2025 Fall Color Photo Workshop in Colorado – 5 Days of Stunning Autumn Landscapes at Night

September 30 – October 4, 2025

Spanning over 1.6 million acres, the Gunnison National Forest offers a breathtaking landscape of rugged peaks, alpine meadows, and vast aspen groves. At the height of autumn, for a brief period, these groves ignite in a fiery display of golden hues, deep reds, and alizarin crimson, creating a stunning transformation. While the high country is set ablaze, this workshop will utilize moonlight to unveil autumn’s spectacle combined with the night sky, providing a rare opportunity to capture this dramatic seasonal transformation.

During this 5-day workshop, our in-field sessions will take you to sweeping overlooks, where the Colorado Rockies unfold beneath your lens. We’ll explore dense aspen groves, where light filters through golden canopies, and photograph from panoramic vistas offering wide, uninterrupted views of the surrounding landscape. As the sun sets, we’ll capture the rich hues casting deep shadows across intimate groves and expansive valleys. Once Earth’s shadow meets the horizon, we’ll turn our attention to the night sky, where the Milky Way sets over the vast wilderness, offering a breathtaking display of the night sky.

This workshop includes two, 4-hour post-processing sessions that will provide a structured approach to learning digital editing tools in Adobe Bridge/Lightroom and Photoshop. We will cover a variety of editing techniques, including RAW adjustments, exposure blending, panoramic stitching, noise reduction stacking, and more. Participants will also receive a 70-page, in-depth booklet detailing every step of the process, ensuring they can refine their images long after the workshop ends.

Due to the remote nature of our locations, access to facilities will be limited during the in-field portion of the workshop.

To provide you with the best learning environment possible, we limit our group size and NEVER BRING OUR OWN CAMERAS to a workshop.

Dates

September 30 – October 4, 2025

Group Size

8 Participants
2 Instructors

Tuition

$4495

Availability

Only 3 Spaces Remain!

Physical

Easy
We’ll be very close to our vehicles

Lunar

Waxing Moon
50 – 80% Illumination

Elevation

8K – 10K feet

Workshop Gallery

Your Instructors

Brad Goldpaint

“Two passions of mine are wilderness travel and experiencing the drama of a night sky. I combine my passions with photography by teaching night photography workshops to participants of all skill levels.”

Evie Urbina

“I love to wander and explore! I’m looking forward to sharing my passion for the night sky, wilderness and wildlife while helping people understand that you don’t have to fear the wild side of our planet!”

Topics Covered & Materials Included

This 5-day workshop begins with a 4-hour introductory class at an indoor facility in Crested Butte, CO. We will have a number of in-field photographing opportunities during the workshop, in addition to two 4-hour post processing ‘classroom style’ sessions. This workshop will focus on capturing fall-color foliage, camera settings, panoramas, distant abstracts of aspen groves, the night sky, and much more. As part of your introduction, you will receive an updated copy of our 60+ page workshop booklet with step-by-step instructions about all phases of post processing for personal reference. During all field work, we will follow “Leave No Trace” principles to minimize any impact on the fragile, wilderness environment. With over 65 topics you will:

Receive an exclusive, updated copy of our 60+ page workshop booklet. This booklet contains step-by-step instructions about all phases of post processing, ‘Planning Your Shoot’, weather predictions, exposure guides for capturing the Milky Way, and much more.
Updated gear recommendations for any occasion and location
Learning the importance of planning for your shoot
Understand the differences between shutter speed/aperture/ISO/white balance, and more
Gain a better understanding of exposure bracketing and exposure compensation
Learn how to focus your lens at night
Begin to master the art of capturing abstracts, creating panoramas, blending exposures, the Milky Way, and more
Understand noise reduction (how and when to use it)
Advanced shooting methods utilizing Focus Stacking for greater depth of field
Receive personal tips and special techniques
Learn how to blend multiple exposures together in post processing using Adobe Photoshop
Gain new skills with advanced post processing methods in Adobe Bridge, Photoshop, and Starry Landscape Stacke

What equipment do I need to bring?

We encourage you to visit our ‘Workshop FAQ’s’ page for required equipment during your workshop, itinerary examples, and much more. We’ve also listed additional info below pertaining to this new workshop experience.

What lenses are preferred for the workshop?

We HIGHLY RECOMMEND bringing a 24-70mm f/2.8 and a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. See the Workshop FAQ’s page for more information regarding renting your equipment.

High Elevation Warning

We HIGHLY RECOMMEND arriving 2 days prior to the workshop start date to acclimate to the elevation.

Gear & Weather

Weather is more predictable this time of year. Temps will range from 80° – 30°F. Make sure to BRING proper rain gear, a large down/synthetic jacket, and thermals to stay warm at night.

Register for the Workshop

Fall Colors in Colorado Photography Workshop: September 30 – October 4, 2025

$2,247.50

Workshop payment

Clear

SKU: FCPW-2 Category: 2025 Photography Workshops

*Must be 18 or older to participate. Prices do not include meals, accommodations, camera equipment, transportation, or incidentals. A 50%, non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your space for the workshop. The remaining balance is due 90 days prior to the scheduled workshop start date. Please pay the balance in full by July 2, 2025, or your space may be forfeited. Please read our terms & conditions for more info.

Accommodations & Transportation

Participants are responsible for their own meals, accommodations, and transportation, which are not included in the workshop fee. For hotel accommodations, we recommend booking in the Mount Crested Butte, CO area. The workshop’s classroom sessions will take place in a hotel meeting room (similar to Fairfield Inn or Holiday Inn). We’ll provide a detailed itinerary well in advance to help you plan your arrangements.

"the best instructor I’ve ever experienced"

I attended my first Brad Goldpaint workshop in Aug 2024 after attending approximately 50 photo workshops over the previous 10 years. Brad is the best in-field and in-classroom instructor that I’ve ever experienced. The time he spent with my friend and I in the field helping us learn his approach to capturing night images was impressive and much appreciated. It was everything a workshop should be and I look forward to joining him again.

John

GP Alumni

2024

Behind the Scenes

Questions

If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us by sending an email to info[at]goldpaintphotography.com.

Goldpaint Photography, LLC operates under a special use permit on the Gunnison National Forest. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Drones are not permitted during the workshop.