Photo Journal – Telluride, Colorado: Fall Colors & Photo Gold
As a Colorado-based nature photographer, you'd think fall color season would be easy for me to take advantage of. And it is, technically, if you consider a seven-hour drive from Denver to Telluride “easy.” Road trips aren't my forté, and when you toss in a backseat spot in a packed SUV, several hundred miles of winding mountain roads, a surprise two-hour traffic jam on the way home, and the general discomfort of being a tall guy with bad knees, let’s just say... I earned the photos from this one.
This trip was part of a fall colors photography workshop led by landscape photographer Aaron Reed, who also happened to lead my very first workshop in Leavenworth, Washington last year. That experience was a major turning point for me. It helped kick off what has now become a full-on fine art photography business.
Unlike some of my more client-focused travels, this one was all about chasing light and color -- pure photography, from sunrise to sundown. And while we arrived a little early in the season for peak color in Telluride itself, the timing actually worked out. We began the week in Ridgway, Silverton, and Ouray, then moved closer to Telluride toward the end.
I should also mention that I've decided to start a YouTube channel to document the journey of building a fine art print business from scratch. I’ll be sharing behind-the-scenes footage from this workshop soon, including scouting locations, fumbling gear, missed shots, and hopefully a few I’m proud of. Please consider subscribing to the channel if you would like to follow along! Update November, 2025: The video is finally live and sitting right above, ready for anyone who thinks reading is a bit overrated.
"The mountains are calling and I must go." – John Muir
Friday – Ridgway, Last Dollar Road, and a Bumpy Beginning
We kicked things off in Ridgway with a stop near the start of Last Dollar Road, which just so happens to cut through Ralph Lauren’s ranch. (Yes, that Ralph Lauren.) After breakfast, we headed to County Road 7 hoping for access to Blue Lake Trail and the well-known beaver pond. This location is known for epic reflection shots with the mountains framed in the background, but it was closed for restoration. Just my luck. Disappointed but not deterred, we pivoted and returned to Last Dollar Road to see what we could find.
Midday brought in a few clouds and more pleasing light. This allowed me to get the shot below, which is probably my favorite of the day. We passed the rest of the afternoon bumping around, shooting groves of aspens and testing the rental vehicle's suspension. When sunset arrived, the clouds were still there but any kind of dramatic color just wasn't in the cards. Defeated, we began the two hour ride back to Mountain Village and I crashed almost immediately.
Saturday – Climbing, Silverton, and My First Moose
We returned to the same overlook on Last Dollar Road for sunrise and climbed a jagged embankment to get a new angle. Photography at 10,000 feet really makes you feel every camera battery in your bag. The sky behaved today and we got some nice shots of the morning glow.
Later, we cruised the Million Dollar Highway from Ouray to Silverton — scenic, steep, and full of roadside gems.
Best part of the day? My first moose sighting. Actually, two of them. The first time, I scrambled up a crumbly hillside and barely caught him before he vanished into the trees. The second time, I managed a few frames with the fall color in the background. I'm not a professional wildlife photographer by any stretch, but here's a fun shot nonetheless.
Sunday – Fog, Rainbows, and a Whole Lot of Mud
Sunday delivered. Fog over Trout Lake in the morning. A rainbow in the afternoon. And enough soft light in between to keep us busy all day.
After revisiting Silverton, we caught one of the more dramatic lighting moments of the trip — dappled sun breaking through storm clouds over an orange-speckled valley. I could barely feel my fingers, but it was worth it.
We finished at a muddy pond we’d scouted earlier. The water was finally still at sunset, but of course the sky didn’t cooperate. That's landscape photography for you — some days you chase rainbows, some days you photograph pond ripples.
Monday – Moose Chase, Ridgway Returns, and the Best Sunset I’ve Ever Seen
We started the day at a Ridgway overlook that didn’t quite deliver, then detoured toward Rowdy Lake and Silverjack Reservoir, where we found surprisingly great scenes and light. And then... another moose. This one jogged down Last Dollar Road like he owned it. We followed him (slowly) for nearly a mile before he veered off into the trees. Be sure to check out a video of this encounter on Instagram.
And the sunset? Unreal. We were set up at a stunning overlook and everything looked just... fine. Then suddenly, the mountains turned bright pink. Not golden hour orange -- pink! The phenomenon (which I later learned was called aspenglow) didn't last long, and we all packed up thinking it was over at one point, but then one of the other photographers there yelled that it was coming back. We hustled back over and setup again. I’ve never seen anything like it and may never again. I've seen plenty of pink in the sky, but never something this vivid on the mountains themselves. Amazing! The shot below is my favorite of the whole trip.
Tuesday – Gondolas, Barns, and the Subtle Side of Fall
Tuesday was a slower day, and thank goodness. Four straight days of 15-hour shooting days was beginning to take its toll. We caught sunrise again at Last Dollar Road — soft pink hues, better color in the trees. Then we took the gondola from Mountain Village up to the top of the mountain for a few elevated shots of the town of Telluride. In the afternoon, we visited the three barns near the entrance to Last Dollar Road -- a timeless Colorado scene I never get tired of composing.
Wednesday – Reflections, Final Light, and a Very Expensive Bowl of Pasta
With clear skies in the forecast, we skipped sunrise and spent the morning on photo editing and post-processing techniques -- a welcome break after so many long days. That afternoon, we finally got the shot we’d been chasing all week -- still reflections in a pond just off Hwy 145, with perfect light and full fall color. Quiet, peaceful, satisfying.
We drove Last Dollar Road one final time for sunset. No clouds, no drama, just soft golden light over a landscape we’d come to know intimately over the past week. We wrapped with a group dinner at a very good, very overpriced Italian restaurant in Mountain Village. I’m still thinking about that pasta. Mostly the price.
"Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still." – Dorothea Lange
Wrap-Up – Mud, Moose, and the Magic of Fall
All in all, this trip had everything: wildlife, weather, stunning light, and more fall color than any one SD card should be expected to hold. I came home with quite a few images I’m genuinely proud of — and a deep appreciation for ibuprofen, cars with good suspension, and good road trip snacks.
If you’re looking for fall color, the San Juans are tough to beat. You can check out the new images I’ve added to my Colorado gallery, and keep an eye on my YouTube channel for the full trip video, coming soon.
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