2019 Holiday Round Up - Beaver Creek Family Photos

We're one week out from Christmas, so I think I'm well within the safety zone of posting family holiday photos without ruining the surprise of anyone's holiday cards!  

Thanksgiving is a crazy week with families coming into town to make the most of the early snow before the Christmas crowds arrive.  It's also a great time to get in a snowy photo shoot before holiday cards need to be sent out. That's how I came to work with the Caperton's.

They had a shoot booked for Beaver Creek, right after a great snow storm.  You can tell how cold it was with the different layers they brought with them.  Both leather jackets AND ski jackets.  It worked out fantastically, because we were able to capture two different looks. 

Here are a few photos from our adventure around Beaver Creek.

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Beaver Creek Family Photos - Beaver Creek Chapel - Lind Family

The key to doing a successful family photo shoot in the snow is to keep everyone moving.  You can do this by asking the kids to play in the snow, moving to different locations, setting up different combinations and by taking lots of jacket breaks to keep everyone warm.  

This is the strategy I used the morning of the Lind's family photo shoot in Beaver Creek.  We started off the shoot beside the Beaver Creek Chapel to capture some photos beside the creek.  With a fresh snowfall on the ground and freezing temps, I was able to get a few shots of the kids playing before we moved down to the bridge area.  

It quickly became apparent that the poor kids were about to turn into popsicles, so we retired to a nearby fire pit to get some blood circulating.   After they could feel their fingers and toes again, we were able to head out again to grab a few more shots.  Here are a few of my favorites from their shoot.  I love the red accents against the snow.

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Beaver Creek Fall Photos - Bachelor Gulch - Morley Family

There's a spot at the top of Bachelor Gulch in Beaver Creek that has one of the best views of the Valley and most locals don't even know about it.  The irony is, we ski over it all the time in the winter.  Our mountain environment is in a constant state of change and when the leaves are in full bloom, you get much more depth to the views than when they're covered in snow.  This makes this little bridge a perfect location during the fall.

We chose to do the Morley family photos there and it had everything you could want for a family shoot.  Lots of space for the kids to run around, a rustic skier bridge and views of the Gore Range all the way down to the valley floor.  The leaves at their peak didn't hurt either!

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Vail Family Photos - East Vail - Fields Family

When you have three generations that come together for a photo shoot, the location you choose has to be able to cater to everyone.  When the Fields Family asked me to take some photos for them, they mentioned that the ages in the group ranged from 9 -80 years, so we decided on shooting along the Vail Bike Path in East Vail.  

The path runs parallel to the Gore Creek, which means there are plenty of idyllic spots on the water.  The mountain views from there also work great for family photos, and as a bonus, it's paved.  This wasn't such an issue for the Fields Family, but when you're pushing a stroller, this is key!

If you haven't been there yet, I highly recommend it.  Stay on the path long enough and you'll end up in Vail Village after taking in some of the best views in the valley.  

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Beaver Creek Family Photography - Storey Family in Bachelor Gulch, Beaver Creek

New Year's Eve in Vail is always bitterly cold.  I know, because every year we watch the fireworks and it takes about an hour to get everyone bundled up before we walk out the door.  

When Shelly asked me to do some photos for her family on New Year's Eve last year, I knew what to expect.  What I didn't expect was the amazing views we would have of Beaver Creek in the background.  Because we were shooting three generations, it was inevitable that some little fingers and toes would start freezing pretty quickly.  Thankfully, we were shooting in their back yard, so we could corral people inside to stay warm and call them out when it was their turn.  

The sun was setting on 2017 during our shoot and what a way to finish the work year.  And yes, we went to the fireworks that night and it was crazy cold.  Nothing a little wine couldn't help with though!

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Beaver Creek Engagement Photos - Taylor and Ray

There's a small window in the fall where things are starting to wind down in the villages and the leaves are still in full color.  Taylor and Ray chose to do their engagement photos during this time, so we were able to shoot in several locations around Beaver Creek without running into crowds.  

We started in the base village, with shots along the actual Beaver Creek.  With a quick outfit change and a few dog treats later, we took a quick walk up the mountain to capture more of the leaves and some mountain views.  

Congratulations to these two and thanks for such a fun shoot!

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Vail Wedding Anniversaries - Roarks and Saunders

When the Roarks called me to shoot their parents 50th wedding anniversary, they mentioned that they were going to be staying in a rental house in Eagle Vail and that they would like to do the photos at the house. 

A few days later, I was contacted by the Saunders Family.  They were coming to Vail to celebrate 2 x 50th wedding anniversaries and they were going to be staying in Eagle Vail too.  Coincidentally, they were staying at the same rental house as the Roarks, one week later. 

Within the space of a week, 3 x 50th wedding anniversaries were going to be celebrated in the same rental house - and I was going to photograph all of them!

To mix things up, I did the Roark's shoot outside the house and we did the Saunders' photos at the Golf Course beside the house.  The mountain views are exactly the same though. 

Here's a mix of the photos, starting with the Roarks, followed by the Saunders.

Visit the website to see more Vail Family Photos.