Soaking Wet Bride!

WEARING A WEDDING GOWN IN A LAKE? WHAT IS THIS BRIDE THINKING? Well, Tenly was thinking that there's no better way to celebrate your fifth anniversary than by trashing your dress good and proper on camera! Tenly and her hubby Kevin dunked into Wellington Lake for our Trash-the-Dress session, and as you'll see later on, so did their photographer....

Click on any image to see an enlarged version.

Attack of the killer veil!

The killer veil claims its second victim!

That dress is good and WET. At one point we heard people on the opposite shore of the lake screaming "There's a bride in the water!" The tone was akin to "There's a fifty-foot woman!"

Apparently she's still easy to carry over the threshold, even soaking wet.

It's perfectly natural to lounge on the shore in your wedding gown

It was not warm in the lake. One might say it was cold, even.

One of my favorites! I would love to see it alongside a portrait of their kiss from their wedding ceremony. Still in love!

We enlisted some 10 year-olds to give our bride and groom another dousing. The boys were THRILLED to oblige... I had to remind them that this was a one-time gig and not to splash just any passing bride.

My friend Ronnie took this shot of me at work. Sometimes you just have to get IN the water... even if your equipment is very, very expensive.

Bride down! We've got a bride down!

By that last shot, I'd say Tenly's dress was good and trashed. Mission accomplished! On the drive back to Denver I think she and Kevin tossed the gown in a dumpster... beats hanging unused in a closet for the next forty years!

So who's next? You want to try mud? Rain? Paint ball?

Very AltF Hits Denver!

I had the pleasure of attending John and Dalisa Cooper's one-day photography workshop here in Denver today, and it was pretty amazing to be in the presence of the "grandfather of dress trashing." Today marked the Cooper's last stop in a month-long jaunt around the country, during which they injected photographers nationwide with their elegantly irreverent philosophy about the business. Seeing as how I feel about irreverence, I'M SO GLAD I WENT.

Highlights from a day of highlights... click on any image to see an enlarged version.

Bride Heather runs for the train

The view from behind John's right shoulder

John was working on a conceptual image (actualizing his veryaltf logo), and I was able to catch the bride in mid-flight - I love the motion of her hair and dress.

Heather strikes a pose against John and Dalisa's RV

Speaking of dress trashing, I had an opportunity to shoot my first trash-the-dress session this July; my friend Tenly and her husband Kevin decided to celebrate their five-year anniversary by dunking Tenly's wedding gown in a lake. YES! Here's a preview of a longer blog entry to come:

Damn, that is NOT DRY!

Let's hear it for summer fun amid wedding season mayhem! We all have to stay sane somehow, and as you can see below, I'm barely hanging on....

Shot by fellow photographer Eric Bakken at a recent wedding. Will I eat my camera? Throw it? Guess its weight? Who knows!

Fix 'N Flip Progress

I purchased an investment property with four partners in May of this year, and we're attempting to flip it and get it back on the market by September. Here's a selection of side-by-side images to document the progress we're making (and to validate my lack of free time).

The old living room becomes...

The new second bedroom!

***

The view from the front door was of the living room with a doorway into the kitchen.

The new view is of the living room and dining room, and the kitchen is moving all the way to the back of the house.

***

The old view from the north side of the living room to the south. The front door is on the right.

A new wall is going in, making this half of the living room the second bedroom.

***

A view of the front door from the old kitchen doorway

With the kitchen gone, this becomes a very long, light-filled, and open space which will double as the living and dining room.

***

The old kitchen window.

It's hard to tell with all the cabinets and appliances gone, but this is the same angle. The exposed brick will get removed, and the new window will be the same size as the one in the living room.

***

A view from the old kitchen into the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

The new hall entrance is much larger than a traditional door. Chris is standing in what will be the new main bathroom.

***

The old bathroom...

...looks like this when you take out the toilet, bathtub, and floor. This bathroom will be expanded into a new private bath for the master bedroom.

***

The corner of the old master as viewed from the door.

That same corner once you knock out the walls.

***

The old back wall of the master gets torn out...

...and eventually will be expanded all the way to the back of the house. We have to raise the floor and the roof first.

***

A view from inside the master bedroom leading out into the hallway.

You can see the whole house from here!

***

A view of the back door from the old laundry room.

This whole area will become the new kitchen once the floor and roof get raised. That back door will swing around that corner to the right.

