Playin catch up a bit with blog postings.

Here are some frames from some time I spent with Courtney Reed back in August. It was a bit before her wedding to a great friend of mine Chris Nicoletti. She grew up in the mighty fine South and it is quite the tradition to get a bridal shoot in for the parents. Whats not so traditional is most of the shots we got:) haha. She was a sport and wanted to have some fun and get those not so traditional shots in. I was more than fine with that.

My dad is a carpenter. I grew up noticing how tough his hands looked. I could always smell the sawdust on his clothes. He usually had a beard and sometimes a mullet. His boots were always muddy and his truck smelled like coffee and sweat. Oh, and he knew Karate hence my dad being tougher than your dad.

I’ve tried my hand at carpentry, while in high school I spent three months helping my dad and grandfather build my uncles house back in Charlton Massachusetts. I never felt more like one of the guys as then. That was a great time. Oh and when me and Tess had Olive, our first little kiddo…. We needed to make some extra money so I worked construction for a summer. It was good. It was tough.

There is a part of me that wants to rip some wood on a table saw and hammer some nails and it peaks its head out every once in a while. More so lately. Its nostalgic for me to smell saw dust. I’ve been mounting my prints on birch as of late and its been really fun and it’s a nice change from normal framing of photos. I get my prints done through Wallblank. Archival inks on heavy duty archival paper. Then using some acid free sealant I seal off the sanded birch and use an acid free adhesive to get the print to stick. Drill a small hole in the back and you’ve got a mounted photo hanging flush on the wall. Sliiiiick.

It’s a gift and honor for me to shoot peoples portraits nevermind have the trust of photographing a wedding.  My reason and love for photography stems from my love for people, emotion and creativity. Personal touches are awesome and fun.

This is a little wedding gift I put together for couple whose wedding I recently shot. Im constantly in and out of thrift and antique shops just looking for things that catch my eye. I used to run a vintage tee store on Ebay back before I got hitched. It was epic and that thrift store bug has never left. So while looking for cool things that may suit my style I also look for little things that I can personalize specifically for my family, friends AND clients.

I scored this cool little box that just looks awesome. Found some old vintage stock cards that show off some Colorado landscapes (where this couple spent quality dating time). I pulled some inspiration from Caseys (the groom) amazing beard and searched out an old pocket knife. Every guy needs a good pocket knife. And for Aimee (the bride), her great dreads and cool style helped me find this little feather neclace.

Finishing touches of shredded kraft paper (recycled!), personalized price tags, old string, and a note on thin basswood brings the whole thing home.

Figured I’d share. Thanks for reading!

So check it out. Shot this quaint little wedding last month. I woke up at 5am, brewed some coffee and hit the road to Breckenridge for the day. I know you’re totally wondering about what I listened to on the drive up there soooo ahhh… I busted out all my old CD’s… MXPX, Jars of Clay, The O.C. Supertones… Ha, it was awesome. On the road into the mountains I went and a thousand youthful memories came flooding back. It was great:)

On the wedding side of things. It was really low key. Casey and Aimee had their friends and family staying at this private lodge for the weekend. It was slightly traditional as far as the ceremony went but above and beyond that it was very humble. Not much in the way of decoration, no bridesmaids, no groomsmen. The heart of the wedding was the hearts of the people. Thats sounds profound in a funny way. But its true. So here are some shots from the day. Keeping it simple.

Had a good mix of digital and film going on.

BTW. If you like some of this stuff?! Click the SHARE on FACEBOOK  or TWITTER button at the end. You’ll get a neat little surprise if you do. Try it out:)

The end. ahhhh. wait. Only the beginning. Ha. Congrats you two:)

Sunset Glow

Aimee and Casey. Amazing people who have such a fun love for each other. Aimee is an artsist with some awesomely long dreads… check out her ceramics here. Casey, he’s got a killer beard that would make any man envy. Their love runs deep and is connected by a very true, humble, and strong love for God, their families, and their friends. With 30 or so of their friends and family they rented out a lodge up near Breckenridge Colorado for a few days. Amazing setting to say the least. Leading up to the wedding they made memories by way of foosball, snowshoeing and laughter over coffee while staying comfy in their pajamas (by the fire!) Shoot what a perfect setting for quality family time and a close intimate wedding!

So anyways…Here is a little preview to this little wedding I shot last weekend! Some polaroids for you to check out as I finish up sorting through the many many other shots from the day.

Some real Polaroids for ya with a cam that was off focus. yet i still love these.

Last of the hundred posts from this shoot. So these fine kids never really got married. They’re friends not lovers. Good actors though, eh? Also I think I mentioned it on another post but I can’t tell you how cold this actually was.  And I was walking around in knee deep snow in my TOMS. No good. Noooo good. I was literally scared that I’d loose my toes.

Let me tell you this… what I learned most from this shoot… just freakin do it! If you are an artist especially… if you have an idea, do it right away because chances are you’re gonna see someone else do that thing that you wanted to do and then you’ll feel bummed out and un-inspired to keep it going. Anyways… hope you enjoy these! Let me know what you think… and hit up the facebook or tweet button at the bottom to share. It’d mean the world to me!

• Collab with photographer Shannon VonEschen from Shalynne Imaging
• Natosha Cooke from Aphrodite Affairs
• Gowns by Alisa Benay
• Brandice Rodriguez throwing down killer hair style
• Cassandra Rose Events for some charming outdoor decor
• Models: Luccia Cafiero , and Austin David Schott.

