Miller Ranch Open Space Family Photos - Doty Family

I had the best time shooting with the Doty Family at our recent shoot at The Miller Ranch Open Space. I met the Doty's because our sons are in the same kindergarten class.  I'm really enjoying getting to know so  many of the families from our school.  It's a very small charter school, with lots of parent participation.  The Doty's are really involved with the school and I'm only new to it, but I'm trying to volunteer as much as I can too.

The leaves were perfect for their shoot!  Less than a week later they were all pretty much gone.  Of course there were plenty of trails for the boys to run on, logs to jump off and rocks to play on down by the river.  Here a few shots from their shoot.

Visit the website to see more Vail Family Photos

Vail Elopement Wedding Photographer - Andrea and John

I've received several emails in the last couple of weeks from couples looking for someone to shoot their elopement.  Being that I mostly shoot small, intimate weddings, elopements pretty much fall into my line of work.

Andrea and Johnny were one of the couples that contacted me.  They had their ceremony at Red Rocks down in Denver and then drove up to Vail for the weekend.  They stayed in their wedding garb for the drive and asked me to take photos of them in Vail as soon as they arrived.  They were staying at The Arrabelle, so we kept the shoot to Lionshead, taking advantage of the mountains, the Gore Creek and the architecture of the Arrabelle.

Andrea had requested a photo with the sunset in the background.  Unfortunately, the sun is setting so early at the moment that we decided it probably wouldn't work, particularly with the tall buildings in Lionshead blocking the light.  As we were walking down to the creek, I found a tiny sliver of light behind Chair 8 and we were able to make it work!  

Visit the website to see more Vail Wedding Photos

Vail Real Estate Photographer - The Cabin

I focus primarily on portrait photography, but I also do a lot of real estate photography.  Recently, I had the opportunity to shoot the oldest house in Vail, which is now available on VRBO.  The house is over 100 years old and is iconic within the community.  Surrounded by newer houses, the cabin is a landmark that all locals know of, due to it's highly visible location along the Gore Creek.  The new owners have made some amazing renovations to the interior of the house.  I would know - my 25th birthday party was held there...just a couple of years ago...

Visit the website to see more Vail Real Estate Photography

Vail Family Photos - Treichel Family

I like it when clients come to me with a particular style of photography that they're looking for.  When Alma contacted me to take photos of her family, she sent me examples of a previous photo session they'd done in Chicago.  There style was much more candid, which is always a great way to capture children.

 Originally we were going to shoot on Vail Mountain, but the area we wanted to use was under construction and quite literally, covered in red tape.  The location on Vail Mountain had the most amazing view of the Gore Range.  To make up for it, we did 45 minutes of our session in East Vail along the bike trail and then headed to a spot on the Vail Golf Course to get the best view of the Gore Range from the valley floor.  Check out our their gorgeous french bulldog.  She completely stole the show!

Visit the website to see more Vail Family Photos

Silverthorne Family Photos - Wildernest

2 years ago, I did newborn photos for Addison over the hill in Silverthorne.  I was excited when her Mom, Natalia, contacted me to do a fall photo session with the whole family.  As an added bonus, we got to bring the dogs along with us.

We hiked to the top of a small peak in Wildernest, with perfect views of the mountains, the leaves and Lake Dillon.  The dogs were so well behaved!  I kept having visions of what my Beansy would do in that situation.  It would certainly involve plenty of digging and chasing wild animals, not sitting sweetly like these two!

It was also really awesome to see how much Addison had grown.  Working with families as children grow is certainly one of the biggest perks of the job :)

Visit the website to more Colorado Fall Family Photos

Vail Wedding Photographer - Four Tips for Capturing Wedding Photos and Staying Discreet

A new camera on the market has been brought to my attention.  Light have introduced the L16 camera, which has the ability to take DSLR quality photos in a camera the size of a smart phone. This got me thinking about how much gear I carry with me when shooting weddings.  I shoot with two DSLR cameras on a chest harness.  One camera has a wide 17-40mm lens and the other has 24-70mm portrait lens.  Both cameras have flashes and light diffusers attached. That's a lot of gear!  So if a wedding photographer carries so much gear, how can they be discreet and still get the shot?

1: Dress Comfortably

Recently I saw a wedding photographer dressed in a full tuxedo.  I couldn't think of anything worse! For high end events in Vail, we have a dress standard that's referred to 'Mountain Casual'. Translated, this means dress nicely but sensibly.  If I'm shooting a wedding, it's not uncommon for me to be walking through long grass, mud, snow, rain, river beds and obviously, over mountains.  This means sensible shoes.  I also wear black dress pants, a black shirt and usually a black cardigan.  Whatever I'm wearing, I have to be able to move and stretch.  If I can't move, I can't get the shot.

2:  Be Prepared

If it's good enough for a boy scout, it's good enough for a photographer.

Do a walk through at the location, check on the light (both artificial and natural), clean your gear, buy batteries for your flashes, have clients fill out a questionnaire, create a shot list, visualize your ideas, talk to the officiant, get the wet weather plan, check the weather forecast on multiple apps, research ideas for large wedding parties, look up ideas for small wedding parties, plan a route for photos throughout the location, pack a snack, take sunscreen, bring an umbrella, check your camera bag multiple times, make sure you have enough memory...you get the drift.

Be both strategic and adaptable for any situation that may arise.  Nothing will draw more attention to you than being unprepared!

3:  Ninja Mode

We wedding photographers wear black for a reason.  We want to blend in and not draw attention to ourselves.  We also want to be light on our feet.

I like to shoot from all angles during the ceremony.  I start by taking centered shots from the aisle, both wide and tight.  Then I move to each side and repeat.  I'll be back in the center to get the vows, exchange of rings, the first kiss and the recessional.  With all of this moving about, I have to be quiet and quick.  This means moving in and out of each location as nimbly as possible.

In order to do this, you need to know your gear backwards, forwards, inside and out in order to get the photos that the clients want - like a ninja!

4:  You're on the Clock

This one is personal and some photographers may disagree with me.  I worked for years in the resort industry, helping to plan weddings on top of the mountain. Because of this, I'm very conscious of my role during a wedding.  I don't eat vendor meals in front of clients and I don't drink alcohol during events.  I'll carry a snack with me and eat it somewhere out of sight of guests, quickly and usually during dinner service.  I find that dinner is the best time to walk around and grab a photo of each table.  This ensures that I've taken at least one image of every guest at the event.

When I'm done for the day, I'll go home and have a glass of wine in the comfort of my own home, make-up free and in my pajamas!

Visit the website to see more Vail Wedding Photos

Cordillera Wedding Elopement - Bobbi and Russ

Did you know that a couple can marry themselves?  I didn't, so I was intrigued when Bobbi contacted me and explained that she and Russ would solemnize their own wedding, which is permitted in the state of Colorado.  

Their elopement took place at The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera, beneath the gazebo on their back lawn.  It was a perfect fall evening, where the weather was very warm, but the leaves were changing and there was snow on the surrounding mountains.  

After some very heartfelt wedding vows and bubbles (they even brought a glass for me!) we moved up to the Overlook Lawn for some fun sunset photos.  Here are a few photos from their special day.

Visit the website to see more Vail Wedding Photography