It's Senior Picture Time!

Fall brings so many wonderful moments...hiking in the Aspen trees, walks along leaf-strewn paths, and the begining of a new school year. For seniors all over, this time of year brings with it arrangements for a year's worth of fun and excitement. Graduation announcments are ordered, prom dresses are picked out, and senior portrait sessions are booked.

We had the opportunity to drive into the Sangre de Cristo mountains this afternoon with Tamara, a lovely young lady with a love of the outdoors. For her senior portrait session, Tamara decided to revisit a place she'd been many times before. With cameras (and little sisters) in tow, we followed Tamara around a local landmark, taking some absolutely beautiful photos. It was our priviledge to help her commemorate this eventful year, and we look forward to seeing her graduate in the spring!

Get Carried Away

How often do you spend $1,000 on a dress, get your hair done, paint your nails, buy really expensive makeup, and carry around a bouquet of gorgeous flowers? Not very often? Well, you better preserve the moment with a few fantastic portraits, then.

My favorite part of wedding photography is capturing amazing images of brides and grooms. Yes, the couple's portraits are important, but so are individual portraits. Many brides and grooms haven't had their picture taken formally since high school. (I've never understood why we stop commemorating certain milestones in our lives after the age of 18.) Ben and I always make it a point to separate the stars of the show from their family, friends, and bridal party in order to get a bunch of fabulous (work it!) pictures. From there, we can take them home and play with all sorts of effects - black and white, sepia, you name it! This is your day to be beautiful, and we will make sure the whole world (or at least your Face.book friends) see how amazing you look!

Vintage Effects

Modern technology allows us to create photos that harken back to another era. Recently, we photographed a stylish young couple who had a very "vintage" vibe to them. After bringing the photos home and looking them over, we decided to add a little kick to a number of the shots - toning down the saturation and even adding some interesting borders / backgrounds. The result was a series of portraits that were set apart not only from ordinary wedding photos, but from the rest of the couple's pictures. Of course, we always give our clients the color versions of every photo, just in case. The glory of digital! We can render any photo in black and white, sepia, or low-saturation, and still provide the full-color original. It's what makes the post-production process so much fun!

And the Bride Wore Cowboy Boots...

We had the privilege of shooting Kylie and Craig's wedding this month, which was a welcome excuse to return to the small towns of Flagler and Siebert. The couple were married in church, and then ran off to the community center for a fantastic reception...but not before we stopped off with the wedding party for some amazing photos. As a storm rolled in from the west, we snapped a few photos of the newliweds and their best friends. The clouds made for an amazing backdrop, and we were very happy with the results.

Couple's photos are one of the most valuable and endearing parts of your wedding day. They're the first photos of the bride and groom as man and wife, and they're also a great way to show off how amazing you look! (And if your new husband is anything like mine, you may not get him in a suit again anytime soon.) But time is often in short supply on your wedding day... so, when IS the best time to do couple's portraits? As long as you plan for it, the space between ceremony and reception (when your guests are enjoying a drink or two...or three) is a great time for photos. Once the pressure is off, you can enjoy the photo shoot. Steal away for a moment or two (photos usually take about 20 minutes to shoot) and enjoy being away from the crowd for a moment. This will also allow you to make your "big entrance" into the reception. And you'll have beautiful photos of just the two of you...just the way you looked tonight.

Retro Fun!

One of the greatest aspects of being a wedding photographer is having the opportunity to see how two people's personalities meld with tradition. No wedding is ever the same! White dresses, centerpieces, rings...all these things are a given at any particular wedding. It's the little details - the handmade gown, the funky hand-picked placesettings, and the specially crafted wedding bands - that make each wedding so unique. We had the honor of being at Laima and Damon's wedding this month, and were delighted at how much work and thought went into all the little details. The couple's personalities (both individual and as a couple) came through, and we were excited to be able to capture it all on film. Head over to our Facebook page (click here) to see more images from this fantastically Retro wedding!

Engagement Session with Jen and Michael

Ben and I very rarely need a "good excuse" to go to beautiful Westcliffe, but we had a good one this week. Jennifer and Michael will be getting married this weekend and wanted a photo to put in a "guestbook frame" at their reception. This is a growing trend, and offers a more aesthetically pleasing and accessable alternative to the traditional guest book. With the clouds slowly climbing over the Sangre de Cristo mountains into the Wet Mountain Valley, we ventured over to the historic Beckwith Ranch to shoot some photos of the couple. Their story, like so many in Colorado, is a boy-meets-girl-in-the-outdoors one, and we therefore encorporated views of the mountains in the background of their photos. We were also able to use some of the fabulous architectural elements of the ranch and buildings to accentuate the timelessness of this couple's love for each other.

What a wonderful way to commemorate the begining of a relationship! Remember that portraits aren't just for newliweds, though. Having a portrait done of you and your loved one(s) is appropriate at any time in your relationship...and you will treasure it forever!

Creative Portrait Backdrops

Winter is usually a time of browns, greys, and other very neutral tones. At first, it can seem difficult to find unique and vibrant backdrops for portraits - senior or family. This is where getting creative can be fun! Even locations that are surrounded by "unsightly" cars, buildings, or other domestic accoutremont can be a wonderful frame for your portrait. Recently, we brought a lovely senior down to the river for a portrait session and used the winter ice as a natural frame for her face. This nature-lover wanted plenty of natural elements in her portrait, and we were happy to oblige. (As you may know, we are something of outdoorspeople ourselves!) Then, we followed her to a family friend's property, where they had a beautiful baby-blue barn in their back yard. Perfect! The antiquated paint and unique texture were gorgeous and really brought out the colors of our senior's hair and delicate blue eyes. And we never let the RV in the corner get in the shot.