***

The old useless concrete addition on the back of the house.

The floor (and ceiling) will go up, and this area will become half master bedroom (back) and half kitchen (front).

***

The old view of the laundry room from the back door, including the unwieldy, space-consuming mini-staircase.

In time this will become the view from the kitchen into the dining room, and the weird mini-staircase will swing around to create a continuous stairway leading down to the basement.

The drywall starts going in tomorrow, so things won't look this way for long! I'll post another round once the house gets its next major face lift. Stay tuned!

Chiquititos: A Selection of Babies!

I love, love, love the babies. They change so quickly... from being oh-so-edible to oh-so-uncatchable. Catch them while you can!

Click on any image to see an enlarged version.

A very pensive Miss Emily

Happy baby!

Daddy can show off his little girl to all the guys at the station

Who, me?

Marin is pretty in pink

I just love this little girl - so gorgeous!

Aaaah! When did she get teeth?

Petit bebe

A tired little honey

Momma Laura with baby Gus

Rockstar family!

The most well-behaved dogs I've ever worked with

The whole family... sans dogs

This happens a lot - nothing like a photo shoot to zonk out a baby

This family started out zonked. Wake up!

A suddenly alert Sam

It's like he's in an aquarium... a little baby sea monster

Bundled up baby!

Ella plays in the sun

Ella loves her mommy

Sssshh!

Summer Fun in A-town

The City of Aurora hosts some pretty incredible events throughout the year: last year I was fortunate to shoot the Kidspree event in July and the Jack-o-Launch Pumpkinfest in October. Here are some summery images to tide you over while April decides whether or not to launch spring.

Click on any image to see an enlarged version.

Adorable, face-painted baby

There was a whole tent set up with musical instruments available to test out

Inflatable castle!

This little girl won't be allowed back in the car to go home

Everybody loves a train

Tubatastic!

This kid was the happiest child in the entire world

Art, art, and more ART!

Those of you who know me strictly as a portrait photographer might be interested in knowing that I also offer a selection of art prints for sale; most of my art images feature my editorial work, including a lot of travel photography from Europe and South America. With my recent trip to Thailand, I can also add Asia to the list! On the art website I also showcase a large selection of plant portraits, cityscapes, and some miscellaneous prints. Custom matting and framing is available, so you have the option of having your art delivered ready to hang.

You can view my galleries here. Enjoy!

Summer Weddings

The summer of 2007 was a busy time for brides, grooms, and yours truly. Every Saturday saw me shooting a new wedding: I traveled to every corner of Colorado and even left the state four times. I say it qualified as a whirlwind summer.

Here are some images from those weddings to warm up your winter! Click on any image to see an enlarged version.

Kelly's father Peter walks her down the "aisle" in Danvers, Massachusetts

Dusk showed off the beautiful lighting at the expansive colonial estate where Kelly and Steve were hitched.

Kelly and Steve turn a corner as they complete their recessional

Marble statue make-out!


Bill and a groomsman mug for the camera in Cordillera, Colorado


Those are the eyes of a woman in LOVE

Stevane and Bill's wedding marks the first outdoor wedding I've shot where it actually poured... for about five minutes. Luckily the hotel provided these lovely white umbrellas for just such an occasion.


This couple never stopped laughing all day: what a pair!


Sarah's father has a hard time giving her away in Beaver Creek, Colorado

A headless ringbearer

A detail of the table namecards

This is why we love this state!

The kid on the right just won't crack! But you can tell he wants to...

My favorite photo of Todd and Sarah

A little sunset dancing

Kerri and her bridesmaids take a shortcut through the construction zone in Vail


A ride on the gondola is punctuated by what is definitely not water in Cole's flask

Kerri hits me with her killer smile as she and Cole are pronounced husband and wife on top of Vail Mountain


I loved this wedding. I want to go to this wedding again.


The best man's speech strikes the right chord

My congratulations to all the brides and grooms who sealed the deal in the summer of '07! You laughed, you cried, and I just tried to keep up. :)

Recent Headshots, Round 2

More headshots. All these cats are local, and some of them are young! Kirby is 17, and Swazi is only 13. Power to them... when I was 13 I don't know that my fragile, middle school-age ego could have taken the microscopic scrutiny that comes with the entertainment industry, but hey! Swazi is a pretty relaxed young man: it seems like he's got it covered. :)

Click on any image to see an enlarged version.

