Fall Color in Southwest Colorado Regional Event (Sept 30-Oct 3, 2025)

Registration is now open

PRICE: 

Early Registration: $849 NANPA/ASMP Members, $ 1049 non-members by June 30, 2025

After June 30, 2025: $ 949 NANPA/ASMP Members, $1149 non-members

If you are not currently a member, you may want to consider joining NANPA to take advantage of member pricing on all regional events (1 year membership $100)

Maximum number of attendees: 10

Last date to register: August 31, 2025

DATES:

• Tuesday September 30, 2025 at 6:30 pm to Friday October 3, 2025 at 1 pm.
• (optional) TBD, 2025 7-8 pm (ET) Pre-event Preparatory Webinar for participants
• (optional) TBD, 2025 7-9 pm (ET) Post event Image Sharing and Feedback Webinar for participants

On-site event check-in and Meet & Greet
Tuesday September 30, 2025 at 6:30 pm at the hotel lobby

EVENT OVERVIEW:

Join Colorado-based photographer Dawn Wilson on a fall color photography adventure in the San Juan Mountains of South-West Colorado. The San Juans are known throughout the world for their impressive fall photography opportunities. Grand ranches, snow-capped peaks and valleys full of autumn hues will entertain and excite landscape photographers of any level.

This event is timed for peak fall color and the best chance for combining that color palette with fresh snow. There are numerous locations ideal for sunrise and sunset images as well as a wide variety of country roads to explore for unique perspectives on aspen trees, ranches and winding dirt roads.

 

YOUR EVENT LEADER:

Dawn Wilson–

Dawn Wilson is an award-winning professional nature photographer specializing in telling stories about wildlife and her adventures in the outdoors through words and imagery. With more than 800 bylined articles and photo credits, Dawn’s writing and photography have appeared in numerous regional and national publications, including Colorado Life, Colorado Outdoors, Wyoming Wildlife, Outdoor Photographer, MotorHome magazine, Nature’s Best Photography, and many others. In addition to her editorial work, Dawn leads multiple workshops each year in North and South America to photograph wildlife, such as brown bears in Alaska, birds and primates of Peru, and the nature of Nome, Alaska. Dawn resides in Colorado and she also leads photo tours in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. She served two terms as President of the North American Nature Photography Association and has been the co-host of The Nature Photographer Podcast. Learn more about Dawn at dawnwilsonphotography.com.

 

WHAT TO EXPECT: 

Various locations will be photographed to capture all the region has to offer – from misty lakes in the cool morning air to the dramatic peaks of the San Juan Mountains at sunset. Long stretches of roads will lead into some of the most dramatic scenes of Colorado while more intimate shots of leaves floating in puddles will keep us busy during the day. Morning photography may also include frost-covered, amber-hued ground plants, while late afternoons will include seeking out elk herds enjoying the meadows below the tall peaks.

NEAREST AIRPORT:

• Denver International Airport (DEN) ~ 6 hr drive to Ridgway, CO
• Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ)–45 min drive to Ridgway, CO

EVENT TRANSPORTATION:

Transportation to and from the airport and during the event is not included and is the attendees’ responsibility. Car rental is available at the airport.

Ride Sharing: We will depart daily from the hotel. Ride sharing is recommended to keep the total number of vehicles down to a manageable size and to meet our photo permit requirements. You are welcome to either drive or ride with someone. This is a great way to meet and have fun with fellow photographers during the event. If you are a passenger in another participant’s car it is customary to offer the driver some gas money and chip in towards any vehicle admission/parking fee as a courtesy.

Note that NANPA, and Dawn Wilson, do not have insurance for carpooling arrangements and assume no liability for them. Carpooling, ride sharing or anything similar is strictly a private arrangement among participants. Participants assume the risks associated with this travel.

LODGING:

We will be based in Ridgway, Colorado during this regional event.

Lodging is not included in the fee, but NANPA is holding a block of hotel rooms for event participants at a hotel in Ridgway, Colorado at the following rates:

• $242.25 per night + tax (15% off the hotel’s base rate).

Check in time 4 pm, Check out time 11 am.

Hotel details and booking reservation procedure will be shared with registered participants.

The last day to register in the NANPA room block is August 31, 2025

Meals:

All meals will be on your own with the exception of one lunch which is included.

PHOTOGRAPHY LOCATIONS:

We will be photographing at a variety of locations from public land to national forests, concentrating on capturing nature photos during the peak of fall colors around the Ridgway, Ouray and Telluride areas. Many of these photo locations are quite accessible by roadside stops along winding dirt country roads through San Juan and Uncompahgre National Forests.

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE:

Please note schedules are fluid due to weather conditions, recent wildlife sightings and other variables.

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

• Dinner on your own
• “Meet and Greet” at 6:30 pm in the hotel lobby.

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

• 6 am meetup to photograph sunrise
• Sunrise photo shoot at Dallas Divide; arrive about 6:30 a.m.
• There will be a break midmorning at about 10 am to rest, eat lunch/brunch and prep for afternoon outing
• Meet at 1 p.m. to start the afternoon session
• Drive to Owl Creek Pass to photograph Rowdy Lake, Silver Jack Lake and Deb’s Meadow for sunset and night skies (if clear).
• Dinner on your own

Thursday, October 2, 2025

• Sunrise will be photographed on Wilson Mesa. Meet at 5:30 a.m.
• The remainder of the morning will be photographing along the road in San Miguel County between Telluride and Silverton.
• Return to hotel for a midday break between 12 and 3.
• Meet at 3 pm for the afternoon photo session.
• The afternoon will be spent shooting from the road in Ouray County and the Uncompahgre National Forest
• Dinner on your own

Friday, October 3, 2025

• Meet at 6 am for sunrise photo shoot at Crystal Reservoir/Lake
• After sunrise, we will head up Million Dollar Highway to photograph old mining structures, aspen groves and views of the surrounding peaks.
• We will then return to Ridgway to wrap up for the day with a group lunch about noon.

