From the Artist
Every trip I've made to Telluride and the San Juans has turned on one question: when will the aspens turn? The color comes in a brief window, from late September through the first ten days of October, and in fifty years of photographing, that window has drawn me back to these mountains more times than I can count.
Fall isn't the only thing that brings me here. I've skied these mountains in winter and backpacked the high country in summer, and the camera has always come along. But it's those few weeks of autumn, when the high country turns gold, that keep calling me back. The prints in this collection are what those returns have given me.
Jess Lee
North: The Dallas Divide, Ranch Country & Chimney Rock
Coming up from Ridgway, the road crests the Dallas Divide and the Sneffels Range fills the windshield. It's ranch country, with weathered fences, hay meadows and aspen groves rolling right up to the base of the peaks. The Divide itself appears in Dallas Divide Fall Sunset, and the ranch country of the San Juans runs through San Juan Fence Line, The Ranch and Back at the Ranch. For homes built around Western ranch heritage, these are the prints that tie the room to the land outside.
East of Ridgway, the Cimarron Road climbs the Big Cimarron Valley toward Owl Creek Pass, and the volcanic spire of Chimney Rock rises from the Cimarron Ridge with Courthouse Mountain behind it. It's the same high country that served as a backdrop for the 1969 film True Grit, and it appears here in two versions, Chimney Rock in color and in black and white.
West: Wilson Peak & Mount Wilson
West of town, the Wilsons stand above everything. Wilson Peak is one of the most recognizable summits in Colorado, and the collection shows it in several moods: snow-covered in Mt. Wilson Snow, framed by gold in Wilson Peak Color and Aspen Ridge and Wilson Peak, and at full width in the Mt Wilson Panorama. For collectors who prefer a quieter palette, Mt Wilson Ranch is offered in black and white.
South: Ophir, Trout Lake & Lizard Head Pass
Heading south, Highway 145 climbs out of the San Miguel valley toward Lizard Head Pass. Just north of Ophir, the road looks west across the Howard Fork to the jagged ridgeline along the edge of the Lizard Head Wilderness, the view in Autumn Trees on Lizard Pass, with aspens lit gold below rock spires. A few miles on, the valley opens onto Trout Lake. On a still autumn morning the water doubles the color around it, which is the image in Trout Lake Fall Color Reflection. Across the San Juans, aspen stands twist and bend under years of heavy snow, the subject of Autumn Twist, Warped Aspens and Melt Down Aspens: tree portraits that read almost as abstracts on a large wall.
East: Over the Range to Silverton
East of Telluride, the San Juans grow steeper and wilder. Autumn Road follows the Million Dollar Highway as it winds south from Ouray, and near Red Mountain Pass Crystal Lake Reflection holds the peaks in still water, and Beyond Silverton looks deeper into country few visitors ever see from a car. These are the boldest images in the collection, made for big rooms with tall ceilings.
Choosing Art for a Telluride Home
Telluride homes tend to fall into three styles, and each calls for something different:
- Mountain Village and ski-in homes: walls of glass facing the peaks. A large panorama like Mt Wilson Panorama or Colorado Rockies Fall Aspen Trees Panoramic holds its own beside the real view instead of competing with it.
- Historic town homes: smaller rooms, higher ceilings, period detail. Intimate aspen studies like Aspen Road, or Autumn Gold made right at Telluride, suit the scale.
- Ranch and mesa estates: stone, timber and open beams. The San Juan ranch images, in color or black and white, belong here.
Not sure which fits your room? Send a photo of your wall and Jess will show you the print at actual size before you decide.
What Makes This Collection Different
A lifetime of work filtered through hundreds of photo editors teaches a photographer what to leave out. The color in the San Juans lasts days, and the light that turns Wilson Peak gold lasts minutes. What hangs here is the small edit from all those returns: the evening the Dallas Divide went copper, the morning Trout Lake went still. There are no filters, sky replacements or invented color. It isn't a souvenir of a ski trip. It's a record of the mountains at their best.
Print Formats & Sizes
Every print is offered in four standard formats:
- Lumachrome HD TruLife Acrylic: deep, luminous color behind acrylic, with an anti-reflective coating and significant UV protection that reduces glare and helps guard against fading in bright, high-altitude rooms. Arrives ready to hang.
- Framed Lumachrome HD TruLife Acrylic: the same acrylic print finished in Roma Italian wood molding. Arrives ready to hang.
- Chromaluxe Metal: image infused into aluminum, with crisp detail and a modern edge. Arrives ready to hang.
- Fine Art Rag Paper: a classic museum paper with a soft, matte surface. Shipped for your own framing.
Sizes run from 11x14" to 120" and beyond, with custom sizing available. Landscape images are captured on 100-megapixel medium format systems, and each image is offered only at the sizes its own file genuinely supports. Read more about large-format prints and resolution.
For Designers, Builders & Property Managers
Telluride projects often mean furnishing a home from out of state, or a full rental property at once. Jess works directly with interior designers and owners on sizing, format choices and multi-print projects, including true architectural scale. Wall murals beyond the standard formats use a separate custom process. Contact Jess to discuss a specific wall. Trade pricing and project support are available through the interior designers and trade program.
Telluride Photography Prints: Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy Telluride and San Juan Mountains photography prints?
Directly from the artist here at jessleephotos.com. Select any image in the gallery above to see its sizes, formats and edition, or contact Jess for help choosing.
What locations around Telluride are in the collection?
Wilson Peak and Mount Wilson, the Dallas Divide and the surrounding San Juan ranch country, Chimney Rock and the Cimarron Ridge, Trout Lake and the Ophir valley below Lizard Head Pass, the aspen groves of the high country, and the Million Dollar Highway from Ouray past Crystal Lake and Red Mountain Pass toward Silverton.
When were these images made?
Most were made between late September and the first ten days of October, during the short window when the San Juan aspens turn, with snow and summer images of Mount Wilson and the high country as well.
What size print works in a Mountain Village great room?
Rooms with tall ceilings and big windows usually call for 60 inches or wider, often a panorama. A free room preview will show you the exact size on your own wall before you buy.
Are these limited edition prints?
Yes. Edition sizes vary by image and reflect how repeatable the subject is. Most fall between 100 and 200; some are 50; a few are larger. Every image page states its own edition, and that number is fixed permanently the day it is published. Every print is signed and numbered.
Can you ship to a home I'm not at yet?
Yes. Many collectors furnish second homes from a distance. Prints are fully insured in transit, replaced immediately at no cost if damaged, and can be shipped to the property, your designer or a property manager.
Do you offer trade pricing for designers?
Yes. Interior designers, architects and art consultants can apply for trade pricing and project support through the trade program.
How long does production take?
Allow 4 to 6 weeks for all formats. Rush production is available at a 20 to 30 percent premium.
What comes with each print?
A Certificate of Authenticity recording the title, date of capture, edition number, size, medium and materials, plus full transit insurance.
Related Collections
Colorado Landscape Photography · Aspen Tree Prints · Autumn Photography · Mountain Photography · Park City Fine Art · Big Sky Country · Panoramic Fine Art · For Designers
