Telluride’s Bounty

I had the absolute pleasure of spending this year’s peak Autumn colors in Telluride, CO.

It’s rare that I stray to far from my usual Wyoming stomping grounds for the Fall, but 2015 was a little different. Thanks to some amazing friends, we had a golden opportunity. And though I missed ol’ Wyom, the southern San Juans put on a great show for us. I have to admit, it was the best display of Autumn I’ve ever seen.

Wilson Mesa put on a show and lit up several mornings, evenings, and even once by starlight for us.

It would prove to be one of our more fruitful locations.

Alta Lakes had shifts in hues I’d never seen up there…

Several of us photographers went up to Gold King to shoot trail running, and the light danced for us. With bouts of clouds and snow, of course.

With each new solitary morning I spent hunting for photos, the aspens grew bolder.

We marveled at the beauty.

Even Hunter Trek felt compelled to try to take it all in with us at Cornet Creek Falls.

On my last morning drive, the high country got the dusting I had been waiting to see. The chill in the air noticeably bit harder.

That rare mix of golden light and winter clouds appeared… it’s truly the most dynamic time of year. My favorite time of year.

Fog rose from the warm valley floor into the sharp, cold. Golden warm hues mingled with blue, cool tones.

Alta got colder, bluer, and snowier each day.

It had arrived. That very short time between Autumn’s farewell and Winter’s settling in.

There’s not enough money in this world to equal the richness of that feeling. To witness the fullness of Autumn. Especially in a magical place like Telluride.

— andrew

Join me on an amazing adventure… check out my exciting, NEW workshop dates:

Big Bend NP // Night/ Landscape // 2016

Isle of Skye // S C O T L A N D // 2016

Highlands // S C O T L A N D // 2016

If you are interested in licensing any of the images/ video from this post, please visit my stock agency:

Tandem Stills + Motion // Andrew R. Slaton

Image Brief // Andrew R. Slaton

If you are interested in purchasing prints from this post, please check my prints for sale, or email me directly for a custom request:

Andrew R. Slaton | photographer // prints

For assignment work requests, please email me: andrew@andrewslatonphoto.com

Thanks for visiting AndrewSlatonBlog.com!

all images and content © ARS Media, LLC 2015

photography, travel

The Art of The “Workcation”

Every time I travel I get asked, “Business, or pleasure?”

Often my answer is “Well… both.”

A puzzled look frequently follows.

It took Ellen and I a few years to find the proper balance of a true workcation. One that could satisfy both of our insatiable desires… the desire to be productive, and the desire to relax and recharge our proverbial batteries.

It’s not an easy balance for someone who loves what they do, and would be doing it whether he was getting paid or not. That’s why every single trip I ever took when I was single was simply work. But you see, that’s no fun for another person once they get added into the mix… maybe the first few times, but trust me, it gets old. What might have started as fascination in the beginning, quickly turns to frustration, when your traveling partner seems to prefer working to relaxing and being in the moment with you.

And as most adaptations grow from necessity, so too did the invention and refinement of the workcation.

Look, we’re not made of money here. Work trips are our vacations… and vice versa.

So how do we find equilibrium?

Here are 5 important steps to striking the perfect balance between work and vacation, illustrated with images from our last Wyoming workcation…

1. Proper planning.

Nowadays, Ellen and I set aside specific days/ times on our trip to work. With her starting a yoga business recently, she gets something out of it too… free marketing photos! When there is a set, realistic schedule, both of us have very well managed expectations…. and those of you who are married or in long-term relationships know how important these are!

2. Use what you have to your advantage.

I feel productive when I’m getting photos that I’m confident can sell. That’s how I am able to justify all of the travel, if I’m not on a specific client’s dime.

So Ellen becomes my model… a lot. As I’m sure you all have seen.

But it’s great because we can do the things we love to do together, like hiking, and I can spend a few minutes in between our quality vacation time, working, snapping sellable images.

It’s also important to note that Ellen is particularly sweet and understanding that when extraordinary opportunities present themselves, work takes the front seat.

But don’t take advantage of your partner’s generosity.

3. Know when to put work aside. Be sensitive to your travel partners needs.

As previously mentioned, my wife gives grace like a boss. So it’s only fitting that I approach her with the same tender understanding.

It’s never fun to play second fiddle to work with a loved-one. So know when it’s time to put the camera or laptop down and enjoy your partner.

4. Enjoy your work so much, it is vacation!

Be so passionate and enthusiastic about what you do, your travel buddy can’t help but want to be involved.

They may actually grow to love the process too.

But it must be genuine… manipulation will be sniffed out immediately!

5. Be realistic, schedule dedicated work time.

What Ellen and I found works the best, so I’m not too antsy to shoot the entire time we’re trying to relax and be “in the moment”, is really quite simple…

I schedule a week alone, to focus completely on work. I either fly her in a week after I’ve arrived at a destination, or she flys out a week before I return.

That way, I always know that I have at least a full week of work under my belt already, or ahead of me.

And it allows me to relax. Which makes the time more enjoyable for us both.

It is rare that we take a proper “vacation”. Part of it is financial, but another part is that we both really love what we do for a living.

So workcations are our norm. And we like it that way.

They are tax deductible, and if you are careful, they are oh… so… enjoyable.

