I LOVE my wife!!!

I have to say that I have the VERY best wife in the entire world. She not only calmed down a crazy afternoon but she, most likely, added years to my life from the stress she saved me tomorrow…and probably saved a wedding! She is Wonder Woman! This is not something that I have not known…but today proved again that she has the sexy red and blue outfit accessorized with the silver, bullet-deflecting, bracelets, hidden under her clothes each day!

I’m Shooting a wedding tomorrow. Kelly and Chris….I love this couple. They are so laid back and just fun. Amy had met when they were looking to sell their house over a year ago. When they told her they were engaged, she recommended me. We met for dinner and they book me…based on blind faith. I feel I owe them amazing images that they will be proud to be showing to their grandkids 50 years from now!

Well, the last year has passed like a blur and we are at the precipice of their big day. Their rehearsal was scheduled for this afternoon. Attending rehearsals is something that I probably won’t add in to the basic package, but because I feel I owe them so much and because I want to provide them with the best of the best, I felt it was necessary to be there today to be sure I had ALL the information.

Kelly and I had met at the church, Trinity United Methodist in downtown Denver, last Friday. I feel its an absolute must to view the venues before I shoot at them. I always scour the internet for other photographer’s sites and blogs who have shot at the locations I am going to shoot. However, because of a variety of factors, a simple viewing of the images other photographer’s have been able to capture is hardly enough. It’s always preferable to view the venue yourself. Because of everyone’s schedule, this was the first chance we had had to view the venues. The church is amazing. Although fairly dark, it still has amazing exterior and interior architecture and some amazing photographic possibilities. Kelly tried to get us in to the reception venue, Lannie’s Clock Tower on the 16th Street Mall, but she was unable. However, she texted me a few days ago and let me know that she could get us in an hour before today’d rehearsal. This is a rookie mistake…I know that. There is no way that I should have let this go until the very end, regardless of scheduling conflicts. This mistake will NOT be repeated. If nothing…this was a learning experience!

Kelly texted me this morning that she couldn’t meet me but was going to have a co-worker meet me. I met Rachel at the Clock Tower at 2. I parked (I LOVE downtown Denver…but I abolutely HATE the parking!) and walked toward the Clock Tower. It is a very unique building. Tall and thin it rose into the Denver sky. Too thin, I thought, as I approached!

When we got inside and took the elevator to the 17th floor, my heart rate was increasing. Kelly had told me that they had the 17th through the 21st floor. I know my equipment…I know how it will shoot. As the elevator rose, a tiny voice in my head began to talk to me, “you know you are screwed!” The door opened on the 17th floor and I knew the voice was right…I was screwed! Although I could tell that there was some amazing design elements that would photograph well, the space was cramped….very cramped! Doing just a little quick math, I could tell that the floor (and all the floors above it) were only about 400-450 square feet. As I stood taking test shots a creeping reality seeped in…our widest lenses were not going to come CLOSE to be adequate!

I left and headed to the rehearsal with thoughts of abject failure swimming in my head! I called my second shoot….my brother, Paul…and let him know the problems we were going to have. I was able to only leave a message. He called back but I let it go to voice mail since I was parking. I sat in the room where the wedding party was gathering and almost couldn’t move. Good God…I was going to complete blow it! This is why SO MANY professional photographers don’t touch weddings…you control absolutely NOTHING! You don’t control the time of day, the light, the people, the time…or the venues. To be successful in this business you…REACT. You provide an absolutely professional, amazing product with whatever you are provided. I sat there knowing…KNOWING…I was in over my head. I checked his message. He had checked and gave me the name of a company that rents lenses. They appeared to be only of the only lens rental companies around..Camren Photographic Resources, Inc.. I had never heard of them. I have rented lenses from borrowlenses.com, but I honestly didn’t know a local option existed. He provided me the phone number.

