I got this awesome email from the talented photographer Claire of Rouxby where she mentioned she dug my photos and wanted a 2nd shooter at a certain wedding… that wedding is of Brandon and Christie. So she flew into Denver for an afternoon engagement session where I tagged along slinging so

me film. Now… it was kind of a crazy day… some serious wind was happening… like 80mph wind gusts. The road that I needed to take to meet these folks was closed down and when we all arrived we realized that we were going to be freezing cold with dirt and dust blasting us. We made it quick, there wasn’t much talking or hanging out. It was… get out of the truck and lean into the wind, we should be safe cause no one is wearing these fancy pants.

Along with this quick outdoor session we realized that there was a place close by that we could shoot indoors… well, as soon as we got there and I snapped off a couple shots my wife calls me and is in labor with our 4th little one. Needless to say I asked her over the phone… “So I should probably pack my stuff up and meet you at the hospital?” — it ended up being false labor:)

To top it off, Holly over at Mile High Bride has featured a set from the shoot on the blog!! Go check’em out HERE.

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.

So, I was pretty excited when Chris Brown of Refueled Magazine contacted me about some photos of mine that he really dug. He wanted to pull some polaroids and digital shots I had taken with the super rad Natasha Terry for his 8th issue. There’s a little spread above for yah:) He placed a hand full of shots smack in the middle amongst some great stories you just have to check out… I happened to already be familiar with Roy Slaper of Roy Denim and photographer Laura Dart so to say the least, Im very honored to be in the midst of these artists!

Check out the latest issue HERE and keep up with Chris on Facebook! The guy has a great sense of art and style.

The first polaroid above was on his third birthday. He was proud:)

Long story short this is a tip of the hat to my brother. An upstanding man whos heart is for God and family and works harder than anyone I’ve ever met. The boy is a forest fire fighter that risks his life and can run a 42″ chainsaw for 16 hours straight and not complain about the $16 an hour. I miss the hell out of him and hate that we live so far apart right now. We’ve got one of those bonds that in unexplainable and I tend to think that had to do with the way our parents brought us up. We were always together, always best friends, got in and out of many many predicaments.

So… last week we spent about 4 days in the beautiful mountains of Montana with a house full of kiddos which was just awesome and humbling to think we’re in charge of these little ones for some years. The wives had some good bonding time cooking up an amazing Thanksgiving dinner and me and Matt were able to go out hunting one morning and two afternoons, hiked up and down steep terrain covered with snow, came across wolf tracks and finally got us a deer.

Here’s a couple polaroids.

Just can’t believe my baby turned four this past weekend. So weird. Doesnt make sense! Literally feels like yesterday I was working construction from 6am to 3pm then at starbucks from 6pm to 10pm to get me and tess ready for this little baby that was on its way. Well, now we’ve got three:) All beautiful. All so happy. All so adventurous. This little girl, she has my heart.

End it with a polaroid. Shes so proud:)

These two on Polaroid. They love each other so freakin much its beautiful. See next post for some fun lovin digital shots. These here were shot through my trusty Polaroid 195 although the last two are through a Cambo Large Format beast of an awesome camera:)

Some amazing friends of mine got engaged to be married. So unbelievably happy for them!

Chris Nicoletti & Courtney Reed

Here are some digital frames from our time together.

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.

Dahhhhhh. Been really busy. I’ve let the blog go silent for a bit… but that means I’ve got a lot of work to be posting here for a while:) Been really productive, being creative, having lots of great fun.

So theres this thing me and a few guys came up with… BRAZILLASAURUS. Check out our humble beginnings as a blog… it will soon fill up with wonderful things.

Brazillasaurus is the brainchild of four dudes that love God, art, storytelling, and fun. It will be a written-narrative-photographic-outlet for the aforementioned gentlemen. There will be art. There will be stories. There will be love. There will be gnawesomeness. We’ll be heading down to Brazil as a part of the RESOUND team. We’re going to hit the ground in Rio and spend a day in an orphanage just hanging with the little ones, we’ll be spending a day in one of the worst hit areas of a recent tsunami that left massive destruction, and we’ll be putting on a Resound Worship Conference with a focus of spreading the love of Jesus and encouraging creativity in worship.

Now this is all “the plan” although everything and anything can change once there. My focus will be to find stories and follow those threads. We all really want to have very meaningful connections with each person we encounter. I’ll be bringing my cameras to document, to capture stories, to connect with people, to encourage, to instill wonder, fun and love in the hearts of children, youth and adults.

Now… since we’re a bunch of broke artists:) We’ve brainstormed and come up with this crazy thing that I believe will grow because of its massive hunger. Brazillasaurus is an avenue for us to sell off some of our art to raise money so that this trip can actually be paid for. None of us are getting paid to go down there (its a missions trip!) and the only expense that is covered is housing while there.

Head over to our shop and fish around for something. If it catches your eye, dont think twice!! Buy it, pay for it through paypal and you’ll have some awesome art to hang on your wall along with contributing to something much bigger!

