In early summer, Colorado’s high country comes alive.

As snow retreats from the mountains, waterfalls surge with meltwater and entire hillsides ignite in waves of lupine, columbine, and Indian paintbrush. Snow still traces the highest peaks, valleys glow in fresh greens, and the alpine landscape feels newly awakened. For a brief window each year, the San Juan Mountains and the Elk Mountains deliver some of the most vibrant wildflower displays in North America.

This 8-day photography workshop is designed to capture that peak bloom across two of Colorado’s most iconic mountain regions.

We begin in the rugged San Juan Mountains near Ouray. Often called the “Switzerland of America,” Ouray sits in a dramatic box canyon carved by ancient volcanic forces. Unlike the broad glacial valleys farther north, the San Juans are steep, jagged, and mineral-streaked, shaped by massive eruptions millions of years ago. Along Red Mountain Pass, around Mount Sneffels, and near classic vantage points like Dallas Divide, lupine blooms emerge against rust-colored ridges and alpine meadows stretch beneath some of the most photogenic peaks in the state.

Midway through the journey, we travel north into the Elk Mountains and the legendary wildflower region surrounding Crested Butte, often known as the “Wildflower Capital of Colorado.” The character of the landscape shifts from rugged and volcanic to sweeping and glacial. Broad basins carved by ancient ice now host expansive subalpine meadows that burst into purple lupine and crimson paintbrush each early summer. Aspen forests glow in luminous spring greens, their fresh leaves contrasting beautifully against lingering snowfields on surrounding peaks.

Wildflowers provide some of the most compelling foreground elements in landscape photography, and early summer offers a rare opportunity to build dynamic compositions from the ground up. Throughout the workshop, we’ll focus on using lupine and alpine blooms as strong foreground anchors beneath dramatic mountain backdrops. You’ll learn techniques such as focus stacking to maintain sharpness from flower to peak, and blending methods, including HDR merges when needed, to balance bright skies with richly detailed foregrounds. The result is imagery that feels immersive, dimensional, and powerful.

Historically, early summer marks peak lupine bloom in both regions, offering vibrant foreground color, snow-capped backdrops, and long alpine light all at once.

A Classic Colorado Road Journey

Beyond the photography, this trip unfolds as a classic Colorado alpine road journey. We travel scenic mountain highways, cross high passes, and experience the distinct character of two historic mountain towns shaped by mining, ranching, and high-country culture.

The progression from the rugged San Juans to the sweeping Elk Mountains showcases the diversity of Colorado’s geology, ecosystems, and floral abundance within a single week.

Early summer in the Rockies is fleeting and electric, spring greens at their freshest, waterfalls running strong, snow still tracing the peaks, and hillsides washed in purple. This workshop captures that energy across two mountain ranges, offering both alpine drama and meadow serenity in one unforgettable experience.