Adventure Photography Workshops
2027 Adventure Photography Events
The Crested Butte Wildflower Festival is thrilled to introduce three Adventure Photography Workshops, including two brand-new offerings in 2027, each designed to inspire, challenge, and elevate your photography skills while surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of Colorado’s wildflower capital. Whether you’re picking up your first camera or polishing an advanced portfolio, there’s a perfect course waiting for you.
From First Shot to Fine Art
- Instructor: David Kish
- Level: Beginner–Intermediate
- Dates: June 17–20, 2027
With Festival Executive Director David Kish’s step-by-step guidance, transform your snapshots into works of art in this supportive, skill-building workshop perfect for newer photographers.
Creative Vision in Bloom – NEW
- Instructor: David Kingham & Jennifer Renwick
- Level: Intermediate
- Dates: July 6-9, 2027
This workshop offers a slower, more reflective way to experience Crested Butte during peak wildflower season. Guided by David Kingham and Jennifer Renwick, participants will explore landscapes near town with an emphasis on wildflowers, aspen groves, mountain scenery, and the intimate details that emerge through careful observation. Through field sessions, inspiring talks, and classroom instruction, the workshop will encourage participants to deepen their creative vision, strengthen their compositions, and develop a more personal response to the landscape.
High Alpine Off-Road Adventure – NEW
- Instructor: David Kingham & Jennifer Renwick
- Level: Intermediate-Advanced
- Dates: July 10-13, 2027
Crested Butte’s high country comes alive in summer, and this workshop offers the chance to explore it in a more adventurous way during the 2027 Wildflower Festival. Guided by David Kingham and Jennifer Renwick, we will use professionally driven off-road vehicles to access remote alpine landscapes filled with wildflowers, mountain basins, lakes, and expansive scenic views. While grand landscapes will be a central part of the experience, participants will also be encouraged to notice smaller scenes within the larger environment and to approach the high country with curiosity, creativity, and a spirit of exploration.
Scroll Down to Explore Each Offering!
Meet Your Instructors!
David Kish
Our Executive Director, David has been photographing, hiking, and mountain biking in Crested Butte for nearly two decades. His nature …
David Kingham & Jennifer Renwick
David Kingham and Jennifer Renwick are professional nature photographers, educators, and the co-founders of Exploring Exposure. While both photograph a …
From First Shot to Fine Art
June 17-20, 2027
Workshop Description
Have you ever looked at a photo and thought, “this picture just doesn’t do it justice”? Say it no more! This is the workshop that will change the way you capture the world. Join photographer and educator David Kish for a dynamic three-day experience set amid the stunning wildflower landscapes of Crested Butte. With over 25 years of teaching expertise, David offers a supportive, step-by-step approach designed to guide you from the First Shot to Fine Art.
This session will include:
- Small group size (4 students)
- Six field sessions
- Three classroom sessions
- Five group meals
What Participants Will Learn
- How to get comfortable with your camera and make confident decisions in the field
- Simple ways to determine the right exposure in changing outdoor conditions
- When and why to change aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to capture wildflowers
- How to choose the right lens and focal length for different subjects
- Techniques for photographing wildflowers and other small subjects up close
- How to recognize and avoid common composition problems
- Ways to create depth, dimension, and visual interest in your photographs
- How to use natural light, including shade, backlight, and overcast conditions, to your advantage
- Strategies for keeping images sharp, from focusing techniques to camera stability
- How to approach a subject from different perspectives and discover stronger photographs
- A practical approach to making creative decisions without overcomplicating the process
- David's favorite wildflower locations in Crested Butte
Experience Level
This workshop is best suited for photographers with a basic understanding of their DSLR or mirrorless camera. Participants should be comfortable with fundamental concepts such as exposure, focusing, and basic camera operation, and should be interested in developing their technical skills while exploring creative approaches to photographing wildflowers.
Fitness Level
Easy to Moderate
This workshop includes relatively minimal walking, generally short walks from the car and occasional easy trails, but participants should be comfortable walking up to about one mile at a time over uneven ground. The main physical consideration is elevation. Crested Butte sits at a high altitude, and even modest exertion can feel more strenuous than expected. Participants should be prepared for mountain weather, uneven terrain, and the effects of elevation.
Creative Vision in Bloom
July 6-9, 2027
Workshop Description
Crested Butte is one of the most inspiring places in Colorado during wildflower season, and this workshop is designed for photographers who want to slow down, look more deeply, and explore the landscape with creativity and intention.
