Crystal Mill – Stunning Ghost Town of Colorado

The Colorado Project (2006) – Capturing the Untamed Beauty of the West

With a deep passion for storytelling through photography, I embarked on The Colorado Project in 2006—a  journey to capture the vast, rugged landscapes of the American West. My work has always been about more than just taking pictures; it’s about preserving moments in time, documenting history, and igniting a connection between the viewer and the subject to these ghost towns of Colorado.

This project took me through the towering peaks, sweeping plains, and forgotten relics of Colorado’s mining history, where abandoned structures tell the silent stories of the past. Just as I later explored the Frisco Mine and Bee Hive Kilns in Utah, this expedition sought to immortalize the character of the land before time and nature erase it.

The project completed in 2006 was captured using the 16.1MP Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II. I had only just transitioned to digital photography a year prior, moving from 4×5 chrome film. This marked my first foray into taking my digital gear into the wilderness, stepping beyond the confines of commercial photography. My initial intent was to apply the skills I had honed over the years to document structures that, at least historically, held more significance.

At first, my focus was purely architectural, but over the years, I gradually expanded my scope to include more natural subjects, such as large rock formations and landscapes, all while maintaining the same highly technical approach.

However, this was my first opportunity to blend artificial lighting with full ambient night conditions. It was a learning experience in real-time—figuring out how to mix lighting effectively with the natural environment. One of the most immediate lessons was how quickly darkness sets in when removed from city lights. Without a moon present, the night sky provided no ambient bounce; there were no overhead clouds reflecting city glow to illuminate the scene.

Additionally, the camera sensor at the time was quite noisy in the shadows, which meant I was working on a razor’s edge with exposure. This significantly increased the time required for post-production, as extensive retouching was necessary to refine the final images. The experience pushed my technical skills further, teaching me how to balance artificial and natural light in an unpredictable environment.

Although we shot for five days, we ended up with only a few final images, as each one took hours to compose, light, and capture. This is one of the downsides of this style of shooting—each frame demands meticulous attention. Fortunately, technology has since evolved, moving away from the clunky tungsten Lowel DPs with their endless extension cords, generators, and other heavy paraphernalia.