It's hard to say what was best about the Colorado Trek. The stunning mountain and valley locations were fabulous to photograph. The mentors were enthusiastic, experienced and great teachers, guides and even friends. And our fellow trekkers were as interesting as they were varied in their personal and photographic experiences. In then end it was a combination of all three -- the total experience -- that made this Trek, my second with the Mentor Series, memorable.
Tucked away in the Arkansas River Valley, our "home base" of Salida, Colorado, was a step back in time that provided chance encounters with photo opportunities of its own, as well as a weekend juried art show for those who wanted to experience even more than the trek itself provided.
Our introductory and "Meet Your Mentor" session set the stage for the varied opportunities to come, and gave us a chance to start to get to know each other and discover what we each were bringing with us in knowledge and experience that could be shared throughout the weekend.
That sharing experience between trekkers and mentors continued during a lively and educational onboard "Camera Q&A" session that made our bus ride to the Zapata Ranch both productive and "shorter." We discussed and debated white balance, histograms, specific camera functions and settings, and techniques to get the most from our images at the upcoming sites. Sitting in a seat halfway back on the bus for this, and future, rides was an opportunity to eavesdrop and participate in a wide variety of camera, photo, and personal experience discussions shared from front to back.
Who would have thought a working ranch would provide so many opportunities to experiment with techniques new to us. At the Zapata Ranch our subjects were what we expected: horses, ranch houses, barns, cowboys, cowgirls, riding gear. It's what our mentors encouraged us to learn and try with off-camera flash, panning techniques, reflected light, and more that made this stop special. And of course there was the buffalo burgers at lunch -- a new treat for many.
On its own the Great Sand Dunes National Park would have been enough of an experience, but an unplanned stop to photograph the panoramic site from a distance in it's full context as thunderclouds approached provided stunning opportunities, followed by a walk into the sand (and out in the gathering rain) that opened our eyes and lenses to 360 degrees of beauty.
Down at the Arkansas River on day two our mentors had arranged for both fly fisherman and whitewater kayakers to be in the water right were the light and backgrounds would be best for capturing them at play. And an added benefit that even surprised the mentors was that some of our subjects were experienced photographers themselves who worked their way into locations and poses that were best for photographing, if not for fishing and kayaking!
I had the good fortune of learning about the concept of Light Painting from our mentor, Dave Black, on a previous trek (Kentucky, 2006), but it wasn't until our late night visit to the St. Elmo Ghost Town that I had a chance to actually share in the experience and process. I can't wait to try more on my own... if only we had those clear and lightless skies and bright stars back home in Houston!
Wrapping up the trip at Monarch Pass brought our trek to new heights...literally. Sitting on the side of a trail that might excite a mountain goat, we watched -- and snapped and flashed -- as experienced mountain bikers rode by in front of gorgeous scenic backdrops. Then we rode the tram to photographic views from the vantage point of cell and microwave towers.
It was only in the final slide shows and review sessions that we really had time to stop and reflect on what we had seen, learned, and photographed. And to see what our fellow trekkers had experienced from their individual and unique perspectives often different from our own. What an experience and wrap-up! I can't wait to see more of their shots on the Mentor Series Alumni site, and to decide were and when to take my next trek.
Pete Poulsen
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