This 1989 film by Rodney Jacobs and Freewheelin’ Films, titled “Colorado Picture Perfect,” is a promotional piece for Colorado as a winter destination, hosted by John Denver. It follows three professional photographers as they capture the essence of the state in winter.

0:00 Main titles. The film opens with John Denver singing a portion of his famous song, “Rocky Mountain High.”

0:24 John Denver introduces himself and the setting, Colorado. He explains that while he expresses his feelings for the state through music, he also uses a camera to capture what he calls “visual music.”

1:13 He introduces three professional photographers—Jeffrey Aronson, Judy Grezedic, and Norm Clayson—who have teamed up to tell a story of Colorado in winter.

1:48 The film provides a brief biography of each photographer:

Jeffrey Aronson: Known for his work in magazines like Life and Time and for his “spaces of Asia” photography. He specializes in the “chemistry between faces and film.”

Judy Grezedic: A staff photographer for the San Jose Mercury News and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. She aims to capture the spirit of Colorado’s scenery.

Norm Clayson: A long-time friend of John Denver and a well-known sports action photographer, famous for his Marlboro ads and love for skiing powder.

3:11 The film shows Norm Clayson skiing in powder, which he describes as the ultimate skiing experience. He talks about capturing “honest images” of people having fun.

4:13 The film follows Judy Grezedic in Telluride as she photographs the San Juan Mountains and enjoys cross-country skiing, noting that the scenery is an inspiration to keep shooting.

4:59 Grezedic is shown flying in a small plane, capturing aerial shots of the mountains. She says the experience reminds her of why John Denver wrote “Rocky Mountain High.”

5:47 The film highlights that anyone can capture beautiful photos in Colorado, showing a montage of scenery shots taken by Norm Clayson.

6:14 Jeffrey Aronson is shown at Buttermilk, photographing families skiing. He notes the spontaneity and honesty of children, which he loves to capture on film.

7:13 The film shows Norm discovering “airboarding,” a form of sledding on a cushion, as another way to enjoy the mountain trails without skiing.

7:53 Aronson is then shown photographing skiers on a mogul run at Copper Mountain. He expresses his love for getting a low-angle perspective, shooting up against the “gorgeous Colorado blue sky.”

9:40 John Denver returns, reflecting on the millions of pictures, both professional and amateur, taken in Colorado each winter. He states that a single lifetime of photographs would not be enough to capture all of Colorado’s majesty.

10:10 The film concludes by saying that whether remembered in a photograph, a song, or in your heart, Colorado in winter is “picture perfect.” The final scenes feature John Denver performing “Rocky Mountain High.”

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