Gold Season | San Juan Mountains, Colorado
Autumn in the San Juans is the final exhale before winter settles in. The light turns slower, the roads quieter, and color takes on a kind of defiance — one last stand against the cold.
I photographed these places in that in-between, when the aspens burn gold against rusted trucks and weathered barns, and everything feels like it’s remembering what it was built for.
These images aren’t about change. They’re about the calm before it — the stillness that gives the West its strength.
Captured on Sony Alpha
Captured on Sony Alpha
A person walking down a narrow trail surrounded by tall evergreen trees with autumn yellow and orange foliage.
Cloud-covered mountain with dense pine forest on the lower slopes, some trees displaying vibrant autumn foliage.
A hillside covered with tall trees with bright orange autumn leaves against a black sky.
Yellow and brown fallen leaves with water droplets resting on wet dark rocks in a shallow stream.
A winding mountain road carved into the side of a steep, rocky cliff with some small trees and yellow foliage along the roadside, under an overcast sky.
Mountain landscape with dark, rugged peaks, cloudy sky, and a forest of trees with yellow and green foliage in the foreground.
Old, abandoned black truck with 'Quinta Garage' logo, parked on dirt ground next to orange autumn trees.
Calm mountain lake with mist, surrounded by forested mountains with snow-capped peaks under a cloudy sky.
Mountains with fog and Autumn-colored trees on the slopes.
A mountainous landscape with snow-capped peaks, a cloudy sky, and a forest of trees with vibrant yellow leaves in the foreground.
Autumn landscape with vibrant yellow and orange trees, a cloudy sky, and a wooden fence in the foreground.
Mountain landscape with snow-capped peaks, a valley with a small town, and a partly cloudy sky.
A foggy landscape of a lake with colorful fall trees on the shore and a mist-covered forest on a hillside in the background.
Scenic view of mountain range with snow-capped peaks, rolling hills, and a valley with fall foliage.
A winding road running through a forested area with trees changing colors for autumn, under a foggy sky.
Click for full render size