Vail Mountain Family Photos - Mid-Vail - Curtis Family

Being that it's Christmas week, I've been busy with photo orders, gift certificates, and last minute sessions for digital cards.  I'm taking a quick break from it all this morning to catch up on some posts. 

It's no secret that our snow situation is a sad sad state of affairs at the moment. I may or may not have spent the best part of the last month photoshopping snow into holiday photos.  This is my 16th winter in Vail and I've never seen it like this.  However, my recent shoot with the Curtis Family had conditions that were absolute perfection. 

Because of the lack of snow, Vail Mountain has been offering free scenic rides on both of the gondolas.  Gondola 1 opened for foot passengers the day of our session and we'd had about 4 new inches of snow the night before.  Being that it wasn't open to skiers, we were able to get clear shots without worrying about crowds of the kids getting knocked down.  The sun was shining, the Gore Range looked stunning and the snow guns provided an interesting backdrop.  This was one of my favorite sessions of the year.

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Vail Maternity Photos - Sharp Family

I've been taking photos with the Sharp Family for a while now and it's been exciting to see their family grow over the years.  I was so excited when Amber asked me to take maternity photos for their next addition and luckily we had some lovely (though very cold) weather when we set out to take their photos on Christmas Eve.  

Christmas week is notoriously one of the busiest, if not THE busiest week of the year in Vail, so crowds were going to be challenge when shooting in the village.  Luckily, I have lots of secret spots that are easy to access and just a few steps away from the hordes of skiers.  

I know I've said it before, but red really is the best accent color in the snow - especially on Christmas Eve!  This session was followed by another session with the extended family.  More to come on that shortly!

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Vail Mountain Christmas Photos - Korch Family

I have been taking Christmas photos for the Korch Family for several years now, so it was great to be able to see them again recently for their 2016 session.  We usually shoot at their house, but due to renovations at their house, we decided to shoot at Golden Peak instead.  

Mid-day is usually an awful time to take photos, but if you're shooting on snow, you can take advantage of light reflecting off the snow which makes for great lighting.  The girls were able to build a snowman and have a snowball fight, before a quick outfit change for photos in front of the fireplace at Manor Vail Hotel.  

Here are some highlights from their session.

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Vail Village Family Photos

Alyssa and Andrew met in Vail Village several years ago, so it was fitting that we shot their family photos in the village while they were visiting on a recent vacation.  We were able to take advantage of some of the key landmarks in the village, like the Covered Bridge and the Gore Creek, before we drove out the Vail Golf Course to finish the session in front of the Gore Range.  

Here are some of the highlights from their session.  

  Visit the website to see more Vail Family Photos

Vail Family Photos - Mueller Family

The holidays are the time of year when we start getting lots of multi-generational families in town.  The Mueller's were visiting over Thanksgiving, so it was a great time to get photos for their holiday cards.  We decided to shoot at Stephen's Park in West Vail to take advantage of the recent snowfall and beautiful sunny weather.  

With two brand new babies in tow, we did some cajoling to make sure they were bundled up nice and warm, got everybody situated and quickly dropped the blankets when we were ready to go.  We were on a tight schedule because they were hitting the road to Nebraska as soon as the session finished.

Here are a few shots from their session.  

Vail Family Photos - Brodie Family

Sometimes I'll get a request for a mini session.  Most photographers will offer mini session specials throughout the year.  This year I haven't had the opportunity to run one, but I've done a few by request.  When Jill contacted me to do a half hour session in East Vail, I was happy to oblige.  

They were staying at The Vail Racquet Club, right beside the Gore Creek.  The views in East Vail are some of the most dramatic in the valley, with steep mountain grades, several waterfalls and hiking trails.  Even though we only shot for 30 minutes, we were able to use about 10 different backgrounds because all of the features were in such close proximity.

Here are a few of my favorites from their session.

Visit the website to see more Vail Family Photos