Michelle and Todd - Fort Collins Engagement Photos

Michelle and Todd got married in Denver at the Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, but we shot their engagement session in Fort Collins the week before. It was a beautiful evening to be out in nature, which is right where Michelle and Todd are the happiest. Here’s a look at our adventures in Old Town and the beautiful areas outside of Fort Collins.

Valentines, Balloons and Film - Denver Portrait Photographer

I've got some amazing friends. When I ask if they'd be up for letting me shoot a few rolls of film while they stand in front of my camera, they just ask when and where. How great is that?

Tess loves love. She loves February, she loves pink, she loves hearts and she loves Valentine's Day. When I asked if she wanted to shoot on Valentine's Day with her boyfriend Mike, I already knew what the answer was going to be.

Our First Date

Not our first date, but a few months later before Senior Prom.

February 23, 1996.  Pueblo, CO.  The Lamplight Coffee Shop.

Belinda and I had our first date 15 years ago today.  Although we'd known each other since middle school and talked all of the time at school, this was different.  This was one-on-one.  In public.  Face-to-face.  There were no teachers to tell us to stop talking.  In fact, I was worried about talking.  Back then, I wasn't a talker.  Belinda was.

Belinda talked.  A lot.  She was in speech and debate.  She was in choir.  She even chose instruments that she could play and talk at the same time (piano and violin).  Her parents used to joke that they got her into swimming so that they'd at least have a bit of time when her head was underwater and she'd stop talking.

Compare that to me, who hardly talked, even to my close friends.  I played the saxophone, which involves putting something into your mouth.  I had a loud car ('69 Roadrunner!) and a louder stereo so talking in the car wasn't going to happen.  I was more of a listener.

Which brings us back to our date.  Why couldn't our first date have been a movie, or a concert or something where I didn't have to talk?  Instead, I picked coffee.  Not much to do at a coffee shop besides talk.  I was nervous, maybe even scared, but there was no way I was going to call if off.  I'd had a crush on Belinda since middle school and wasn't going to blow it again (we dated for a few days in the 8th grade, but (surprise, surprise) I didn't talk to her after I asked her out so she dumped me).

She tried really hard to get me to talk.  She asked me what I was thinking.  She asked me open ended questions that I had to give answers to.  She didn't talk just to fill the silence.  And you know what?  I talked.  I talked and she talked and it wasn't that bad.  I actually enjoyed it.

I enjoyed it so much that we haven't stopped talking.  We haven't stopped hanging out in coffee shops.  The conversation might have changed over the years and we probably work a little more and talk a little less than we should when we hang out, but we still enjoy our coffee shop dates.

Fifteen years ago, who would have thought that that chubby band-geek who didn't say much would end up marrying his high school sweetheart who was (and still is) beautiful and always had something to say?  Sometimes I still can't believe it.

Thank you, Belinda, for asking me what I was thinking and getting me to talk.  I wouldn't be the person I am today without you in my life.  So, want to get a cup of coffee?  I've got so much to tell you...

Year End Review - 2010 Weddings

Photographing a wedding has got to be one of the most rewarding experiences I have had as a photographer.  I’m not going to lie.  It’s a long, hard day of work.  You’ve got to be alert so that you don’t miss any special moments.  You’re on your feet, constantly moving, for 10 hours or more.  At the end of the day you’ve got thousands of photos to sort and process.  But when you get to sit back and look at those photos, it makes it all worthwhile.

Some of you might recall that I shot my first wedding this summer.  It was done, with some hesitation, for a friend.  After that first time, though, there is really no going back.  When I was done working on their photos, it felt so good to sit back and see all of the beautiful images that they would be able to enjoy for the rest of their lives.  Judging by their reaction (and that of their family and friends), they felt the same way.

Because I felt that I still needed some more experience before I took the plunge and started photographing weddings on my own, I got in touch with a local wedding photographer, Ken Miller, who has been photographing weddings for over 30 years  He graciously allowed me to shoot a few weddings with him.  This opportunity, combined with his experience, has been invaluable.

Thanks to Ken, I had the opportunity to shoot a Catholic wedding in a large church, a small, non-secular ceremony in a clubhouse and a Jewish wedding at sunset.  What a variety of weddings!  These experiences have given me so much experience and really made me realize what I didn’t know (and wasn’t prepared for) about shooting weddings.

Some of my favorite parts of shooting a wedding with Ken were the times when things slowed down a bit and we had a few minutes to talk.  Having been in the industry for over 30 years and shooting over 40 weddings a year, you can imagine that he’d have some pretty good stories to tell, which he does.  I could sit and talk to him all day and he’d wouldn’t run out of stories to tell.

