Colorado Fall Colors on Medium Format

Where and When

For the last two weeks of September I camped all through the Colorado Rockies looking for the best fall colors the peak season had to offer. Typically, the fall colors throughout the state begin to peak in the third week of September and continue on through the first two weeks of October (depending on the area and elevation).

My route is normally something like this:

• Start near Twin Lakes or Leadville
• Head to Aspen and The Roaring Fork Valley
• Go down to Crested Butte and the West Elks
• Finish in the San Juan’s

Although short and trite, I’ve been camping in these areas since I was a kid, and they’ve never let me down. Although this is the usual order, it’s worth saying that peak colors will appear in a different order, and until it’s only a few weeks out no one can guarantee what will be peaking when.

The Beginning: Crested Butte’s Fall Colors in Winter

The first few days in Twin Lakes and Crested Butte were mainly spent using my Canon R5 or my AE-1, but on the third day of the trip the Fujifilm spend most of the day in my hands. Every season there’s at least one day, if you’re in the right place, where an overnight snowfall will create the perfect clash of seasons for Colorado’s fall colors. I was lucky enough to be in Crested Butte when 3-7 inches started to fall in the afternoon, and continued overnight.

In the morning I woke up to a winter wonderland with all of the fall colors vibrantly contrasting with the snow. Two of my good friends met up with me and we spent the day all through the valley and backroads looking for the most scenic shots.

The Middle: The San Juan Mountains

After a few days in the area working and spending time with friends, my next stop were the San Juan’s. Although a little early for the peak colors in Telluride or Ridgway, some areas along the Million Dollar Highway were at their prime.

If you are also a photographer who was chasing Colorado fall colors this year, you’ll remember how awful conditions were. Even with an early snow in Crested Butte, the rest of the peak season was sunny, hot, and cloudless. As much as I’d like to change my outlook, I find it incredibly hard to self-motivate shooting in these conditions; however, I find that shooting during the day with film makes the process far more enjoyable. Using digital cameras in bright fall conditions can make everything feel too busy and cluttered, but film always seems to deliver a more cohesive medium.

The End: The Roaring Fork Valley

Lastly, I went to the Roaring Fork Valley, where I was lucky enough to live for almost ten years. All between Glenwood Springs and Aspen enclaves of aspens, campsites, and scenic views can be found at every turn. With the weather conditions getting slightly better at the end of the trip, I again spent more time on my mirrorless and 35mm cameras, but the Fujifilm stayed close by. One of our final nights, my friends and I were able to capture the most perfect sunset over Capital Peak, which is a quintessential view of Colorado fall colors, and the perfect opportunity to put the medium format to work.

Final Thoughts

To sum it up this was a spectacular fall for me. With this deep dive into my new(ish) medium format camera, and film in general, I’ve rediscovered a love for analog photography that I hadn’t chased since college; and I was able to spend days and nights camping with some of my best friends, which is always something to treasure.

If you’re looking to pick up one of these cameras your best bet is to checkout ebay, as this camera was never officially sold in the United States.