The wedding party was late. I sat there playing with my phone knowing it was Friday…knowing that most places closed around 5. If I was going to do something I had to do it quick. I got up and pulled out my phone and called them. Greg answered…I told him the problem. He laughed and said, “well, it sounds like you need a wide angle lens!” I told him I needed two. He went through the list of lenses they had. After I selected two, he checked and they had both in stock! Things were looking up! Then he came to the part where he wanted to set up the customer account information. He told me to rent a lens I would have to provide them with a deposit in the amount of the rental. It had to be in the form of a check (I never carry a check book with me), a credit card…a debit card would not work (I carry ONLY a debit card….haven’t carried a true credit card in years) and cash (I didn’t have $70 in cash with me. My heart sank. I was in downtown Denver, miles from home, with no way to get any of the things he needed. It was 3:30 and they closed in 2 hours.

I called my wife, Amy and explained the situation. I knew she had a showing appointment in just an hour. She has been working so incredibly hard. She is a real estate agent and, though I am obviously biased, an amazing one! Anyone who thinks the job of a real estate agent is an easy one or thinks that they make a lot of money is insane…or just painfully misinformed. As the market has improved, she has gotten incredibly busy, but this has not turned into a financial windfall.

I don’t know what I expected. I knew that driving into Denver wasn’t really a reality with her schedule. Guess I was just grasping. She told me to tap into the business account. That account had a nice little amount in it a few months ago, but a few gear purchases have tapped it dry. I don’t even know how much is in there, but it ain’t much. I think there is $100 and that was just the amount they needed to keep the account open. I hung up on her as the rehearsal was finally getting gowing…my mind was racing, I could hardly think.

The rehearsal got over at 4:30. At about 4:15, I reality had set in and I had accepted my fate…It was too late. I couldn’t begin to hope to find a First Bank location, get there, close out the account and take out whatever piddly amount was in there and get to Camren to pick up the lenses in time. I was going to be going in to a wedding with inadequate equipment and REALLY testing that theory that professional photographers are so fond of advocating…IT ISN’T ABOUT THE GEAR, ITS ABOUT THE PERSON USING THE GEAR. Umm…they had never found themselves in a matchbox with a zoom lens!

I said my goodbyes and mopped to the car. I pulled out my phone and saw a text from Amy, “Hi honey I found the lens guy I spoke with him on the phone I’m bringing him cash for your total and I’m leaving him a check for our deposit on the lenses so I’m heading downtown right now it will be taken care of for you I love you.”

How could she have “found the lens guy?” I had not told her who I had called to rent the lens!!!! I called her. Not only had she just googled “lens rental denver” and been lucky enough to find the exact place I had called, but she had cancelled her showing appointment to save my day! OMG!! It’s Wonder Woman! She said she called her clients and they couldn’t have been more understanding. I couldn’t believe it!

At 6:30 she showed up at home with two wide angle lenses…the exact things that were going to completely save this wedding! Victory from the jaws of certain defeat! I can’t tell you how much better I will sleep tonight and how much more confidently I will walk into this wedding tomorrow!

I love my wife. We have been together since I was 19 and she was 17. I am a very lucky guy. She is the most caring, compassionate, loving, understanding, supportive person I have ever met. How the good Lord saw fit to give me such a gift is beyond me.

Thank you Amy! I love you very…very much!

Alaina’s newborn shoot – Nine Days New! | Denver Newborn Photography

Two weeks ago I had the privilege of shooting my very first newborn photography session. Our neighbor’s Pete and Lisa welcomed Alaina Abigail into the world on April 4th! Lisa contacted me a few weeks before her due date to ask if I would shoot her newborn pictures. I took my fair share of pictures of both of our kids when they were young but nothing anywhere near the kind of photography that is produced by so many of the amazing professional photographers who specialize in newborns. With this in mind, I cautioned Lisa about my complete lack of experience. Lisa insisted so I agreed to do it! I spent several days roaming the internet looking at all of the amazing images produced by so many great photographers. They made it look so easy. How hard could it be, I said to myself, babies at 9 or 10 days old sleep all the time, they are pliable, you just move them into whatever poses you have for them….right?