During our time together, we’ll photograph a range of subjects, including wildflowers, aspen groves, forest details, creeks, waterfalls, and mountain scenery, with a particular focus on smaller scenes, intimate landscapes, abstracts, color, pattern, and composition. Grand scenic views will certainly be welcome when the conditions align, but they will not be the primary emphasis of this workshop.
Rather than rushing from location to location in search of obvious scenes, we’ll spend more time wandering, noticing, experimenting, and learning how to respond to the landscape in a more personal way. This workshop is designed to help participants expand how they see, strengthen their compositions, and develop more creative confidence in the field.
Field sessions will be paired with classroom time at The Depot, including inspiring talks, a session on creativity and composition, and a processing session where David will share his Rethink method. Throughout the workshop, participants will receive personalized guidance from both instructors in a supportive small-group environment.
This session will include:
- Small group size (8 students)
- Six field sessions
- Three classroom sessions
- Five group meals
What Participants Will Learn
- How to slow down and see more creatively in the landscape
- Finding compelling smaller scenes within larger environments
- Working with color, pattern, form, gesture, and visual relationships
- Approaches to intimate landscapes, abstracts, and wildflower compositions
- Composition strategies for both smaller scenes and select grand scenic opportunities
- Experimentation and creative play in the field
- Working with changing mountain light and weather conditions
- Depth of field considerations and focus stacking
- Thoughtful processing approaches using David's Rethink method
Experience Level
This workshop is best suited for photographers who are comfortable with the technical basics of their camera and want to grow creatively. Participants should understand exposure, focusing, and basic camera operation so they can fully engage with the creative aspects of the experience.
Fitness Level
Easy to Moderate
This workshop includes relatively minimal walking, generally short walks from the car and occasional easy trails, but participants should be comfortable walking up to about one mile at a time over uneven ground. The main physical consideration is elevation. Crested Butte sits at a high altitude, and even modest exertion can feel more strenuous than expected. Participants should be prepared for mountain weather, uneven terrain, and the effects of elevation.
High Alpine Off-Road Adventure
July 10-13, 2027
Workshop Description
This workshop is designed for photographers who want to experience Crested Butte’s wildflower season in a more adventurous way, exploring the backcountry and high-alpine landscapes beyond the more accessible roadside areas.
Using professionally driven off-road vehicles arranged by the festival, we’ll access higher and more remote areas where expansive mountain views, alpine basins, wildflower meadows, lakes, and dramatic high-country terrain create a rich range of photographic opportunities. While this workshop will naturally lean more toward grand landscapes and a broader sense of exploration, we will also encourage participants to notice and photograph smaller scenes within these larger environments.
Our emphasis will be on responding to the conditions we find, working with changing mountain weather and light, and exploring the high country with a creative mindset rather than simply chasing standard scenic overlooks. This will be a field-focused workshop with plenty of time to photograph, explore, and receive personalized instruction from both David and Jennifer.
Because the schedule is more ambitious and the travel time is greater, this workshop will include an introductory session on the first day, with the remainder of the workshop focused primarily on time in the field.
This session will include:
- Small group size (8 students)
- Six field sessions
- Three classroom sessions
- Five group meals
What Participants Will Learn
- Approaches to photographing grand alpine landscapes during wildflower season
- How to find and create stronger compositions in expansive mountain environments
- Recognizing and photographing smaller scenes within the high country
- Working with layers, depth, scale, and visual flow in larger landscapes
- Using weather, atmosphere, and changing light creatively
- Balancing exploration with intentional photographic decision-making
- Choosing lenses and approaches for both broad vistas and intimate details
- Creative strategies for working in dynamic, fast-changing mountain conditions
Experience Level
This workshop is best suited for photographers who are comfortable with the technical basics of their camera and are ready for a more field-intensive experience. Participants should understand exposure, focusing, and basic camera operation so they can make the most of the instruction and changing conditions.
Fitness Level
Moderate
While the walking itself will generally be limited, participants should be comfortable walking up to about one mile at a time over uneven ground at high elevation. This workshop may reach elevations above 11,000 feet, where even light exertion can feel significantly more demanding. Accessing these locations also involves travel on mountain roads with exposure and steep drop-offs, so participants should be comfortable riding in off-road vehicles in these conditions and getting in and out of vehicles repeatedly throughout the day.