Meg & Dan – Maroon Bells, Aspen Colorado
This past Saturday I headed out the door around 6 a.m. after making the long commute from my residence in WY to Colorado. 4 hours later I was absolutely sure that this was going to be the most visually stunning wedding I have ever photographed. Photogenic couple (there was joking about them being a Crest commercial during the best man speech lol) and come on that view is gorgeous!!! Meg and Dan were married on Saturday in the Maroon Bells Amphitheater in Aspen, CO. We stuck around the area to get as many breathtaknig formals as we could fit in, then headed to the Inn At Aspen for the reception. Dan is the general manager for the hotel and let me tell you the folks at the Inn at Aspen know how to throw a party! Here are some of my favorites from this wedding so far. I will update this post properly with vendor information as soon as I have a spare minute (whew… breathe). Enjoy!
Rachel & Gaurav – Red Rocks, CO
I know this post is long overdue but I wanted to share with you a few photos from my most recent wedding: Rachel & Gaurav who were married in beautiful Red Rocks Colorado. Their ceremony was held at the Trading Post @ Red Rocks while their ceremony was held at the equally stunning Fossil Trace golf course in Golden, CO. Their wedding was a fusion between Western Tradition and Indian Culture. Some of the highlights for me were: The beautiful reading by Rachel’s mother, a stunning vocal performed by Gaurav’s mother and the Antarapat. The antarapat is an indian tradition during which the two fathers hold a cloth between the bride and groom as they are pronounced as husband and wife. A song is played throughout and with each chorus the crowd throws rice on the two for good fortune and blessing. At the songs conclusion the cloth is dropped and the bride and groom get to see each other eye to eye for the first time as husband and wife. It was very moving. Here are a few of my favorites…
Joanna & Dan – Processing Gems
Things have been so busy lately so please forgive me for not updating. I will have some images from Rachel & Gaurav’s fantastic wedding later on this week. For now I have been hard at work processing the remainder of Joanna & Dan’s photos. Thought I would take a break and share a few. It helps when you have a gorgeous couple who really couldn’t be more in love…
Every First Deserves A Great Second
The Importance of a second shooter…
All of my packages include a second photographer gratis. This is something that in the wedding photography industry that isn’t really seen. A second photographer is most likely an add on for an additional fee.
When I started as a wedding photographer I decided that my focus would be on using every skill I could to tell the story of the day. Capture the people, the moments, the details and ofcourse the plot. Using my experience as a photojournalist this was easier for me than for some. One thing I did struggle with however is that during a wedding when I am capturing those “have to” moments, who will be capturing those “love to” moments? I will give you an example, with a photo to explain lol. During David & Myrna‘s wedding I took them to a spectacular fire escape in the heart of Denver’s Larimer Square. I was taking formals of David & Myrna looking into the camera. In between shots when I was adjusting my settings they stopped looking down and instead became very calm sharing a moment while they waited. It was then that Amy snapped off the following gem:
Same wedding similar situation, I was taking photos of David while Myrna and the rest of the bridal party watched. While I was getting David to be goofy for me and my camera Amy could be focused on Myrna to get her reaction…viola!
Here are a few more examples from my latest weddings of the different kind of shots a second shooter can provide.
Emotion filled private and captivating moments…Those are the kind of moments a second shooter can provide. In addition to candids second shooter can also play a very vital role in documenting who has attended your wedding. In the case of my very next wedding Rachel & Gaurav are having most of their guests in from out of town. There are people they do not often get to see on a regular basis. Because of this my second shooter Rick Osborne will be taking “table shots” Each table will have the group photographed for some out of town guest documentation 
So there you go there is a crash course on second shooters, why they are important, the power they possess etc… I hope this helps to explain why I feel they are a vital (and complimentary) part of every package.
Laura & Dan ~ Wedding in the park…
I met Laura and Dan at the War Memorial Garden adjacent to Sterns Park in Littleton, CO. As I walked across the street to greet them the very first thing that I noticed was just how incredibly in love the two were. Holding hands, exchanging lustful glances and fleeting laughter filled the day. I had to pleasure of photographing their park wedding on Saturday. My second photographer was the lovely Amy Wadlington of True Photography.