PLEASE!! Share the heck out of this post on facebook!!! Link at bottom of post:)

And for some fun follow BSaurus on twitter: @brazillasaurus

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.

Scott Schumann, The Sartorialist. Got this blog set in my reader. The guy has a great eye for style and this here is an awesome little film for you creatives.

Just be yourself and realize there are no rules. Take what you do know and use it…keep using it.

it’s the first day of spring
and my life is starting over again

-Noah and the Whale-

December 29th

I know its winter and snowy and not spring. But this leading song off the latest Noah and the Whale album sums my feelings right now as I’ve officially experienced ten years of my Twenties. This here December 29th (yesterday) is my last day before beginning another decade. It’s 5:26am and I’m waking up at starbucks with a computer screen thats a bit too bright for my fresh eyes. I’m writing this so I can automate a post on my b-day (Dec 30th) when I’ll be spending some time with the girl I love and some kiddos that have captured my heart while missing some people I wish were here.

I’ve always been really weird about my birthdays. To put it plainly I just don’t like the attention. Don’t plan a party for me, if we’re at a restaurant DO NOT tell the waiter its my bday, seriously, and don’t get me a gift unless you are family. Cause I’ll feel bad. I’ll feel like I owe you something. No need to spend money or thought or time on me, instead help someone who really needs something, and let me know that you did that instead. I’d love that. I’m not really sure where this all came from, how these feelings developed but this is the first time I’ve ever wondered why I feel this way. The attention thing? I’ve always blushed like crazy when eyes pointed at me, I was a shy little kid. Along with that there is almost a hint of denial on time passing, I don’t feel a hint over 18, there’s some running from the past, fear of the future deep inside of me, fear of myself, fear of fear. I realize that I never wanted to grow old. I don’t want my body to break down, I never wanted my family to split to different states. I’ve always wanted to re-live memories. I have so many great memories and it’s always been hard to look back and smile, more often then not I just get sad about those times, that they’re gone. Whats the point of it all? Right? If its just going to be over.

But WAIT! Don’t get too deep!!  My 20′s are GONE!!! What!? The?! Hell!? It’s hard to believe. I feel like my 20′s were fairly aimless. I wandered through school, jumping from Business to Psychology to Fine Art to 3D Animation to Web Design to Film Production… with an end result being a grip of student loans and not a single degree because of my “Ohh! Thats shiny! Wait, no, now thats really shiny!” (Photography is the THING I’ve really been looking for, can’t believe I missed it till now) So all the while I worked at Starbucks, raced mountain bikes, dirt jumped and had some pretty bad concussions, visit my brother in Valencia and surf the pacific, I met an amazing girl who I will spend the rest of my life with. We had a few amazing kids. Olive. Boston. Sailor. They’re awesome, life changers. Lots to learn from them. Boom. 10 years.

And I sit here emotional for the first time about a birthday. This isn’t just any birthday though. I am at a crossroads. This past year has lead up to this. So much learning, so much refining by both water and fire. I’ve realized the power of God, of Love, of Humanity. I realize there is Hope when all is dark. Yeah, so cliche. But seriously. If we could talk face to face. I’d convince you it’s the truth. I’ll even cry a little.

A new dawn. A new day. The same sun but different clouds, different colors. For that I am grateful and hopeful. I’m inspired. I’m focused for the first time in my life. Yeah, I’ve got some hurdles to jump in the coming months but I can jump damn high with these new shoes. I’m a Renaud (pronounced RENO by the way). I don’t take NO for an answer and I forgot that. The Good Lord has more in store and I’m welcoming it with wide open tattooed arms. (uhhh…well if you feel compelled to get me something, you could hook me up with some cash for more time in the chair) Anyways….

Here are some important things I’ve learned in the last ten years in no special order (well,  maybe more like within the last year or so, haha!)

• Take  the quiet moments regularly. Force them at first because it will feel unnatural.
• When I’m scared I need to admit it.
• There is Truth.
• Listen and be patient.
• Everyone has their own # of years buried deep inside. Don’t judge them. You’re just judging yourself.
• I hide more than I flourish. That is ending.
• There are no rules.
• I am growing old but am still young.
• When I shave, I will shave with a straight razor.
• I don’t need a Faux Hawk anymore! Faux. ha.
• Photography is magic.
• This is all about people. This whole thing all comes down to relationships with each other and our Creator.
• Sometimes I’m ashamed to name Jesus as my Savior and King because of the crazies who wear a Christian badge. I’m not crazy.
• Most of the time I get too worried about offending people by being myself.
• I need to be set free every single day.
• We need to be ourselves because both me and you are worth it.
• LOVE. It breathes life. It is the wave that carries us through eternity.
• This is eternity.

December 30th

Its my birthday. I’m 30 on the 30th. Golden birthday.

The photo that leads this post, just took it. This is how I’m kicking off my 30th year. Throw away false protection and run into the cold and unknown ready to fight and love and have so much freakin fun its gonna be ridiculous. Gonna go on and enjoy the rest of this fine winter day. Hope you’re doing well. Love this day.

