Year End Review - CRAVE Denver Shoots

It all started with a post I saw on the Mile High Photographers' forum that said CRAVE Denver was looking for photographers to photograph local, women-owned businesses. After a bit of quick research, I liked what I had to read about CRAVE and sent off an email saying that I was interested in helping with the photography. Three months and 16 shoots later, I've worked with some amazing women, visited some awesome businesses that I never knew existed and expanded my network by leaps and bounds. Here are the wonderful women whom I've had the opportunity to work with and the Denver-area businesses that they own:



Cindy Berry Ollig - The Perfect Petal and POSH: Cindy owns two different shops in two great neighborhoods in Denver. The Perfect Petal is located in the Highlands and has both a storefront that sells all kinds of fun gifts and a flower shop that sells everything from single stems to entire wedding arrangements. Her other shop, POSH, just opened this summer in Larimer Square. It has a few items that are similar to The Perfect Petal, but it also sells larger items such as furniture as well as having a more trendy feel. Both shops are wonderful places to hang out and shop for unique gifts.

Lauren Metz - Delish Demure: My wife works right next to Delish Demure, so we had gone in there once before just to check it out. When I found out I was going to be photographing the shop for CRAVE, I was so excited! Lauren runs a fashion-centric shop and has so many great styles available, the worst part about shopping there is figuring out what to buy! I know I saw so many things in there that my wife would want, I do everything I can to keep her out of there. We don't have enough spare room in our closets!

Margo Seymour - The Denver Tea Room: My wife and I both come from tea-loving families, so I was probably a little more excited than I should have been to photograph The Denver Tea Room. Margo is a certified Tea Master, so she creates her own blends and masterfully pairs teas with the foods she serves. As a thank you for shooting her business, she sent me home with some jasmine tea, which is probably the best I've ever tasted. My wife and I can't wait to take our moms here for High Tea one of these days!

Erica Blaine - Studio Vitality: Studio Vitality is an oasis of calm plopped in the craziness of the south Denver area. Once you walk inside it's host building, Lavender Medical and Beauty Spa, you're instantly calmed by the colors, the sounds and the nice people. Erica is a wonderful person to spend a little time with and she's been offering her services to Denver residents for many years. If you're considering any kind of skin treatment, give Erica a call. I really liked her philosophy and experience and hopefully you will too!

Lena Gordon - D2D Studio: Lena operates D2D Studio out of her home and she graciously invited me into her house to shoot her portrait. D2D Studio provides interior design services and, if Lena's house is any indication of the quality of her work, she's amazing! She's also a wonderful person to talk to. I enjoyed talking with her the entire time we were shooting and even stayed a little longer, even though it was snowing, just because we were in the middle of a good conversation! Once I get to the point where I need an interior designer (hopefully for my studio), I will definitely be in touch with Lena.

Kimothy Pikor and Tess Polivka - Love n Joy Photography: As photographers, there are few things more intimidating than photographing another photographer. Fortunately, photographing Kimothy and Tess was a wonderful experience! They recently moved to Denver from Ohio and are making a big splash in the wedding photography business out here. After seeing their work, I quickly became a fan. After meeting them, I quickly became a convert. If I was getting married again, I'd want these two ladies there to photograph the big day. Their skills and personalities make them a sure thing!

Evelyn Knuckles - Evey K Boutique: Evelyn has a thing for leopard print. When you walk in to Evey K Boutique, you'll notice it everywhere! From her business cards, to the tissue paper she wraps purchases in, to her furniture and rugs, there is leopard print everywhere! When I asked her about it, she said it's one of those things that just happened. I'm sure her boutique didn't just happen, as she carries some products from big name designers. She has some great clothing and jewelry, not to mention awesome music. She even has a big bowl of jelly beans for customers to munch on while they shop. I really want to take my wife in there to look around, but I know if I do it will be a long afternoon for me. At least I'll have good music to listen to and jelly beans to snack on, all while sitting on a leopard print chair!

Emily Clarendon - AD the Globe: I met Emily at a CRAVE networking event and we clicked right away, so I was very happy to learn that I'd get to do her photo shoot! She operates her business out of her home, so I headed over to get some portraits of her in her office, as well as photograph some of her design work. I was greeted by Mona, her dog, who quickly became my "assistant" for the day. Emily was a pleasure to work with and, hearing about some of the high-profile clients she's worked with (such as Best Buy and Burger King), other people must think she's pretty great as well!

