When people ask what I do I usually say I photograph people in transition. People moving from one stage of life to the next fascinate me. They are so full of hope and well, fear. Face it, it is scary when you are faced with big changes. But for me the emotions are at a peak and that is what I look for behind my lens. The life transitions are obvious when I am photographing a bride and groom or a new mother but we sometimes forget the high school senior. The high school senior - don’t you hate it when everyone asks “what are you going to do after graduation?” But you have so many choices and so many hopes and dreams for the future. I envy you but I don’t want to be in your shoes again.
I got to spend an afternoon with Chloe taking her senior portraits. A beautiful young woman inside and out. My favorite photos from the session are below. Enjoy your senior year. This is one of the most memorable times of your life.
Anyone from Maryland knows there is a huge crab tradition there. This weekend Steve and some of his fellow Maryland transplants air freighted a bushel of live Maryland Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs to have an authentic Maryland crab feast
Maryland blue crabs are eaten in the hard shell steaming them in large pots with water, vinegar and seasoning (I’ve given away the secret ingredients in the photos below). After steaming the pot of crabs is dumped onto a newspaper lined table and the feasting begins.
To be 5 again…
Nancy Winkler of Fun in a Bubble asked me to take some photos of her at work for a brochure she is designing. Nancy has an awesome job. She gets to be 5 again and play with bubbles while entertaining kids at birthdays and special events. Kaylee happily agreed to play with the bubbles for our photos. When I met Kaylee she said “Hello, I’m Kaylee. I am five.” as she held her hand up displaying five fingers. To be 5 again… It was a joy to watch Kaylee be so fascinated with the bubbles. And Nancy does a great job entertaining the kids. Together they created the bubbles using several unique and creative devices. Kaylee was mesmerized by the bubble creations and just had to chase them as they floated away.
If you are looking for something fun to add to your child’s birthday, fundraiser, family reunion or any special event Fun in a Bubble is a sure to please choice.
To be 5 again… Enjoy the photos of the carefree joy of playing with bubbles on a summer afternoon.
Education is a top priority for me so last night I went to the I Shoot People Tour hosted by Sallee Photography. The Sallee’s are fantastic photographers based in Texas and Wow, what a great seminar. My head is still spinning with ideas and tips. If you are a photographer and the Sallee’s are heading to your city - go to this seminar. They are so open and unpretentious. The knowledge they share is amazing. The albums they display will inspire you. My only advice is eat dinner before you go because they have to much to share you’ll be there for a while.
I had the pleasure of photographing Justin and Melanie on their wedding day at the Westin Westminster last weekend.
Justin is a firefighter and he had this incredibly cool fire chief car. Don’t they look beautiful in front of it?
Melanie was so much fun - I loved her expression when she first saw Justin and how her cathedral length veil moved with the breeze. And aren’t her niece and nephew simply adorable?
Melanie and Justin I wish you all the happiness in the world. Thank you for having me at your wedding.
I just got the news my portfolio was accepted on Trunkt today!
Trunkt is a premier directory for creative entrepreneurs and was created to make it easy for buyers to find beautiful products from amazing artists for their boutiques, galleries and gift shops. Just look around the website and see all of the amazing products on display and now my photographs are there too!
My fine art shop is under the name Blue Flower Photo. http://www.trunkt.org/blueflowerphoto
Here are the first 3 items in my gallery.
The Flight of the Blue Heron. We were walking around Golden Pond in Longmont, CO and I caught this Blue Heron in fight.
Return to the Ponds. Same walk actually. I just saw this beautiful tree seeming to reach for the water.
Dancing Sparrow. We were hiking at Steamboat Lake near Steamboat Springs, CO and these lovely birds were just dancing over the lake. It was so carefree and beautiful I had to get the photo - even though I was driving Steve and Sparky nuts. I applied a texture to the water (one of the few images I photoshop) but I felt the texture enhanced the water.
Why Blue Flower Photo?
Blue Flower Photo is named after the unfinished short story “Heinrich von Ofterdingen” by the 18th century German poet and philosopher Novalis.
The Blue Flower is a central symbol of Romanticism. It stands for desire, love, and the metaphysical striving for the infinite and unreachable.
“Not the treasures is it… have awakened in me so unspeakable a desire; far from me is all covetousness; but the Blue Flower is what I long to behold. It lies incessantly in my heart, and I can think and fancy of nothing else.” —Novalis
I love meeting other photographers and learning and sharing with them. On Sunday I got the chance to meet photographer, MeRa Koh. She was in Denver and arranged a quick dinner meet up. MeRa is an incredible lady and it was great to spend some time picking her brain. Three other photographers joined us Melanie of Firefly Photography and Debi and Amanda of Kokoro. We stayed after MeRa left and just chatted for another hour. Our photo is on MeRa’s blog so take a look.
I love my job!
About a month ago I got an email from Justin asking if I was available to take photos of him and his finance. They were going to elope and wanted me to record the day. I was so excited. It is always an honor to be invited to attend a wedding but when the only addendees are the couple, the minister, and you this is something special. The ceremony was perfect. Justin and Karisa decided to elope in Colorado because finding an absolutely beautiful place wouldn’t be difficult. For the wedding site they picked a lovely mountain lake with snow capped Longs Peak in the background. After they exchanged vows we went on a photo walk taking some fun photos around the lake.
Thank you for inviting me to record this day for you. I know you will have a happy life together.
I spent an afternoon with Teresa and her family this week. Family Photo sessions are all about having fun and being you. I love these fun images we created.
Chase and Ashlee were married last weekend at Stone Mountain Lodge in Lyons, CO. They couldn’t have gotten a more gorgeous day to celebrate the start of their new life together. Steve and I were honored to be a part of your wedding day. You really made us feel like guests and not just your photographers. Below are the sneak peak photos divided into sections because I just couldn’t pick a few favorites.
Getting Ready
I love the getting ready photos. The ever so present sense of nervous anticipation and excitement as the bridesmaids fuss over my bride. The gorgeous dress waiting to be worn. The final details - jewelry, makeup, ribbons tied, shoes, veil - not forgotten.
First Look
Ashlee and Chase decided to do a first look meeting before the ceremony. If you aren’t a traditional bride and want to wait to see your groom as you walk down the aisle this is a chance to have a few minutes alone with your groom (with me of course - but just ignore the lady behind the camera) After we can take some family and bridal party photos.
Ceremony
The main event. I loved the final individual photos of Chase and Ashlee right before the ceremony began. You can just see the deep contemplation as they reflect on the vows they are about the share. The bottom photograph is probably my favorite from the day. I caught the last quick kiss as they scurried away from the ceremony. Ashlee surprised me by playing the song on my website as their exit song (”we are man and wife” written and performed by Michelle Featherstone). I was so wrapped up in photographing everyone leaving the ceremony that it took me a little while to hear the song. When I realized what song was playing I was looking for her and caught this shot.
Reception and Portraits
Party Time! The reception is the culmination of a huge day of activity. It is time to celebrate with your friends and family. Below are photos from the first dance and Bubble entry. We snuck Chase and Ashlee out of the reception to take a walk around Stone Mountain Lodge with Steve and I. These are my favorite photos from the walk.
And the final image is an awesome shot Steve captured of the Stone Mountain Lodge’s reception tent lite up. Great photo!
Congratulations Chase and Ashlee and thank you for letting us be a part of your day. Your online gallery with all of the photos will be ready next week.
