“You guys, it is cold, we have a steep hike ahead of us, this is going to be a crazy adventure. Amy do you have hiking shoes? no? just ballerina shoes? that should work too”
St Mary’s glacier trail is a step and quick 20 minutes hike. I was carrying a heavy camera backpack, Amy sported her ballerina shoes, athlete hikers were glaring at her, torn between laughing and screaming in fear for her. You get the best conversation while trudging up an icy trail. We laughed about the cold and we talked about life while I was sliding down a slope on my butt. We had semi philosophical conversation while trying to keep ourselves from falling. It felt like we came straight out of a Calvin and Hobbes’ comic book (Amy is the bouncy tiger).
In the end, we saw the magic of light seeping through trees while the wind made the snow twirl. We discovered the breath-taking views of St Marys, the twisty trees and frozen lake. We saw the sky turn pink and drove down to share beer and pizza at Beau Jo’s in Idaho Springs. This was an adventure that taught me more about Amy and Russ than any hourlong conversations.
I get to create the most beautiful connections while trudging on an icy trail with a bouncy ballerina and a future groom with the kindest eyes I have ever seen.
I can’t imagine how awesome this wedding is going to be at the Lakewood resort in Cable, WI!
Brittany and Jacob god married on a late summer day at the Curtis Ballroom. This very sweet couple crafted a colorful and warm atmosphere for their family and friends. I have known Brittany for a little while and love her laugh, sweet personality and artistry. Grateful for this beautiful wedding day <3
Special thanks to Hunter Odenthal who assisted Brian and I on this wedding.
The dress, flowers and shoes in the yellow, white and black color scheme of the weddingBrittany is getting ready at the Hyatt hotel 🙂Brittany’s dress, hanging from the balcony. Do not try this at home!Jacob is getting ready in his hotel room at the Hyatt Regency Denver TechBrittany and her bridesmaids overlooking the impressing hotel lobbyTimeless black and white images of the groom and his groomsmen, hanging out at the hotel’s balconiesBrittany is in front of the Curtis, she hold her custom made bouquet of sunflowersJacob and his groomsmen in front of the Curtis BallroomBrittany and her Bridesmaids are standing in front of the Curtis BallroomBrittany and her bridesmaids are crossing the street of Greenwood Village, Beatles styleIn any urban setting I like to find a road for my wedding party to walk on.The weeding party gathered in the venue’s entrance for a formal. Small spaces sometimes allows for creative posing that create timeless imagesBrittany and her dad walk down the aisle!Brittany and Jacob’s ceremony was at 6 pm, which allowed for soft golden tones on their picturesJacob’s nephew had the rings, his dad is helping him untie them from the pillowBrittany and Jacob poured paint on a canvas to symbolize their unionThe Curtis Ballroom us a lovely venue, its modern architecture blends well with the views of Greenwood VillageThe yellow and black decorations and candy table match this colorful and happy wedding!Jacob and Brittany during their first dance
Abby and Brett got married on a beautiful summer day on a golf course. This young and happy couple arranged a really gorgeous wedding of pink, gold and cream.
Abby’s dress, shoes and ring . The bridesmaids necklaces were Abby’s gifts.Abby and her bridesmaids wear matching robes to hang out by the poolsideAbby is getting ready with the help of her mom and bridesmaidsAbby is getting ready in her hotel room in Lakewood ColoradoAbby is posing in her hotel hallwayAbby and her bridesmaids walk around downtown GoldenAbby and her bridesmaids walk on the streets of downtown GoldenAbby and her bridesmaids downtown Golden, on the main bridgeAbby and her Bridesmaids on a shoot around Golden, ColoradoBrett is getting readyBrett getting readyImages taken in high noon on the golf course, we used the sunglasses and cold drink to help the groom and his groomsmen to feel more comfortable in the sunThe flowers and table decoration (pink, white and gold) reflected the wedding colors.A gorgeous little flower girlsThe ring bearer, flower girl, bridesmaids and Abby’s brother and of course the bride and her dadAbby and Brett’s ceremony at Fossil TraceView of the ceremony area and the wedding detailsA unique group picture of the wedding partyAbby and Brett on the Golf CourseAbby and Brett’s flowers reflect the wedding colors of light pink and goldThe groom and bride’s kiss on Fossil Trace golf courseAbby and Brett’s first dance
The first time I met Katie was during a meeting for Art as Action’s show “Break Open” . The first thing she told me was, “I like to work with fire. Can you photograph fire?”
I had no idea how, but went “Sure!”
Hey, why not…right? So we did a fire session as practice for her engagement.
Engagement Fire Session
But on the day of the engagement session, it was so windy that we didn’t get to the fire. Instead there was Katie and David, me, Brian (my trusty assistant), a bike, and a bed.
Katie (Mesmerie) is an aerialist, hula hooper, and fire breather artist.
David (aka The Fermentor) is a foodie who is completely fearless. He rides his bike everywhere, loves passionate people and risky behaviors. Katie loves to say that he is the dangerous one 🙂
For this session I wanted to give them some classic, colorful, and timeless images.
I also enjoy sneaking secret messages and dates in my images 🙂
Because she is a performer and he is happily joining her on stage, I thought a bit of a cinematic feel was in order.
Denver can be very windy, which can also be a very lucky thing.
David’s bike is very important to him. They told me that we had to find a way to have it in our shoot 🙂
I agreed to the bike and then thought: If we are going to have a couple, a photographer, an assistant, and a bike with a trailer, we might as well carry a bed!
So we did.
We walked two blocks with a headboard, footboard, side rails, bed slats, pieces of plywood, mattress, bedding and pillow. In the wind of course.
It was so worth it!
The “bed” shoot was important to me as I wanted to add a fine art feel to the session, and after all, that is why they hired me! (little did they know about carrying all that stuff, but never mind..)
The bed was set by the Rialto. We built it in 5 minutes, the shoot lasted 10. By that time, an uncomfortable amount of onlookers started gathering on the side walk and it was time to move on. We only had one homeless guy try to lie down. Not too bad!
After the bed episode, we were so tired that we stopped for a beer. I convinced them to do one more shot (not of Tequila! ) and we settled down in the middle of Larimer street.
This shoot was CRAZY.
I loved it because it was completely fearless.
I also loved it because Katie and David understand that images become art in the hands of passionate people. There is no way to create something awesome without a bit of hard work, but it was their priority to do whatever it took to turn this session into a series of unique, artistic images. They also understood that this shoot was a collaborative work where every creative idea was welcome and tested. There was no right or wrong, no judgement, and the process was exactly the same as the one described in my fine art portraiture blog.
Needless to say, I can’t wait for their wedding on August 9th!
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