Thankfully, during my internet travels, I happened on easily the best newborn photographer I have ever seen, Amber Scruggs with . In her blog she had multiple FAQ posts where she had responded to question after question from other newborn photographers about how she does what she does. It only took me a few minutes reading her posts to realize that this was not going to be nearly as easy as I was hoping it would be. Her advice and her behind-the-scene pics were incredible and really helped set me off in the right direction. I don’t know how I did really (I never have an easy time critiquing my own images) but I can tell you that her advice helped me to create images that are FAR better than they would have been otherwise.

The very best images of newborns are, of course, with them sleeping. I was at Pete and Lisa’s house for 3 1/2 hours and Alaina was asleep for maybe 30 minutes! I tried and tried to get Alaina into the poses I wanted and yet, even when asleep, she was able to confound me on almost every attempt. I had asked Lisa to crank up the heat and I was sweating withing 15 minutes of starting. By the time I walked out of their house I was sure that dealing with brides and their mothers would be preferable than having to deal with another infant! LOL! Overall the shoot went as well as I could have hoped with a baby who refused to stay asleep. Thank you Pete and Lisa for trusting me with the very first pictures of your beautiful little baby girl! I can’t wait to watch her grow!

Here are a few of the images…hope I did the little princess justice!

Barbi and Jimmy’s Wedding | Colorado Wedding Photography | Pueblo Union Depot

On Friday, October 28, I had the pleasure of photographing Barbi and Jimmy’s wedding at the Union Depot in Pueblo. Barbi’s brother, Randy, who we have known for years, recommended us to her. Even though their wedding day came just a few days after our first big snow fall of the year, it proved to be a beautiful Colorado fall day and a gorgeous wedding! I wish Barbi and Jimmy the very best as they start their lives together!

Kelly and Chris | Denver Engagement Photography | Confluence Park

Kelly and Chris are getting married this coming May at the Clock Tower in downtown Denver, so it seemed fitting that we should photograph their engagement session in downtown Denver, as well. We met up on the Millennium Bridge and wondered through Confluence Park. We got kind of a late start, but we made the most of the beautiful October afternoon and got some great shots. Such a beautiful couple. Can’t wait to photograph their wedding!

Brandon | Columbine High School | Denver Senior Portrait Photography

I had the opportunity recently to shoot the senior pictures for the nephew of a high school friend. Rob and I played soccer together up in Fort Collins for years. We played together on the Fort Collins Arsenal and then played together for three years at Rocky Mountain High School. Rob contacted me last month after hearing that I was a photographer and asked if I could shoot Brandon’s senior pictures. It was great seeing an old friend. I don’t think we’ve seen each other since we were seniors ourselves! Pretty scary how time flies! We walked around Rob’s fantastic Littleton neighborhood and got some great pics! Good luck with your senior year Brandon!

Sara and Erik’s Wedding | Fort Collins Country Club | Denver Wedding Photography

Almost two weeks ago I had the chance to shoot Sara and Erik’s wedding at the Fort Collins Country Club. Sara is the sister of a friend, Jon Ford, who son, Landon, plays on my son’s baseball team. John and his wife, Barbara, heard I was looking for weddings to shoot for portfolio material and they asked if I was interested in shooting Sara’s wedding. I jumped at the chance. Ironically, until the end of this past school year, Sara was the Vice Principal at Meridian Elementary, the school where both of our kids have attended. My daughter, Taylor, is in 5th grade there this year. As I was editing the pictures for this wedding, Taylor mention that it was “sorta creepy seeing my Vice Principal kissing!” Gotta love kids! Sara has accepted a job as a Principal at a school in Loveland. Erik is an attorney working in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Although it was a small wedding, it was held at a beautiful venue and the weather couldn’t have been better. Their only attendant was Sara’s daughter, Chloe. The 7:00 p.m. ceremony provided amazing light! My wife, Amy, had already committed to attend the wedding of a friend so she was unavailable to second shoot with me. Therefore, I was joined on this wedding by my brother, Paul, a fantastic photographer in his own right. I can’t thank him enough for assisting me! He really helped me pull the night together! A big Thank You to Sara and Erik for trusting me to capture their special day. I hope we did your day justice!