Life is inspiring. We realize that more and more when we do the things that get our hearts beating. So do those things.

I just find it hilarious when I glance at this. So had to post it. Me and my mustache, a little self portrait with the remainding shot of expired Kodak Portra 400 on my Mamiya Universal right before I sold the massive camera. The mustache is also gone.

I read this book a little while back and am going through it a second time. This time around I’m going to be posting some excerpts and thoughts as I go. 1. Ignore everybody.

The more original your idea is, the less good advice other people will be able to give you. When I first started with the cartoon-on-back-of-bizcard format, people thought I was nuts. Why wasn’t I trying to do something more easy for markets to digest i.e. cutey-pie greeting cards or whatever?

So true but often very overwhelming and very counter to how we’ve been conditioned. As artists we get ideas all the time and I’m not sure about you but I think most of us let the majority of those ideas slip by. We can easily convince ourselves that the idea isn’t really as grand as we first thought (when the rush of emotion is tied to it). Our brains start to resist by throwing in a dash of doubt and the reality that solid ideas require lots of work and follow through. Somebody else can do it better or already has, right? I’ve seen this pattern play out in my life over and over. I believe the first step in over coming this is to acknowledge this resistence.

Nobody knows for sure whether an original idea is going to be good, or even great. But the fact that it came to you one night at 3am or during a quick daydream during an important office meeting means something and I think you should go with that gut instinct.

This chapter  touches on the fact that original ideas that start to take root and grow will also begin to change you. This makes sense for sure. You have a great idea that you believe in and you start putting things together with the crayons, glue, and paper and get all excited about it. You’re glowing from the inside out and some people might not like that, they might be put off because of the natural cynicism this world imbeds in us. They’ll compare themselves to you and may start to feel inadequate because more of your attention is on this ‘idea’ and why don’t they have an ‘idea.’ etc. They’ll shoot those little doubting phrases at you about how its not practical or even just give you the little “Hmm, yeah, I like it,” and then change the subject while you over analize the glint in his eye and tone of his inauthentic, artist destroying voice. You can see how some little feelings and observations can snowball into massive self doubt which can snuff out the flame.

Bottom line is. When you have an idea that is your own. Don’t compare it to anything else out there. Don’t you dare care about how it measures up to someone elses idea. Put in the work and chase the light, make it happen and realize you will face resistance along the way. The journey is never easy. Even just flying from Denver to San Diego for a beach vacation isn’t easy, you’ll be so excited about the destination that you’ll speed past the sneaky police officer who is about to write you a ticket that cost half as much as the vacation. Don’t let that stuff ruin everything. Put a smile on your face and keep driving. Right?

Let me know if these kind of posts are worth your time? If you really digg it then theres a twitter, digg, and facebook button below. peace.

Right? And I don’t think its just true for artists. I think any time that anyone is walking on the path which brings them the most joy and satisfaction, the thing that burns in their heart, the thing they are truely passionate about there comes a wave of resistance and then another and then another. There is always something that just needs to come up and get in your face to distract and stress you out thus keeping you from the ‘thing.’

I find this to be true in my life. Its very dangerous, especially in this day and age when our culture has been forming our young minds into thinking that things should come easily. But its not easy, the thing that we’re, (let me say) “were made to do,”  that thing is not going to be easy and if we give up everytime we hit an obstacle then we will be tormented on the inside. This brings up another point;  our focus and measurment of ‘success,’ I believe, is skewed.  Its not the final grade that counts, its not the final product, its not the size of the bank account. Success measured in all this gold and glitter is a false end and will lead you to want more. It seems that when success is measured in a tangible outcome there will always be dissapointment.

The success is in the process.

The process is the point.

There are obstacles in the process, victories and defeat. But to learn and to grow and to push through and realize that all of this is where the magic lies. This is where we live and love… in the process.

Is this relevant? Ring true with you? Lets talk about this. I’d like to hear your thoughts –

Put in the work

Life is funny then it’s not so funny then its funny again. Being an artist can be fun and then at times not so fun. Theres ebb and flow. I’ve noticed that it’s not so fun when I fall into a wave of thinking that awesome things will just happen by themselves. I can just sit there and watch amazingness pop out of nowhere, but I’m always waiting for it, dreaming about it. I confess, I have been a lazy artist. Instead of putting in the work, I end up believing all the excuses my mind can come up with on why I need to put this project off or wait till friday to start that project… then the ideas fade and nothing happens.

LAME!

FRUSTRATING!

I’M OVER IT!

Anyways. My latest 2 and 1/2 year excuse for not running after my dreams was because I’m married, have 2 kids under 3 years old and I’ve got an 8-5 job only for the money. Well, my wife is insanely supportive of the artist and free spirit in me, my kids are just awesome and I do want to spend as much time with them as possible which I need to do in the evenings and on the weekends, my job- its serving its purpose by paying some bills. So I have no excuses for what is actually just straight up laziness.

This morning I woke up at 5am, was at Starbucks working on art from 5:30-7am. My new creative schedual booster. Instead of waiting for inspiration. Create it. You guys feel me?