Fall Color Photography in Rocky Mountain National Park

Each fall, Rocky Mountain National Park puts on a show as fall blankets the forest and meadows in golds, reds, and browns. In this two-part course, instructor Bob Dean will teach beginning and intermediate photographers to capture a unique perspective on fall color. The course begins with a virtual classroom session on Friday evening, followed by a full day of shooting in Rocky Mountain National Park on Saturday.

As the creation of strong images is a combination of art and technique, participants will learn the basic creative controls on the camera, study photographic composition, and then learn how to use those controls and visualization techniques to make great photos. Participants will also have the opportunity to capture fall landscapes and more intimate autumn moments throughout the park, with on-the-spot coaching and feedback from their instructor throughout the day.

The primary objectives of this course are to:

• Understand the creative controls on your camera or smartphone and how to use them for making strong images and how to use light to your advantage when making images.
• Explore basic and more advanced photographic composition.

Who: Participants ages 16 and up. This is a Level II course. Expect short-distance walks throughout the day, primarily on level terrain.

When: Friday, September 27, 2024, from 6:30pm to 9:00pm AND Saturday, September 28, 2024, from 8:00am to 4:00pm

Where: Friday – Zoom (virtual), Saturday – We will meet at the Estes Park Visitor Center, located at 500 Big Thompson Ave in downtown Estes Park, and travel together to various sites in Rocky Mountain National Park in Conservancy vehicles. Registration includes all required fees and permits for Rocky Mountain National Park.

What to bring:

• 10 Essentials for Field Courses
• Bag lunch on Saturday
• Camera: digital SLR or mirrorless camera and lenses (wide angle lens and a short to medium telephoto zoom lens, close-up lens if you have one) OR a point-and-shoot camera OR a Smartphone with a camera
• Camera manual
• Spare batteries and memory cards
• Tripod (optional but helpful)
• Camera bag or daypack