Colorado Alpine Wildflowers Photography Workshop

June 24, 2028: Arrival and First Sunset

Meet at 2:00 PM at our hotel in Silverton. After introductions and an early dinner, we’ll load the 4x4s and head into the mountains for our first field session.

This evening is an introduction to the photographic possibilities of the San Juans. Depending on conditions, we may work with rushing mountain streams, early wildflowers, weathered mining structures, or expansive views toward the surrounding peaks. We’ll begin looking at how foreground, scale, and layers can be used to organize such a complex landscape.

As the sun drops lower, we’ll follow the changing light through sunset and blue hour. If skies remain clear, we may stay out longer for our first opportunity to photograph the stars above the mountains.

June 25, 2028: Sunrise and Sunset Exploring the High Country

We’ll leave Silverton before sunrise and climb into the high country, choosing our location according to weather, snow conditions, wildflowers, and the morning light.

The landscape gives us a wide range of ways to work. Wildflowers can become colorful foregrounds beneath jagged peaks, while streams and small waterfalls create opportunities to experiment with shutter speed and movement. On calmer mornings, alpine ponds and tarns can reflect the surrounding mountains, allowing us to build quieter, more symmetrical compositions.

After breakfast and some downtime in Silverton, we’ll gather for an image review. We’ll look at composition, depth, focus stacking, and how small changes in camera position can completely alter the relationship between foreground flowers and the mountains behind them.

Later in the afternoon, we’ll return to the high country. Mountain weather often becomes more active as the day progresses, and passing clouds, shafts of sunlight, and clearing storms can create some of the most dramatic conditions of the workshop. We’ll remain out through sunset and blue hour.

June 26–27, 2028: Outfitted Camping

After breakfast and an image review, we’ll pack the 4x4s and travel deeper into the San Juans for two nights at our remote alpine camp. The journey takes us along historic mining roads through forests, open tundra, high passes, wildflower meadows, mountain streams, and old mining country. We’ll stop whenever the conditions present a compelling photographic opportunity.

Our camp sits above 11,800 feet, surrounded by the landscape we have come to photograph. The camp is fully outfitted, allowing us to concentrate entirely on photography.

Over these two days, we’ll have the freedom to slow down and respond to the mountains as conditions change. We may photograph broad sweeps of wildflowers beneath jagged peaks, snowmelt streams cutting through alpine meadows, reflections in mountain tarns, or weathered mining structures set against the surrounding landscape. Longer lenses can be used to isolate ridgelines, compress layers of mountains, and pick out patches of light moving across distant slopes.

Camping means we can stay in the field through sunset and blue hour rather than beginning the descent back to Silverton just as the light becomes most interesting. After dark, clear skies may offer opportunities to photograph the Milky Way and to experiment with combining separately captured sky and landscape exposures.

The following morning, we’ll wake already in position for first light. Calm conditions may bring reflections, while soft dawn light, moving clouds, or mist can completely change scenes we photographed the evening before. In the middle of the day, there will be time to rest, review images, and work with your pro on composition, technique, and how to improve your technique for the next field session.

By spending two full days and nights in the high country, we can go beyond simply visiting these locations and spend meaningful time exploring both the grand landscapes and smaller details of the San Juans.

June 28, 2028: Final Day of Exploring

We’ll begin with one last sunrise from our alpine camp. After breakfast, we’ll take the long way back to town. We’ll visit an old mining site to photograph the historic structure and it’s remains. Old wooden beams cracked by the weather make for great tight compositions. We’ll see many wildflowers today, and if the weather is good, we’ll plan to stay out until sunset. There are endless possibilities in this region, and with good clouds and possible dramatic weather from the monsoon conditions, we’ll photograph our way through it. 

Back in town, there will be time for a hot shower, a warm dinner, and a good rest. 

June 29, 2028: Final Image Review and Departure

After breakfast, we’ll gather for our final image review, where we’ll look through photographs from the week, discuss successful compositions and techniques, and consider how your approach has evolved as you’ve become more familiar with the landscape. Your Pro will also offer guidance on processing and on applying the ideas developed here to future landscape photography.

The workshop concludes at noon, leaving time to return to Durango for evening flights.