature and students can then focus on the creative aspects of landscape and nature photography. Post processing instruction will run the gamut of importing and organizing files into Lightroom to processing images in Lightroom and Photoshop and finally prepping images for the internet or for print. We are an open book and willing to share any tips or tricks we’ve picked up over the years to help you turn your photos into art!

MEET THE INSTRUCTORS

GARY RANDALL

Gary Randall is an award winning professional photographer, artist, writer, traveler and adventure seeker who lives in the foothills of the south side of Mount Hood, Oregon. He has been a lifelong resident of all sides of Mount Hood and the Columbia River Gorge and has spent his life exploring the outdoors. Gary has been taking photos since he was about six years old when he was given a Brownie Hawkeye. Taking photos has been a passion ever since. He bought his first 35mm SLR, a Yashica, when he joined the U.S. Navy and immediately wanted to learn how to develop his own photos. He joined a camera club and started spending hours at a time in a darkroom learning new techniques from the “old guys” there that were willing to teach what they knew. It was during his stay on the little atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Midway Island during the late 1970’s that he got his first taste of the world of travel, adventure and was where he first became serious about the hobby of photography. After raising a family, he has two grown sons Chris and Matt, and a career change that lead back to the use of a camera (digital this time), and he has transitioned to photography full time.

Through the last 15 years Gary has been recognized for both his photography and volunteer work in the community. He is a licensed outfitter and guide who conducts photography tours, classes and workshops. Whenever he’s not at home near Mt.Hood, you can find him wandering near and far to find the the unique scenery that makes up his work. He shares his adventures with his wife Darlene, his dog Betty and his PPV (Photographic Pursuit Vehicle) his 1990 Jeep Cherokee. Photography is his life. Photography is his reason.

NICOLE PINO

Born and raised in Utah, Nicole adopted an outdoor lifestyle and love of photography at a very early age. Exploring the many natural wonders of her home state fueled her passion for photography, prompting her to take things to the next level. She soon found herself happily immersed in the industry, leading photo workshops in the Southwest and beyond.

Having an adventurous spirit, and incurable wanderlust, Nicole spends most of her free time traveling, exploring and capturing the beauty around her. She is also a licensed boat captain and never passes up to a chance to get out on the water.

Nicole loves sharing her passion for photography with others and is most at home in the field helping clients improve their skills as well as gain confidence in themselves and their photographic vision. In addition to being an accomplished guide and instructor, Nicole is familiar with the technical aspects of photography as well as various camera systems and gear.

CANCELLATION POLICY

We reserve the right to cancel the workshop if minimum participants are not met or in the event of an emergency. In the event of emergency where Chris cannot personally attend, then a replacement guide will be the first option. If a cancellation does occur, participants may either use the fee towards a future workshop or receive a full refund. We are not responsible for travel expenses incurred and therefore strongly recommend travel insurance to cover such costs.

A $200 change fee will be charged for changes or cancellations. Participants who cancel prior to 90 days before the workshop will receive either a full refund or credit to a future workshop minus the change fee. Any cancellations within 90 days of the workshop cannot be refunded under any circumstances. Only if we are able to fill the vacancy, will the participant receive a credit to a future workshop minus the change fee. Workshop credits are good for one calendar year from the date of the missed workshop.

Any cancellations within 30 days of the workshop (for any reason) will forfeit their entire registration fee as it is extremely difficult to fill the space on that short of notice. If a true emergency arises last minute we will do our best to work with you granting a partial credit towards a future workshop, but this is not guaranteed. Again travel insurance is strongly recommended.