Colorado’s Legendary Photographer Who Visited the Entire State Before He Died

Colorado is known for its gorgeous natural beauty, and perhaps no one is remembered more for photographing these landscapes than the late John Fielder.

John Fielder Began Photographing Colorado in 1973

After graduating from Duke University, John Fielder moved to Colorado, where he began working as a photographer in department stores, but after eight years, he would shift his focus to taking pictures of the state’s natural beauty.

John Fielder Visited Every Square Mile of Colorado

One of the biggest accomplishments for which John Fielder is known is the fact that, prior to his passing, the photographer is said to have visited each of Colorado’s 104,984 square miles.

Colorado’s John Fielder + His Many Accolades

John Fielder was known by many as “Colorado’s Photographer” and was awarded the prestigious Colorado Book Award in 1996, 1997, and 2000.

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Fielder was also awarded the Sierra Club's Ansel Adams Award in 1993 and the Aldo Leopold Foundation's first Achievement Award in 2011.

In addition, Fielder’s photography helped influence the passing of the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993, and the photographer served as a member of Great Outdoors Colorado as well.

Colorado’s John Fielder took over 200,000 Photos

In his travels, Fielder snapped an estimated 200,000 photos, 6,000 of which he donated to the public domain in the care of History Colorado, an organization that was established as the State Historical Society of Colorado in 1879.

Unfortunately, Fielder would pass away on August 11, 2023, at the age of 73, after a battle with pancreatic cancer.