We started with some formals in the rose garden. It was stunning to say the least but also smelled delicious!
Their ceremony was customized and beautiful. They got married under a beautiful oak tree in the park.
Laura’s Ring was gorgeous and Daniels was so unique. I managed to steal them away along with some decorations from the reception, viola here is your ring shot Laura!
The party was a blast. It so helps when everyone there is up for a good time with good friends. Their DJ company was ABC out of Lakewood. Talia, their DJ was AWESOME. I have never been to a wedding where the DJ will start the music then get out their and dance with the crowd. She kept the party going, though with this crowd it wasn’t in any danger of stopping.
Ok this last one I just had to include. Behind every great bride are the girls who keep her laughing, crying and ofcourse sane. Check out these bridesmaids, don’t they look fabulous? The one thing that struck me was how great of a job Holly St. Hair did on all of their do’s.
I had a blast. Thank you for letting me be a part of this special day. Laura & Dan I wish you all the best and have fun on that extended honeymoon!
Inspiration
There are a number of things that I do in my normal routine… One of which is stalk check on my favorite photographer’s blogs. Viewing great photography is inspirational, its like it breathes fresh air into my own images. I wanted to take some time to highlight those that offer me daily inspiration so that perhaps if there are any other photographers that read this blog they may be inspired too. Here goes nothing…
Sarah K Chen – I first came across Sarah’s work on flickr. She has an amazing talent for details. She is just absolutely amazing at nailing her focus and always brings a fresh fine art high end perspective to her wedding clients. She is an artist. If you get a chance read her bio, its adorable and yet gives her readers and clientele a real glimpse into who she is.
Jessica Claire – The first time I heard the name Jessica Claire was when my wonderful hubby bought me one of her signature shootsac’s as a Christmas Gift (which I am still totally in love with, if you dont have one BUY ONE!). It was from there I checked out her blog and came across the following image. Handheld shot with the lens wide open… It was the sharpness and composition that had me hooked. I check it every day. She is so humble as well, $30,000 weddings, then a birthday party. High end Vegas boudour session then some charity work…
Becker – Becker is talented, funny and most of all an amazingly down to earth photographer who is out to help others. Sometimes his posts are random, often they are of beautifully stunning weddings he was handpicked to photograph but always they are entertaining. Becker is the founder of the [b] school which is basically a learning place for wedding photographers. His blog is another daily visit for me…
Ed Pingol – Ed & Monica have me clueless as to how they get that much color into every image they shoot. They are amazing. Only accepting a limited number of clients each year THIS is what I strive for. When I can shoot like Ed I will have arrived lol.
As a photographer I am always learning. Obsessed with photography esp. wedding and portrait photography I look to leaders in the field to share their knowledge. If you have a minute check them out. With eye candy like this you will not be disappointed.
What is love without art?
So I’ve been (you guessed it) post processing (again) all day and needed a break. Whenever I fall in love with a photo I always get the urge to let my creative side have a go at processing it. You just can’t be artistic with just any photo, it has to be inspirational, convey emotion. You have to start with a beautiful concept as your canvas. My clients not only get the more traditional copies of these photos but also these masterpieces as well lol.
What really struck me about this photo is how Joanna is looking back at Dan. You cannot see Dan’s face but you wonder how he must be looking at her for her eyes to be so full of love. Even though this was taken smack dab in the middle of the summer their colors and the scenery reminded me of the fall. Thanks to some cross processing and a little bit of texture… Viola! Magic. I really love this one and hope they will to.
Joanna is looking out the window. Just finished donning “the dress”. Isn’t it stunning. She looks like she is anticipating, nervous, excited, anxious. This photo is so timeless. I wanted to give it the same feeling from its processing. Not quite black and white, not quite textured. I am quite pleased with this one. I can’t quite put my finger on it but the second I completed it I just knew it was right.
People often talk about wedding photographers. It is a market as diverse as can be. Often times high dollar pricing meets low level photographic skills. When picking out a photographer VISION is so important. Through my photos I give my clients an all access pass into my own creative vision, my unique style. The way I will see their special day, their child, their event etc… will be different than any other photographer. I want to end this post with a thank you to all my clients who trust and honor me enough to let me photograph the important things in their lives.