Although I still have a long way to go before I have as much experience (or as many stories) as Ken does, I am feeling much more confident and passionate about shooting weddings.  I’m excited to start offering wedding photography packages for 2011.  I’m also excited for all of the people I’ve yet to meet and the moments I’ve yet to capture.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned with my very limited experience of photographing weddings, it’s that you never know when that special moment is going to unfold before your eyes.  Here are a few images from weddings that I was fortunate enough to photograph this year…

Sherri and Justin II - Denver Couples Photos

I first photographed Sherri and Justin last year in Fort Collins. For that shoot, we shot in natural light and took things fairly seriously. This year, they were inspired by my Back To School photo shoot with Fashion Denver. Sherri and Justin are the type of couple who say that they want silly, awkward photos on their holiday cards. They don't just say it either, they mean it. So, we made awkward the theme for the shoot, headed into the studio and started shooting.

They looked quite nice for the shoot. Although Justin was sporting a jacket that could only have been improved with suede patches on the elbows, he still looked pretty sharp. Sherri always looks good and had on a great red turtleneck that complimented her hair. Since it's pretty easy to dive in and start shooting awkward photos, we didn't waste any time and got busy taking photos.

Justin is a goofy guy who can make Sherri laugh anytime, so he embraced the opportunity to let loose. Before long, both were laughing so much I had to tell them to get a little more serious for their awkward photos, which they gladly did (in an awkward way).

After we had some good silly photos in the bag, we decided to get a few nice photos as well. Fortunately, they were more than happy to get some cute couples photos. Again, they didn't have a hard time with it, as they're a super-cute couple.

It was soon time to call it a wrap. In less than an hour, we had gone from awkward to goofy to cute and had a great time doing it. We wrapped up the day with beers and Indian food, enjoying both the beautiful weather and each other's company. Thank you Sherri and Justin for being wonderful people and good friends!

Sherri and Justin

Sherri and Justin are a super-cute couple who have moved to Colorado from out East. We spent the day together in Fort Collins sampling beer, shopping and taking photos. We shot at two different locations that both represent Fort Collins: the Poudre River and CSU.

One thing I noticed that they loved was just saying "Poudre". It inspired a giggle every time. That seemed to carry throughout the photo shoot. They both love to be goofy and have a good laugh. Sometimes during a shoot I'll tell a couple to get a little silly so we don't have as many "serious" photos. With Sherri and Justin I had to tell them to get a little more serious once in a while.

After spending a good amount of time on the river, we headed to CSU's campus to get in some photos before the sun went away for the day. Since it was a Saturday, there weren't many students around and it felt like we had the entire campus to ourselves. We started on the steps of the Administration Building and worked our way over to the library. On my last trip I noticed a tiled wall that I knew I'd have to use for a shoot someday. Today was the day and the photos in front of that wall are some of my favorite of the day.

I knew that a shoot with Sherri and Justin wouldn't be a "normal" shoot, so of course, it got a little strange at the end. Police cars and fire trucks came rushing towards the library. I would assume that someone was hurt inside, but hopefully everything was OK. Then there was this squirrel. It was having a staring contest with Sherri and wouldn't leave. Justin decided to start talking to it and it decided to take a flying leap from the sidewalk to a tree. It was the strangest thing we've seen in a while. Once we saw that this squirrel could jump pretty well, we decided to leave it alone and call it a day.

Once I got home and reflected on their personalities and interaction with each other, it inspired me to get a little funky when processing these photos. Thankfully, they are just as happy with the photos as I am.

You can see more photos here.

Malliga and Matthias

It was a cold and rainy day... well, it was kind of cold and not really rainy, but there were a few sprinkles. Anyway, I met Malliga and Matthias at Washington "Wash" Park in Denver for some photos. Anders, their dog, came along so that he could play in the park and get in a few photos as well.

The weather couldn't really decide what it wanted to do, so we kept taking our jackets off and then putting them back on again, which makes for a nice variety of outfits in the photos. We kind of did the same thing with the photos: take a few here, take a few there... once again, great variety of photos!

I would have to say the highlight of the day was when Malliga wanted some photos on the playground swings, but there were a few girls on the swings already. One of the girls was just standing there, not even swinging, so Malliga acted mad and said she was going to kick the girls off of the swings, but I'm pretty sure she went over and nicely asked if they could use the swings for a bit. The girls agreed and moved, we took some photos, and when we were done we thanked the girls for moving so the grown ups could play.

Near the end of the shoot it started to get really cold and felt like it could rain at any moment, so we decided to wrap things up a little earlier than we had planned. We still got some great photos from the day. I had fun and learned a few things. Malliga and Matthias are very happy with the photos. Sounds like a good day to me!

You can see more photos from the shoot here.