Astrontelstar

A friend and I are traveling to Colorado and would like any advice from fellow photographers for places we can shoot some dramatic landscape photography?

Current targets are:
Garden of the Gods
Twin Lakes
Silverton
Possibly Air Force Academy?

We will be there this coming weekend.

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

This subject has been discussed before, with lots of suggestions. Enter "Colorado" in SEARCH feature, top of page.

MTG44 Loc: Corryton, Tennessee

Cripple Creek with the big gold mine.Estes Park and rocky Mt National Park and hwy. 34 . Durango area and Mesa Verda. LOts to see in Colorado. Do the Siverton train ride and bring extra cards.

Astrontelstar

Thank you! It looks like we are going to fly into CO Springs Fri night then head to Twin Lakes for a morning sunrise shot there. Not sure where we will stay. I think Silverton is our next stop, possibly Crystal Mills while we are there. We don't have agenda for Sat day or Sunday yet so this is very helpful.

Outdoorsafe Loc: Colorado Springs

I live in Colorado Springs and can recommend spending some time in Garden of the Gods - early in the morning or late in the afternoon. I prefer the morning. I worked at the USAF Academy for 12 years and can also recommend a visit to the Cadet Chapel - morning is best for photography. If you get down to the south west part of the state then Mesa Verde is a must stop. This time of year there should not be too many tourists to contend with. Dress warm. You can run into cold, snowy conditions anywhere in the mountains at this time of year.

Astrontelstar

Peter,

Thank you! Do you know anything of Twin Lakes?

Willy Loc: Alaska

There are three books by Laurent Martres about photographing the S.W.
I have all three but I have only used Vol 1 - Southern Utah.
In my mind these are indispensable references.
You'll be interested in Vol. 3 - Colorado & New Mexico.
Vol. 2 is for Arizona.

http://www.amazon.com/Photographing-Southwest-Volume-3-Colorado-Soutwest/dp/0916189147/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z/180-4707853-5149716

Enjoy your travels!

Astrontelstar

Willy, simply said... Thank you!

xiansargot Loc: mile high

try: just about anywhere in the mountains. here are a few suggestions. all of 'em are near denver.

the flat irons rock formation in boulder.
redrocks.
one of the coolest outdoor music venues in the country. it's built right into the stunning red rocks that populate the area. there are trails among these red rocks near the venue.
blackhawk/central city.
best know for the casinos. area has a rich mining history. there is a cool grave yard dating back to the 1800's just above central city.
mammoth creek reservoir.
outside of rollinsville. very near blackhawk/central city. this area is right up against the continental divide. hike to the reservoir. the reservoir is gone. now it's a gorgeous wetland with great views of the divide. incidentally, this is the location of the "east portal". the portal is a train tunnel that runs through the divide.
greys peak.
hiking "fourteeners" is a big deal out here. this area has 3 or 4 of the easier 14,000ft peaks to hike.
if it's still open....trailridge road.
parmalee gulch(might be mt. falcon park) in indian hills
easy hiking. the ruins of a castle built for a president are up there.

be mindful of the weather.
i don't know where you are from but "flatlanders" sometimes have a hard time with the altitude. take it slow until you know how you'll react. lot's of water. watch the alcohol. eat well.

Astrontelstar

Awesome! Thank you again for the help!

r.reeder Loc: Mesa, Arizona

Go up State Route 149 from South Fork to Gunnison: very scenic. Also, Interstate 70 from Grand Junction to Denver. I didn't know mountains got that big. You'll love it. Enjoy.

justbreathe Loc: Colorado

I live in Colorado Springs, and there are a lot of great places to take pictures in Colorado. Garden of the Gods for sure, but if morning shots are better as Pikes Peak gets washed out in the late afternoon evening and the shots will not be as clear as you would hope.
Twin Lakes is a beautiful location, but since the aspens have lost their leaves, it isn't as beautiful, just two lakes next to each other. Best thing to do is continue up Independence Pass (as far as you can) and hopefully you can reach the summit and get some great shots of the mountains. You can spend the night in Buena Vista which is a population of about 5,000 people. A drive to Aspen and Maroon Bells is beautiful as well.

Michael O' Loc: Midwest right now

Since you're going to "the Springs", you might find it interesting to vivit the US Olympic Training Center, one of only 3 in the US -- the other two in Lake Placid for Winter Sports, and San Diego.

Astrontelstar

Had a wonderful time! Thanks everyone for the help!