Here’s to 2015: a new year of workcations to nourish our souls and share with all of you!

— andrew

Take your photography to the next level… check out my NEW workshop dates:

Grand Teton Photographic Tour/ Workshops 2015

More Destination Photo Tours/ Workshops 2015

If you are interested in licensing any of the images/ video from this post, please visit my stock agency:

Tandem Stills + Motion // andrew r. slaton

If you are interested in purchasing prints from this post, please check my prints for sale, or email me directly for a custom request:

andrew r. slaton // photographer // prints

For assignment work requests, please email me: andrew@andrewslatonphoto.com

Thanks for visiting AndrewSlatonBlog.com!

all images and content © ARS Media, LLC 2015

landscape, photography, travel

WY // The Active Landscape

One thing I will most certainly be working on this year: active people within a landscape.

Though I have always considered myself a landscape shooter, I realized recently that in order to generate more sales in the nature/ outdoor photography arena, I need to begin incorporating people and activity into my landscapes.

And for me, the timing couldn’t be better.

With the increasing assignments I have had the last few years, I have actually grown to enjoy photographing people… go figure.

And I am ever more interested in the relationship people have to their surroundings. How to visually convey a human’s relationship to a landscape, has become one of my favorite challenges of late.

The icing on the cake: there is a HUGE market growing for this kind of imagery, so it can be quite lucrative. As a professional artist, I’m always looking for ways to continue doing what I love AND making the kind of living I want.

So, on this visit to Wyoming, Elle and I practiced a little active landscape shooting. We realized a few things too.

To keep the images fresh, realistic, and sellable, the gear and clothing have to be new and/ or current. We realized that we need a few upgrades for the next trip :)

We also realized we should shoot what we know. Elle is a yogi, so we focused a lot on yoga poses in gorgeous locals.

The key for me will be to keep shooting and keep adding people and activities to my landscapes… it’s a mental shift, but I really enjoyed pushing myself in Wyoming.

— andrew

Take your photography to the next level… check out my NEW workshop dates:

Grand Teton Photographic Tour/ Workshops 2015

More Destination Photo Tours/ Workshops 2015

If you are interested in licensing any of the images/ video from this post, please visit my stock agency:

Tandem Stills + Motion // andrew r. slaton

If you are interested in purchasing prints from this post, please check my prints for sale, or email me directly for a custom request:

andrew r. slaton // photographer // prints

For assignment work requests, please email me: andrew@andrewslatonphoto.com

Thanks for visiting AndrewSlatonBlog.com!

art, photography, travel, writing

wyoming | the bounty of autumn

it’s been said before that fall in the mountains is a magical time.

the leaves are changing, the temperature drops, and the animals are energized with hormones for mating season.

moose populations in wyoming are declining because of the growing wolf numbers, and i’ve been seeing less and less of them every year. so i was really excited to see a huge bull with two cows at our campground one morning when we woke up. the state has recently opened a limited hunting season for wolves. there are at least two lawsuits in the courts currently, brought on by environmentalist groups to challenge the state’s new policy.

because of the close proximity of fires, the sunrises were often very hazy but quite colorful.

i spent many days out on the river road looking for bugling bull elk. and i found plenty.

the bears were apparently out in full force. fall is the time when grizzlies and back bear are fattening up for the long winter ahead.

and grizzlies, in particular, are emboldened by the fact that hunters are out in full force and leaving their kills’ guts in the field. it can be a dangerous time.

but i didn’t even see one bear the entire month i was there… just lots of signs…

mornings on the river road were marked by bugling elk. they lead their harems up from the snake river to the high plains to strut at the foot of the tetons.

the evenings brought about the reverse. the bulls, some with new females won from rivals, made their way back to the safety of the tall grass, trees, and water along the snake.

bugling is one of my favorite sounds in the natural world. and spending the quiet times of my mornings and evenings listening to the haunting tune of elk replenished my soul.

autumn is a time of beginning and end. the leaves fall from their branches, but not before they take on colors rarely seen so bright in nature.

bitter cold wind blows in from the north. but not without it’s gifts. the cold air brings with it the desperately needed moisture to alleviate the wildfires with the first snowfall.

i long for this time of year. i already miss it. and i’m already planning for next year…

art, photography, travel

wyoming | the many faces of the tetons

my working title for this post originally was “l’obsession des tetons”…

you know, referencing western wyoming’s french explorer roots.

then, thanks to google translate, i quickly realized it was essential that i think of new title.

needless to say, i don’t speak french.

so last year, i had a photographic obsession with squaretop in the wind river range. this fall, i can’t believe i’m saying this, but i didn’t even visit green river lakes (where squaretop lives).

yes, it’s sad. but i was just too busy. i had a two hunts to attend, a ranch to shoot, lots of hot wings to eat in jackson, many pints to consume at deadman’s bar in signal mountain lodge, etc. so since most of my (very important) activities were near teton park, I decided to spend some much needed quality time with the beloved teton mountain range.

enter my newest photographic obsession.

it started the day we finished at the goosewing ranch shoot.

we had a burger and beer at deadman’s bar, then sat on the edge of jackson lake to watch a phenomenal sunset over the tetons.

i then ventured out on the river road, looking for elk. and the interesting photographic opportunities expanded. in the next blog post, i’ll show more of the elk photographs.