Ashley Walsh - Sweet Nothings Chocolate Co: The first thing you notice when you walk into Ashley's house is the smell. It smells like... chocolate! Talk about an amazing smell. After spending some time photographing her different chocolate creations, I was very ready to taste one. Unfortunately, I had to wait until I got home for a taste test. Fortunately, the taste of Ashley's chocolates is even better than the smell! Not only are her chocolates delicious, but her prices aren't bad either. Keep an eye out around town for the Bon Bon Buggy so you can get a mobile chocolate fix!

Natalee Moldenhauer - Natalee M Designs: Natalee has been designing for over 30 years and it shows. She creates some of the most beautiful headpieces I've seen! Natalee is such a wonderful person, I have no doubt that she'd go out of her way just to make sure everything was just right with a custom piece. For her portrait shoot, she woke up at 5:30am and made her hat specifically for the photo shoot! Now that's talent.

Stephanie Lindquist - Firebrand Consulting: Stephanie is the kind of person that you just trust when you meet her. She comes across as very professional and straightforward, but almost immediately you start to get a taste of her sense of humor and real-ness. Within minutes, any nerves I might have had going into the shoot were gone, only to be replaced with a comfortable happiness. We talked about photography, technology, business and kids, all while shooting some amazing portraits. I get the feeling she's the type of person who gets stuff done and she is totally the type of person I'd trust my business' image with.

Jennifer Spencer - Fresh: Although I didn't get to do a full shoot with Jennifer, I still enjoyed my time with her, even though most of it was spent in her closet. That's right, I photographed her closet! Jennifer is an image consultant, so you'd expect her to have a pretty tight image and a fabulous closet, which she does. She's also a great assistant! For a few minutes, she became a VAL (voice activated lightstand). Her cat also tried to help out with the shoot and spent some time with me in the closet. Unfortunately, she was more interested in attacking dangly things than holding lights, so I think Jennifer wins the "Best Assistant" award. She also wins the "Most Organized Closet" award, so if your closet needs help, get in touch with Jennifer!

Mia Voss - Blue Heron Consulting: Mia is what makes CRAVE Denver tick.  She's the City Leader and has the responsibility of recruiting businesses to be in the book, finding photographers and coordinating the entire process.  Needless to say, Mia has seen every photo that's going into the book (and many that didn't make it), which is why I was very honored that she wanted me to photograph her for the book! Every time I get to hang out with Mia, I'm just amazed at how much fun I have. I consider myself very fortunate to have met her.

Ellen Daehnick - Helliemae's Salt Caramels: Although Ellen has only been selling her caramels for a short time, they've already gained a huge following in Denver. After tasting one, I immediately knew why. These caramels are not super sweet like the caramels you get for Halloween. Instead, they have a dark, rich and complex flavor that just screams sophistication. The same can be said for Ellen. She is probably one of the most well-spoken people I've met this year, and hearing her describe her caramels is similar to hearing a sommelier describe a fine bottle of wine. Personally, I'd take the caramel over the wine any day!

Cori Plotkin - Barefoot PR: Being around Cori is almost a rejuvenating experience. Her spirit and personality are so refreshing. Although her business is very new, her experience and connections extend beyond the age of her company. Although she originally told me that she didn't have many ideas about how we could photograph her business for the book, on the day of the shoot she had plenty of ideas for me. Similarly, she had said that her new office wouldn't be organized in time for the shoot, but when I arrived it looked great! I guess that's what a good PR person does... make an organization look good. From what I can tell, Cori can get the job done.

Sue Harank - Alpine Herbal Wellness: Sue's fiancée is a photographer, so she's no stranger to the camera. This probably explains why she was so at ease with having her portrait taken. Although I could tell she had many different things going on and was very busy the day I was at her shop, once she sat down for her portrait she was calm and completely focused on the task at hand. Her shop is a wonderful combination of educational materials and herbal products. The colors and setting make it a very welcoming place to be. Because she also runs a medical marijuana dispensary upstairs, you'd expect the entire shop to have a certain smell, but it's really not apparent until you walk upstairs to where all of the marijuana is stored, thanks to a fancy ventilation system. Situated in the middle of Cherry Creek, Sue's shop sets a fine example for a clean, classy dispensary that offers comfort to a variety of patients.