The event wraps after the group lunch at 1 pm.

HEALTH AND FITNESS

There will be no stressful hiking unless required by the site itself. Most shooting locations will be very close to where we park. Some locations will require a walk into a meadow or along a roadside for better vantage points. The length of the walk will be up to the participant and how much they wish or are able to explore, there will be photographic possibilities along the way.

WEATHER and CLOTHING

Southern Colorado can see anything from sunny, 70-degree days during the daytime to below freezing temps at night with snow. Please be prepared by dressing in layers. Mornings will be cool to cold, so long pants with base layer (or fleece-lined hiking pants), warm socks, base layer and fleece plus warm jacket, hat and gloves will help keep you warm but the layers will allow you to shed clothing as the temperatures increase. Although we will not be doing any significant hiking, hiking boots are still recommended to keep feet dry and support ankles as we walk along rocky roads and grassy meadows. Be prepared with warm clothing for possible night sessions as available.

CAMERA GEAR:

• Camera – DSLR or mirrorless, full frame or cropped sensor. Have two bodies in case of need for multiple shots or if one fails while in the field. Also, bring the camera manual should you need to consult it. Cellphone camera as backup is better than no camera and good for snaps of your group and videos.
• Lenses – There will likely be photo opportunities for your full range of lenses, from extreme wide angle to telephoto and macro. We will use lenses from 24-70mm, 70-200mm, 180-600mm, as examples. At a minimum, have a lens that works well for landscape photos, a lens ideal for intimate landscapes where you zoom in on features, and a longer lens for possible wildlife sightings.  A wide-angle lens, like a 14-24mm, will be ideal for any night photography opportunities. There will also be opportunities for macro photography if that is of interest.
• Non-abrasive Lens Cleaning Cloth and Wipes.
• Tripod – Sunrise, sunset, twilight and nighttime light levels are too low to photograph properly without a sturdy tripod. A lightweight carbon fiber tripod with a ball head is recommended.
• Lots of Memory Card Storage – We use fast 64GB cards, good for stills and video.
• Camera Battery Charger and Extra Batteries.
• Polarizing filter(s) to fit each of your lenses.
• Neutral Density Filters, Graduated Neutral Density Filters
• Shutter Release – You can use a locking cable release, a wireless remote, or the camera’s self-timer
• Laptop Computer – for downloading, processing and viewing your images (with power cord)
• Image Processing Software – Good choices include Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or Elements.
• Back-up device – Such as an external hard drive
• Flash Drive – For sharing images (for those unfortunate times the weather is just too awful to be outside.
• Backpack or camera bag to transport your gear

ADDITIONAL ITEMS:

• Flashlight and/or Headlamp – preferably with a red light, or cover with a red filter, to limit distracting others if doing night photography sessions.
• Battery-powered Alarm Clock/Watch – In case cell phone service isn’t available. It’s better to bring your own alarm than miss a morning shoot!
• Cell Phone
• Water bottle
• Energy bars or other snacks
• Hand warmers for cool mornings and possible night shoots

GENERAL:

This event is designed for nature photographers at all levels of experience. This tour is open for 10 participants to give each plenty of time with the leader and to retain flexibility based on weather and the best opportunities. For the best experience, please know your camera before you arrive, and bring your manual in case we need to look up something.

Assistance will be available in the field for those who wish to improve their photographic skills. If you already have plenty of photography experience, Dawn will ensure you get to the best locations at the best times to capture those perfect shots.

Please keep in mind this NANPA Regional Event is designed to be a photo tour, not a photo workshop. In other words, there are no formal instruction sessions planned, there are no assignments, you will not be receiving any handouts or the like. That being said, Dawn has extensive experience as a photography teacher and workshop leader and will be available to answer questions and give you guidance.

If need help, please advocate for yourself and speak up and ask Dawn for help. Be aware that many of your fellow participants may also be accomplished photographers and may be able to help you too.  Part of the regional event experience is the camaraderie that comes from sharing experiences and lessons learned among participants. If you notice someone with the same or similar camera, perhaps they can help you with an issue you’ve been wondering about, and maybe you can return the favor.

Attendance and participation at NANPA Regional Events is limited to registered attendees only.  Anyone wishing to participate in any portion of, or travel with a registered attendee during the group event must contact the NANPA office and pay the full registration fee.

 

Regional Event Cancellation and No Refund Policy:  

NANPA will not offer any refunds for registrations for this event regardless of when the cancellation is made or the reason for the cancellation. NANPA reserves the right to cancel any event or activity due to insufficient registration or any unforeseen circumstances. NANPA will offer refunds if NANPA has to cancel the event. It also has the right to substitute presenters if those originally scheduled cannot attend. Registrants may purchase event insurance as part of the registration process through NANPA’s partner, Allianz. More information on this option will be shown during the checkout process for the event registration.

NOTE:  If you do not purchase event insurance at the time that you pay for your registration, you will NOT be able to go back and purchase it with Allianz later.

If you choose to purchase travel insurance separately, you can do so with your own insurance carrier, or NANPA members can receive a special travel insurance rate through USI Affinity/Travel Insurance Services