Cassia as CEO, if you please

This shot is more the Cassia I know and love... a little Lily Tomlin runs in her veins, that's for sure.

Kristin used to be a runway model, and it shows. The woman has grace to spare!

This shot is a favorite of her

An accessory changes everything!

Right after this shot I knocked Kristin out and stole her boots.

At the end of the shoot we let Kristin's dog Congo out of the car for a little lovin'.

Nanna is so funny, quirky, and interesting - we had a blast shooting. Half Japanese, half Irish is an ethnic combo I will envy until the end of my days.

Drama, drama

Lately I'm big on these larger-than-life shots. Huge smiles, lots of laughter... so often actors with big personalities get stuck with flat, lifeless headshots that do so little for them. Let it out, and let it live!

I do believe the phrase "cute as a button" applies here.

Swazi is certainly a young man to reckon with.

A little attitude goes a long way!

Aha... now he looks like a thirteen year-old.

Yes, Kirby is aware that he resembles Leonardo DiCaprio. No need to mention it.

This shot is hilarious! So delightfully young and great.

It's always good to have at least one shot that is totally stripped of image, irony, and character, especially when shooting young actors. Here you can tell that Kirby is essentially still a kid, even if he is on his way to college in the fall.

You must never ignore shoes of this color and pattern, even if it is technically a "headshot" you're shooting.

Thanks again to all these wonderful folks (and the wonderful parents of some of our younger stars) for the lovely time spent. We laughed, we cried, we made fun of the industry, and we did our best to deliver an honest product. Huzzah!

Recent Headshots, Round 1

I have a lot of work to share with you, so I'm going to group some shoots together and just broadside you with new material. Let's begin with headshots! Brooke, Tammy, and Jennifer are all actors local to the Denver scene (although Brooke is LA-bound. Good luck, girl!). Yuval and Matt's shoots are the results of two separate trips to NYC last year. Actors, actors, everywhere!

Click on any image to see an enlarged version.

Brooke does youthful! Brooke does energetic!

Brooke does quirky and interesting!

Brooke does bad!

I don't think Tammy could do bad even if it was an appropriate type for her. This woman is soooo kind and wonderful. If you had a smile like that would you turn it off? I didn't think so.

Demure and darling

Cute and funky. I'd hire her!

Secrets can be fun. Especially mischievous secrets....

Jennifer is direct, approachable, and honest in this shot. I dig it!

Okay, let me just address the obvious: Yuval is heart-stoppingly gorgeous. I mean, sheesh.

Can you see him as the Yale med student? Is that too specific a type?

Hold everything. We have a corporate shark on our hands. Get this kid on Cold Case now!

I shoot headshots for my dear, darling best friend Matt about once or twice a year. This time around, we decided to venture into a wackier realm. Bring out the quirks, put on the glasses, and quit trying so damn hard: let's bang the whole shoot out in thirty minutes and call it a day. This type of thinking earns us our best shots to date.... Typical.

Yes, you can wear a tie with a hoodie. Did no one tell you?

I love this shot - so funny!

I had a great time working with all of these talented and wonderful artists. A headshot session is an opportunity for me to really spend some quality time talking to another artist: we swap career goals, life trajectories, hopes, dreams, you-name-it. It's always an adventure! Best of luck to these fine actors as they each pursue the great, grand dream of making it in the Biz.

Josh & Cady's Wedding - July 7, 2007 Steamboat Springs, CO

Shooting Josh and Cady's wedding was a wonderful experience - first because they are close friends of mine, and it was special for me to be involved with their wedding day, and secondly because they created an experience that was truly unique. The intimate ceremony was held at the Yampah Botanical Gardens in Steamboat Springs, and Josh and Cady designed a ceremony that was thoughtful, interesting, and poignant. And as you can tell from their clothing, it was a casual, comfortable affair!

Click on any image to see an enlarged version.

Cady finishes her preparations

Josh tucks Cady in close during the ceremony

The motley crew of Josh's extended family

This shot of Josh and his grandmother cracks me up!

Cady and her bridesmaids

Josh and Cady pose street-style with our mutual friend Jonah, who officiated their ceremony

American Gothic?

Now THAT'S what you call a flower child photo

Some close friends and their absolutely edible son

It was so exciting to make the trip to Steamboat and to see my close friends get hitched! Thank you for including me, and congratulations!