AND SOME OLD OLD OLD 35mm EKTACHROME FILM circa 1978

More from that bridal day shoot…its taking me a while to get through these!  These here turned out to be pretty editorial I think. I like ‘em. They’re really clean and vivid which is so different then my polaroid and film stuff. Its good though. They also really show off the make-up artistry of Aphrodite Affairs too! I’ve only adjusted levels and added some grain to these, no touch up. Brytny is such a sweetheart. Quiet but throws down some heavy looks and a huge amazing smile. I felt bad after this shoot cause I realized that I was a bit distracted by the ‘technical’ learning of my camera that I didn’t tell her how awesome she was doing! Thanks Brytny for being awesome and can’t wait to shoot again!

Im not a technical person. I’m not a numbers guy. I have a hard time being patient when learning how something works as far as nuts and bolts and details go. My natural question is – why? – not how. I’ve always wished I could just touch a tool, close my eyes and ZIP, BAM, BOOM- I know how to use it to its fullest potential.

For the most part this shoot for me was mostly about learning my camera. Shooting manual with a 5dMkII for the day hoping that my fingers would start to remember buttons, knobs, and settings… success came slowly!  Time to get past the technical aspects of running a camera and just focus on interacting with real live people and create something amazing since my passion is for the art, the emotion, the human connection and relational encouragement. So bear with the straight facedness of these folks:) my bad. haha.

Here are some nice and clean frames from inside the Boulderado Hotel in Boulder, Colorado. Stay tuned for a dark series post with Luccia. Got some really moody shots on digital and some 1986 Kodak Ektachrome. Hints of light.

• Collab with photographer Shannon VonEschen from Shalynne Imaging
• Natosha Cooke from Aphrodite Affairs
• Gowns by Alisa Benay
• Brandice Rodriguez throwing down killer hair style
• Cassandra Rose Events for some charming outdoor decor, and
• Models: Luccia Cafiero , and Austin David Schott.

I was nervous and slightly intimidated. I’ve never worked with models before. I didn’t know what to expect and was also struggling with the feeling that I had to live up to these girls expectations… they’ve worked with some amazing photographers! Ah the pressure. But its cool. I’ve been able to overcome my fears in situations like this with a humble attitude and remember that Im there because I love to capture honest images. I’m up for the challenge to get that spirit, that something which speaks through a photo and to the viewer. More than anything though Im there to hopefully connect on a relational level with people and have fun. Its all about the process. I feel like I learned a lot this day since we had time to relax and just shoot.

It was an awesome collaboration with photographer Shannon VonEschen from Shalynne Imaging, Natosha Cooke from Aphrodite Affairs, gowns by Alisa Benay, Brandice Rodriguez throwing down killer hair style, Cassandra Rose Events for some charming outdoor decor, and models; the stunning Brytny Shea Marquez,  Luccia Cafiero , and Austin David Schott. 

We took a few hours and shot inside the Boulderado Hotel in Boulder, CO. Great place, great light and vibe. They were awesomely accomodating too! Then we decided we didnt want to be warm and cozzy anymore and would rather freeze our butts off so we moved outside just before sunset… drove up Flagstaff Mountain and had a little setup on a picnic table in the snow! That was sick for sure. Cold… but great. Don’t wear TOMS in the snow… its the same as going barefoot. Literally couldn’t feel my feet for an hour! Anyways… here is a preview by way of Polaroids! My favorite medium. I took some 35mm and digital shots too… I’ll post more soon.

These here are all shot from my Polaroid 250 on some nice and old ID-UV film. Magic. What do you think? The polaroids lend a sense of mystery, eh? More and more I’m understanding the fact that light is the most important tool and so freakin dynamic. It’s never the same. Light is fantastic.

It’s definitely official. I loved shooting this wedding.  I must thank Erik and Brianne for being freakin amazing! From the minute the day started to the last few people left dancing and drinking at the reception (at the killer Rembrandt Yard). And a HUGE thanks to Shannon for assisting, couldn’t have done it without you! We also set up the FOTOLOUNGE… find some of those shots HERE.

So here are some legit photos I want you to check out. Let me know what you think! Its a big post with like a million photos. not really that big though.

THE BOYS

THE GIRLS

THE BIG THING

TO THE PARTY

Wow. Can’t believe the amount of work that goes into the photographing of a wedding! Seriously a lot of time and energy but thats pretty much okay because it’s been fun. Here is something I put together for Erik and Brianne before the wedding pulling inspiration from the engagement shoot we did. Its a 12×12″ mixed media painting using acrylic paint, some patterned paper, pieces of a 1979 calander and some transfered images. The image transfer is the key, its something I was introduced to in art school a million years ago but was reignited after seeing Promise Tangemen bust it out (she’s a killer artist). So here is the finished product and I’ll soon post a little stop motion of the process.

So let me know what you think! I’m learning the whole wedding scene and have some ideas floating around on how to let my creativeness drive the final product for these couples. I really want to bring something special to the couple other than some rad photos, you know?  If you’re in the same boat post up some links to your stuff in the comment section! Peace. By the way, thanks for checking out the blog!

With my first wedding I also built an awesome little photo booth. Here are a few of the 200+ images. If you were a part of this rowdy crowd then head over HERE to see the rest!