Chasing Colorado’s Fall Colors
September 30 - October 4, 2024
Instructor: David Erichsen
Class size: 5
Tuition: $3699
Join photography instructor David Erichsen this autumn for a truly one of a kind fall colors workshop! For seven photo-filled days, you’ll be chasing the vibrant fall colors throughout various mountain ranges of Colorado! But hold on, this is no ordinary fall colors workshop as you won’t be just visiting one location in Colorado and hoping you’ll have great colors, but instead, you’ll be chasing the colors as they peak throughout the state! Where will you be shooting? Well, that all depends on where the coveted Aspens are peaking!
There are so many jaw-dropping, photogenic areas in the Colorado to capture the beautiful autumn season, that no matter where you end up, you will have beautiful scenes to shoot. That is why instead of constructing a traditional workshop with a set itinerary, we have booked multiple, overlapping Airbnbs so that you have the freedom to shoot wherever the conditions are the best. Real-time forecasting will be utilized to give participants the best opportunities to capture the most dramatic conditions.
That being said, given this time of year, we have a general idea of where the colors **should** be peaking, and have built a loose itinerary around that, giving you the best chance to hit some of the most iconic locations in their peak form.
If the timing aligns, you will start shooting in Crested Butte for a couple days and slowly work your way down south. There might be a drive through the famous Kebler Pass for a shoot, or maybe a chance to spend an early morning shooting the iconic Maroon Bells in it's splendid autumn glory. If the colors are peaking earlier than expected, then the entire workshop may be based out of Ridgway, as there is no better place in Colorado to be than the San Juans. Please remember though that as much as we plan for a great experience shooting the fall colors, nature is the one in control.
What You Will Learn:
How to create compelling landscape compositions.
How to create abstract compositions within Aspen groves.
How to use your camera to its fullest capabilities.
How to pick locations based on the weather forecast.
How to utilize a variety of lenses to think “outside the box.”
An understanding for light and how to take advantage of it in all conditions.
How to photograph the night sky and shoot the milky way (weather dependent).
The basics of Lightroom and Photoshop.
An introduction to black and white photography.
What You Will Need:
A DSLR camera body and an assortment of lenses. A wide angle is highly recommended as well as a zoom lens.
A sturdy tripod.
An intervalometer (a cheap one off of Amazon will work just fine).
A headlamp or flashlight.
At least the trial version of Lightroom or Photoshop on your laptop.
Multiple batteries.
A desire to learn, have fun, be flexible, and explore nature!
Note: a 10 or 6 stop neutral density filter for your wide angle is recommended, but not required. Also, a soft grad filter (either .6 or .9) is highly recommended.
What's Not Included:
Airfare to / from Colorado.
Transportation to the meeting location in either Crested Butte or Ridgway (meeting location will be announced in the welcome email). *please note: there are several airports available to fly into with shuttles / rental cars.
Meals & beverages.
What's Included:
Accommodations based upon double occupancy (single occupancy is not available).
Transportation within the workshop.
Post-processing video set (sent out after the workshop).
Access to my brain 24/7.
Any entrance fees.
Physical Requirements:
Difficulty rating: EASY
There will be some light hiking required in this workshop. Nothing more than one mile round trip on relatively flat ground. Most locations can be photographed within a few hundred feet of where we park.
Our Accommodations:
We will be staying at AirBNB homes. The location will be dependent on the best conditions for shooting fall colors. Rooms will be based on double occupancy. Staying in a home together allows us the freedom to leave together, edit together, and just nerd out together at anytime.
Weather:
Weather during this time of year can be quite different each day. Most likely, temperatures will be in the 50’s during the day, and drop down into the 20’s at night. During cold snaps, we can possibly see some snow.
When Does The Workshop Start & Wrap?
The workshop will begin at 1PM with our meet & greet at our host location. The workshop will wrap after sunrise on the last day.
About Your Instructor
Landscape and nature photographer David Erichsen believes that the beauty that exists naturally in our world is more breathtaking than anything we can possibly dream of. “Trying to capture it is what drew me into landscape photography. I primarily chase sensationalist scenes ranging from the northern lights glowing over rugged peaks within the Arctic circle to volcanic eruptions high in the Guatemalan forests to tornadic supercells whipping through the northern plains of the US. No photo can fully convey what it feels like to witness these magnificent events, but the pursuit of capturing it is why I shoot.” More about David can be found here.
JOIN THE ADVENTURE!
