Colorado Alpine Wildflowers

Colorful Landscapes in the Heart of the Rocky Mountains

July 15 – 20, 2023

The San Juan Mountains of Southwestern Colorado contain some of the highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains. Picturesque off-road trails lead into the alpine tundra and snow-capped 13,000 to 14,000 ft peaks that surround the area. July is peak time in the San Juans for wildflowers—Colorado columbine, lupine, fire weed, Indian paint brush—and these will provide compelling accent to clear streams, rolling meadows, and rugged mountain peaks. We will use all-access 4WD jeeps to get where we want to go, but you’ll also need to bring your hiking boots! Short scenic hikes will take us to some of the lesser-known meadows and views. We will also photograph historic mining villages and abandoned structures. All of this makes for great subject matter during the day, and if the skies are clear we will photograph at night as well.

We will make sure everyone has a safe, enriching, and fun learning experience. Special techniques we will cover include focus stacking, shutter speed blending, and lighting scenes at night. Mornings, late afternoons, and nights will find us out in the field. During the day, back in town, we will hold image reviews and we will learn new post-processing skills while working on the images we have captured.

We will be staying in the historic Imperial Grand Hotel that was constructed in 1883 in the lively mountain town of Silverton, Colorado. Silverton is located in Southwestern Colorado. At over 9,300 feet above sea level, it is an outdoors lover’s paradise. Surrounded by mountain peaks and located on the Million Dollar Highway, it is always bustling with adventurers and thrill-seekers.

For two of the nights we’ll be staying at our outfitted camp in the high alpine setting at 11,800 feet. The camp is fully outfitted, including stand up tents, cots, sleeping bags, blankets, and hot meals.