Summer Recap - Vail and Beaver Creek Photos

The mornings and evenings are starting to cool off here in Vail and this week I even had to pull out my slippers from the back of my closet.  Such is life in the mountains.  The leaves are slowly starting to turn, so it's time to have a look back on the summer.  Over the last 10 weeks, I've worked with 55 different families, shooting portraits, proposals and events.  It's been the busiest summer on record, but also the most rewarding.  I've worked with families from every corner of the country in both Eagle and Summit County and I've been able to meet some of the funniest and cutest kids along the way.  

Everyone's officially back in school now, so it's time to start working towards leaf season and (eek!) the holidays.  Oh boy!

Visit the website to see more Vail and Beaver Creek Portraits and Events.

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.

Visit the website to see more Beaver Creek Family Photos.

Beaver Creek Family Photos - Miller Ranch Open Space

I had done a couple's session for Sarah and Jesse a couple of years ago, so I was excited when they decided to book a fall session with their children and brand new fur baby.  With the whole family in tow, we headed to the Miller Ranch Open Space in Edwards.  The Open Space has spectacular views of Beaver Creek, along the Eagle River.  If you can time it right with the leaves, it's the perfect spot for fall pictures. 

If you're wondering about the best colors to wear for fall photos, these guys had a great combo.  Blue and white for the neutral tones and dark red for the accent color.  It worked perfectly with all of the yellow. 

These are a few of my favorite shots from their session. 

                                   Visit the website to see more Vail Family Photos.

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!

Visit the website to see more Beaver Creek Family Photos.

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!

Visit the website to see more Beaver Creek Family Photos.

Beaver Creek Family Photos - What to Wear - Lacoste Family

We're officially into leaf season, which is one of my busiest times of year.  It's at this time that people start to ask what they should wear for the family shoots.  I tend to shoot in several locations within an hour for a family shoot.  This means that we'll be in different scenarios with varying light and changing colors for backgrounds.  

For my recent shoot with the Lacoste Family, we started along the river in Avon and then headed over to Beaver Creek.  They kept their colors neutral with blue and white as their base colors and pink as the accent color.  Also note that there were no clashing patterns or visible logos.  This helps to keep the subject the focus of the photos.

There are loads of ideas on Google on what to wear for photo shoots.  Some of them are combinations I'd never dream of, but somehow they work.  If you're struggling for ideas, you can go to Google Images for some fantastic ideas.

Visit the website for more Vail Family Photos.

Beaver Creek Family Photos - Karasow Family

Family members, take note:  A photo shoot is a fail safe Mother's Day gift!

Josh had contacted me in April because he wanted to do a photo shoot on Mother's Day for his wife Nicole.  The family were staying in Beaver Creek.  It was spring time, everything was lush and green and the summer crowds were yet to roll into town.  As a photographer, it doesn't get much better.

Only it does. With four gorgeous kids, I was prepared for the usual challenges.  Kids get tired during shoots and they lose interest.  Not these guys though.  There wasn't a single tantrum, no one was whining, they smiled sweetly and were the best behaved group of children ever!  I'm still trying to figure out how to emulate this in my house...we're a long way off 😄!!

The Mirabelle, Beaver Creek

Beaver Creek

Family Photos at the Mirabelle, Beaver Creek

Family photos at the Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa, Beaver Creek, Colorado

Family photos at the Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa, Beaver Creek, Colorado

Family photos at the Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa, Beaver Creek, Colorado

Family photos at the Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa, Beaver Creek, Colorado

Family photos at the Beaver Creek Chapel

Family photos at the Beaver Creek Chapel

Visit the website to see more Beaver Creek Family Photos.