Summer and Brian | Stonebrook Manor Wedding | Denver Wedding Photography

Last week my wife and I had the distinct honor of photographing Summer and Brian’s wedding at Stonebrook Manor in Thornton. As I posted back June, Summer and Brian were our first booked wedding! Haven’t even had the chance to get their engagement photos out yet (we shot their engagement shoot 2 days before their wedding!). To say I was nervous when the day began would be a massive understatement (to ramp up the anxiety the car died on me on my way home from work…less than 2 hours before we were supposed to be there!)…but Summer and Brian couldn’t have been easier to work with! We had a great time documenting their special day! Summer and Brian…thanks guys for trusting us with your wedding! Hope Mexico provided a great honeymoon! Enjoy the images…there are lots of them! The video just below has additional pictures not posted here.

Hailey | Legacy High School | Denver Senior Portrait Photography

Hailey is getting ready to enter her senior year at Legacy High School in Broomfield. She and her Mom, Jessica, found the perfect spot. It’s called Margaret’s Pond and it’s located off of 104th and Sheridan in Westminster. She brought her Mom and her two twin brothers, Jake and John. My wife, Amy, accompanied us and she acted as Hailey’s hair stylist throughout the shoot. Hailey was all smiles and the light was perfect! We had a great time!

First Wedding Review | Denver Wedding Photography

Well, it’s over. My first “official” wedding is in the books. What an amazing, stressful, beautiful, scary experience it was. I will be doing a more in-depth review, mostly centered on what I learned (and I learned a ton) in the next week or so, but I wanted to get a few thoughts out today.

I’ve never been more stressed in my entire life! Summer and Brian are not your typical budget couple who was looking for free photography from the start. They had hired a professional photographer to shoot their engagement session and their wedding. This professional failed to provide them professional service and was fired. That’s when they found me. Brian’s brother’s wife, Autumn, found me on facebook through my wife, Amy (who by the way was an incredible second shooter and did more to calm my nerves and assist throughout the night than I ever could have hoped for!!) Autumn knew I was trying to climb the ladder into the world of professional wedding photography. She recommended me to Summer. We met at their home back in the middle of June (good grief…how can 2 months have passed since then?!? This summer…the season, not the bride!…has vaporized like the mist. ), and after talking with them for only about 45 minutes…they hired us.

The thoughts of Summer and Brian’s wedding has been on my mind almost constantly since then. If you google “why hire a professional wedding photographer for your wedding” you will find countless articles and blog posts from “professional” photographers with dire warning for the bride who ventures into the world of the amateur photographer to find the person who is going to capture what is, hopefully, the most important day of her life. The object of their ridicule is almost universally caricatured as the “Uncle Bob with a nice camera,” who promises to shoot weddings for free as a gift…only to fail so miserably that family relationships are ruined for a lifetime. I have read through almost everything you’ll find on your google search. Not that I ever took the task lightly, but their warnings have been sobering. Yet, their scorn and ridicule has also been inspiring. I didn’t get into this with the idea of starting to shoot weddings on my own right away. Becoming an assistant and second shooting is really the way to learn this industry. However, these same photographers who mock the “Uncle Bob” photographers are the same photographers who aren’t open to allowing “newbies” shoot with, or assist, them. Competition irritates, I guess.

Summer and Brian | Preview of Engagement Shoot | Denver Engagement Photography

Nothing like beating the clock…and just barely! Just 48 hours before their wedding, we were FINALLY able to get Summer and Brian’s engagement shoot in. We met at the Millenium Bridge near Confluence Park in downtown Denver. We had a really nice night shooting and wrapped up the night with a few beers at Illegal Pete’s as we finalized preparations for their wedding on Thursday. I have only scratched the surface with editing their pictures but thought I’d throw up a few preview pics. More to come but I had to get a few out before their wedding!