Autumn Color on the Backroads of the San Juan Mountains, Colorado
September 29 - October 3, 2025
Autumn in the mountains is a magical time to witness the change of seasons. The white aspen trunks topped with their golden leaves are a sight not to be forgotten. The San Juan Mountains sit in southwestern Colorado and into northern New Mexico. It is a mountain range made up of high rugged peaks. Below these rocky peaks, sometimes snow covered in early fall, sit beautiful aspen forests where the cold nights turn the foliage into a golden landscape made for photographers.
Well known towns scattered throughout southwestern Colorado, Telluride, Ouray, Silverton to name a few, made their names during the early days of mining and today major tourists destinations. The backroads once served the mining and forestry activity now serves as the gateway to unique recreational opportunities where beauty and solitude can be found and where great photography is made.
Photography Workshop - What to expect
Colorado is known for its beauty, from rolling prairies in the east to jagged peaks in the west, awaits the adventurous photographer. No worries on your part, William has lead workshops in the area over the past 8 years and knows the best locations for photography.
This photography workshop is sponsored by Adam Jones Photography and lead by William Manning. Both have lead workshops in Colorado many times over the years putting their groups in locations for rewarding photo opportunities. This fall photography adventure is filled with beautiful landscapes and a rewarding experience.
Autumn in the San Juan Mountains is a beautiful and rewarding photography experience. We'll traverse over mountain passes (easy to drive) into many incredible views covered in golden aspen forests with rising mountain peaks, if lucky a fresh cover of snow at the peaks.
You will learn to see intimate scenes within the grand landscape. Using multiple focal length lenses tend to give photographers more opportunities to create a variety of rewarding photos to share and enjoy. The creative process is our goal for this hands on workshop, providing guidance on using your equipment to optimize your vision and artistic expression. This workshop is conducted entirely on location.
Days are long as we begin early before sunrise and photograph throughout the morning hours. Often we end our morning shoot in small towns like Silverton or Telluride which is too far from our hotel to take an afternoon break. We will take our afternoon breaks in these towns and begin our journey back photographing in late afternoon light.
Our Colorado workshop will be held to 10 participants.
Our afternoon breaks will allow us to have lunch and meet and talk about our photography we created from the morning session and William will share techniques he uses when photographing in the situations we encounter. Our discussions will be dictated by your questions. Equipment, camera settings, field techniques, processing and critiques are all open for discussion throughout the time we spend together.
Easy Going
The physical level of this workshop is very easy. Most of your photography will take place within a stones throw from your vehicle. No long hikes on this workshop but you will be working on uneven surfaces as the roads are made of crushed gravel and sometimes exposed tree roots.
Drone Photographers are welcome. You must have either your Trust Certificate or Part 107 to fly. Plenty of space to spread out and fly. Colorado is a wonderful location to capture aerial photography.
Autumn Color in the San Juans Workshop, Details
Hotel: Hampton Inn, 1980 North Townsend, Montrose, CO 81401
Telephone: 866-994-0454
Workshop date: September 29 - October 3, 2025
Meet at 6 pm on September 29. This will be our meet and greet and prepare for our morning departure. The following days we'll be out for an early morning photo shoot and back out for an evening shoot. A couple days we'll be out the entire day as the drive is long and won't allow a return, therefore, we'll spend time exploring the historic town of Silverton after a lunch break and photograph until dusk as we head back. On another day we'll break in Telluride and work our way back for late afternoon light.
Workshop Fee: $2700.
Please send payment to
Adam Jones Photography
6814 Clore Lake Road
Crestwood, KY 40014.
Deposit $900. Balance $1800 payable 60 days before workshop date.
Vehicle Rental: It is best to rent a high clearance vehicle, 4 wheel drive is not needed but some roads will have some dips and exposed tree roots requiring a higher clearance. Roads we will drive are very easy to drive.
Workshop is limited to: 10 participants
Skill Level: All skill levels
Fitness Level: Easy - Very little walking
Best Airport for Arrival and departure: Montrose, CO (approx 1/2 mile from Hotel).
Second option: Grand Junction (approx 2 hour drive)
