Join the Aperture Academy as we take you on a 3-day exploration across Colorado's beautiful landscape of fall colors.

As summer gives way to fall, the temperatures begin to change and that brings with it vast, sweeping mountains covered with fall colors. Vibrant gold, orange, and red fall foliage carpet giant regions of Colorado, and one of the most concentrated and beautiful regions we've ever seen.

We will journey north from the quaint railroad town of Durango for one of the most scenic drives in America. We'll lodge in the old mining town of Ouray where we will be photographing the stunning Dallas Divide as well as many other locations along this route. No trip to Southwestern Colorado would be complete without a visit to the town of Telluride. Nestled in the shadows of the San Juan Mountains, Telluride offers fabulous scenery as well as great eateries and some history lessons along the way.

The focus of this workshop (pun intended) will be to capture the beauty of one of mother nature's most famous color shows. From crystal clear rivers to stunning vistas and wildlife sightings, Colorado in the fall is truly a photographer's paradise!

We will meet for a brief orientation the evening prior to the workshop start date. This will be a good chance for everyone to meet and get to know one another before our early start the next morning. More information will be emailed upon sign-up.

The Dallas Divide is one of the greatest of American vistas. The combination of rolling hills, colorful underbrush, and golden Aspens serve as a perfect foreground to the grandeur that is the San Juan Mountain range. And during the peak fall season, this location will simply take your breath away.

We will begin this workshop in Ouray CO. This will be the home base for the workshop. Ouray offers many dining choices and nearby shopping.

We will be visiting some of the best fall vistas Colorado has to offer, including the famous Dallas Divide and Owl Creek Pass. This small intimate community is nestled in some of the most rugged and towering peaks of the Rockies. Set at the narrow head of a valley at 7,792 feet and surrounded on three sides with 13,000-foot snow-capped peaks - Ouray is home to hundreds of miles of historic Jeep roads, sulfur-free hot springs with stunning views, and the world-famous Ouray Ice Park.

Remarkably, two-thirds of Ouray's original Victorian structures are still occupied and have been lovingly restored in order to preserve their turn-of-the-century charm.

We'll photograph the rich colors of the Dallas Divide and Telluride. Not only is this a beautiful drive, but a historic one too. The first road on the mountain was made in 1880. The road connected Dallas to Telluride. The Dallas Divide in Colorado is beautiful, the perfect place for a drive through the changing Colorado scenery.

Our adventure continues as we spend the morning making our way back to Ouray stopping along the way to photograph the stunning vistas and possible wildlife that only this magnificent fall landscape provides. We will then dive into our post-processing session. We'll be using Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom Classic, along with other editing tools to help you get the most from the photos we've captured during our trip. We'll wrap up post about 1 pm, getting you on your way home with your memory cards full of images you can be proud of!

While lodging is not included in the workshop fee, the Aperture Academy does its best to set up a discounted block of rooms for enrolled students in our recommended hotel or location for all our workshops.

Please check with us before booking your lodging reservations. Upon sign-up, you will be emailed any current information on recommended lodging for this workshop.

Traveling: Students and instructor(s) will drive individually during the course of the workshop unless you've made arrangements to carpool with others.

• DSLR or Mirrorless Camera (Full frame preferred but crop sensor will be fine)
• A wide angle lens starting at 16-18mm. (If you have a crop sensor you need 16-18mm equivalency. If you're unsure what this means please email us!)
• A zoom lens that will allow you to zoom up to about 100mm. Longer than 100mm is fine too.
• Be sure to bring your shutter release cord or intervalometer (Ideally a corded model that plugs in as remotes are notoriously problematic.)
• A sturdy tripod that will allow you to adjust for horizontal as well as vertical compositions.
• Extra Memory. Ideally you should have at least four memory cards of 16gb or greater.
• Extra battery + your charger.
• Filters. Optional but if you have them, bring them. A polarizer and graduated neutral density filter is a great tool to have along just in case.
• Your laptop, and a good camera backpack. If you are bringing your laptop and would like to back-up your cards, be sure to bring a memory card reader and an external hard drive.

Meet our master instructors and learn what qualifies them to give you a great experience during your workshops! While you're joining us, you will receive comprehensive digital photography instruction and tutoring by our team of award-winning photographers.

Stephen W. Oachs is an award-winning photographer, successful entrepreneur and technology veteran, who began his journey in photography the moment he picked up his first camera.

Completely self-taught, Stephen's unique and distinctive style has earned him recognition as one of today's finest nature photographers. He was recognized in 2007 as wildlife photographer of the year by the National Wildlife Federation and was awarded best nature photographer in 2008 by National Geographic.

Stephen has received many other awards and achievements. His work has graced the pages of such notable publications such as National Geographic, Popular Photography, Outdoor Photographer, National Wildlife Magazine and many others.

In 2009 Stephen founded The Aperture Academy, a unique combination of fine art photography gallery in conjunction with classroom and workshop instruction. Students of the Aperture Academy receive hands-on instruction designed for their individual skill levels, which includes everything from learning to shoot in the field to digital post-processing techniques.

Whether trekking through the wilds of Alaska, enduring the raw challenges of nature or experiencing the thrill of life on the edge, Stephen captures rare and breathtaking moments of light and time. His exceptional eye is filtered only by his passion for life, deep affinity with nature and love of adventure.

My name is Mike Wardynski, AKA Nature Mike.

I’m a landscape and travel photographer based out of Oakland California. Although the city is where I live, nature is where I feel at home. Growing up in rural Michigan, I had the desire to travel and document my adventure along the way.

After graduating with a broadcasting degree and realizing I was a much better photographer than musician, I packed up my van and headed out west to a little park known as Yosemite. There I would spend the next three and a half years working in the wilderness department for The Yosemite Conservancy. It was during those years that I deliberately made the decision to dive headfirst into the photographic rabbit hole for good. While working in the park, I spent much of my time lugging camera gear around the high country and hanging out with my friends at the Ansel Adams Gallery.

I currently reside in the SF Bay Area where I work as a photography instructor. My travels have given me the opportunity to photograph the erupting Kiluaea volcano from air, as well as document dolphins in the Pacific Ocean. I’ve witnessed unbelievable light unfold before me and in an instant disappear. Those are the moments that I live for. I love sharing my passion for photography and nature with others and I’m grateful for the path that has lead me here.

Scott Donschikowski is a professional photographer, speaker and instructor of photographic arts and digital darkroom techniques. He is a master of the digital workflow, is an Adobe Certified Expert and has taught and lectured all over California about the benefits of becoming proficient in the digital darkroom.

Scott is a versatile photographer, specializing in architecture, lifestyle and landscapes but also having completed work in weddings, editorials, events and product photography. He has worked extensively covering events for the City of San Jose and has contracted his work out to a number of local businesses providing them with his own unique style of photographic imagery.

A tech geek at heart, when Scott is not out taking pictures in his native California, he spends his time writing for numerous blogs, maintaining several websites, reviewing photography gear, and refining his digital darkroom craft. He is also an avid astrophotographer and when the available light runs out, he brings out his telescope and captures images of the heavens above.

The workshop fee is $1,795 Due to the exclusivity of this trip, and the limited number of seats available, refunds are as follows:

• 100% refundable: 150 days (five months) or greater
• No refund within 150 days or less of the start date
• Seats are transferrable

The workshop/tour price includes:

The workshop/tour price includes:

• Professional photography instruction by one or more instructors
• Post-processing session

• Colorado Fall Color Photography Workshop - October 2023
• Colorado Fall Color Photography Workshop - September 2022
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