Processing Gems
SPent all day yesterday processing and came across a few items I thought were blog worthy. I am trying out a new watermarking system as well…
About Me
Although I have a biography on my main site I thought it might be nice to do a little post that went a little more in depth as to who exactly you’ve hired to be your photographer
My wonderful husband and I on our most recent trip to Vegas
I am 27, currently live in both Colorado & Wyoming (long story)… I do portraits, weddings, children’s photography, senior photos, sports, editorial. Long story short anything I can be paid to photograph… I probably have. I got my start in editorial photography. I started taking photos for the local newspaper filling in where their current staff photographer could not. It was then that I found my love for sports photography. While shooting action photos for the paper I began taking portrait shots for feature articles. This was my first go round with portrait photography.
Finding photography was like finding true love for me. I emmersed myself into everything photographic. Hours upon hours spend on forums, with my nose in books and just studying anything I could get my hands on. My first camera was a Nikon d80 and as I progressed in my photography countless dollars became invested in equipment and ofcourse learning materials. Self taught as a photographer I then had to begin to learn how to market myself and my business. I began freelancing for numerous other publications in Southern Colorado. I had regular gigs with sporting event photography companies and started to build my own private clientele for portraits.
It wasn’t until I found wedding photography that everything really clicked. My first wedding was for Becky & David Young. Being able to satisfy my photojournalistic nature yet use my creative eye to bring a unique and artistic feeling to my photographs was more fullfilling than anything I had ever done. I was hooked. Again I became obsessed with photography, this time Wedding Photography. New equipment, incorporating my business, professional website design and ofcourse a budding network of new clients and viola here I am world.
Being a photographer is so much more than just my profession. It is who I am. It defines me.
I hope this helps to shed a little bit of light on who I am as a photographer. What a nice little break from post processing lol. Now its back to work (and oh much work there is…)
Joanna & Dan
I have finally begun processing the photos from Joanna & Dan’s Gala Wedding in Boulder, CO. This has been by far my favorite wedding. There is just something about doing romantic formals with a couple that is so obviously head over heels for one another. They just oozed compassion and caring. Every other frame was Dan giving his new bride a kiss on the cheek. Everyone at the wedding was carefree and just out to have a great time celebrating Joanna & Dan’s commitment.
Their wedding was held at the tres chic Rembrandt Yard in lovely downtown Boulder. This art gallery turned ceremony site was a stunning choice by the couple. Actual peices by local artists adorned the walls make an excellent backdrop for the festivities. Surrounded by windows the gallery itself has such an open air feel to it. And how cool is this, they let Dan & Joanna pick out any piece to serve as the background for their ceremony. Then once it had concluded they brought the piece to hang where they were seated for the reception.
As you can probably tell from the photos the floral arrangements and especially Joanna’s bouquet are amazing. They were handcrafted especially for the couple by Boulder Blooms. Normally my clients get the tranditional bouquet & centerpeice shots but Dan and Joanna are going to be bombarded with flower pics. I just couldn’t help myself, their gorgeous!
After the ceremony we headed out to a stunning courtyard nearby do take their formals. A beautiful couple, beautiful flowers and especially beautiful weather made it easy.
After that it was back to Rembrandt Yard for the reception. Their caterer was the award winning Front Range Catering. This was the absolute best food I have ever had. Not just the best wedding food but again, the best food EVER. Everything was delicious but what really made it for me was the extra care and detail that went into everything. From the perfectly roasted turkey breast to the salad dressing complete with finely grated cheese incorporated into it… wow I’m getting hungry just remembering it!
Their DJ was the very talented Jeremay with A Music Plus. Its funny some weddings it takes a little while for people to make their way out to the dance floor. Usually its full when “that one great song” starts. From the very first song the dance floor was packed. People were having a great time, dancing, making requests…
Dan & Joanna it was an absolutely pleasure working for the two of you. If what I saw during your wedding was any indication you have enough friends and family that love you to keep you happy for a lifetime. Here is to a lifetime of happiness with one another, you deserve all the best.
