bailey. adam. just married. (a quick preview)

One of the things that I love about being a photographer is the way that we become part of the special moments in people's lives. Weddings are one of the most intimate celebrations to share with a family, and it was such an honor to celebrate the marriage of Bailey and Adam with their families.

Their reception was set poolside at Seville in Gilbert. On my visit to the country club a few weeks ago, even my creative mind could not have imagined how the staff transformed the space into such an elegant setting for a sunset dinner.
I particularly liked the contrast of the rust colored linens with the aqua color of the pool.
As I headed down from Flagstaff, I noticed some funky clouds in the sky, and hoped they lasted until the sun went down. Adam had told me he really wanted a photo of him and his bride with a signature Arizona sunset. While I cannot tell Mother Nature what to do, I was so glad she cooperated. The sky was amazing that evening.


One thing I simply could not get over was Bailey's stunning beauty. As we laughed and joked about how much the camera loved her, her bright red lips and giant eyes reminded me of a 50's pin up girl. Simply gorgeous.

And did I mention these two were hilarious? It seemed like we were constantly cracking jokes and laughing, in between the serious pauses to take a formal shot. But we got some dramatic ones too.


I really love this one, where the look on Adam's face says it all: "I am the happiest man in the world, to have this amazing woman as my wife."
After all the formal photos were done, we joined the family down by the pool for lots of dancing, laughing and celebrating. I have truly never seen a group of people so filled with love for one another, and having so much fun together, in celebration of two amazing people united in marriage.

To check out the rest of the photos from the evening, please click here.

learn to blossom.

Shari and I met up in a park in Lakewood to shoot her business portraits for her company, Blossoming. She really wanted shots out in nature, because she wanted to reflect not only her love of nature, but the fact that the form of therapy she practices truly is "all natural." As we walked through the park, we talked and laughed, and she shared with me some of the new developments her business is taking.

For someone who seems to hate having her picture taken, she was a great subject. As we shot frame after frame, I witnessed a common transformation in many portrait sessions: stiff and uncomfortable to soft and relaxed. As a photographer, I enjoy fostering that level of trust and ease so that a person's true essence can shine through.

In her line of work, Shari often sees a similar transformation in the clients she works with. When they come to her, they can be closed off, unsure, or hurt. She helps people to bloom, to open up, to let their inner self glow. Shari is a personal transformation specialist.

When most people hear the word "hypnosis," they think of a magic show act that gets a pretty girl up on stage clucking like a chicken against her will. They imagine someone using "mind control" to manipulate someone into doing things they would not ordinarily do.

Used therapeutically, hypnosis is a powerful tool to overcome the conscious mind and help a person to become a better version of themselves, whether it be to quit smoking, lose weight, or simply deal with emotional issues that are difficult to face.

So rather than calling herself a hypnotherapist, Shari Gordon has titled herself "Chief Blossomer." Shari uses a variety of techniques to teach people how to become the best version of themselves. She hosts a series of classes called "Project Blossom" and is available for private sessions as well. She can be reached at 303-570-5661, or you can email her.

If you would like to hear some of my own personal experiences with hypnosis under Shari's guidance, please feel free to email me.

The rest of her portrait session can be found here.

family portrait time.

"Family Portrait Day" is a phrase that has the ability to strike terror in the very souls of many. When was the last time you had a family portrait taken? Have your kids sprouted up (as they all tend to do)? Have you added any new family members? Babies? Spouses? Is your son's ex-girlfriend, whom he can't stand the sound of her name, in it? I know our family can list many of the above reasons for needing to update the family portrait. Those holiday cards and newsletters will be going to friends and family around the world. Why not include a current family portrait for them?

Announcing our fall family portrait package!

$279 includes:

60 minute session at the location of your choice

20 holiday cards printed on Kodak Professional Endura Metallic paper

$100 in print credits .

An additional charge of $15 per person will be added for parties greater than six people.

A $50 retainer fee is required at the time of booking to reserve your session time. Reservations made prior to September 30th will receive an additional $25 in print credits.

Space is limited, call to book your session today! 720-227-5505. Dates are available in Denver and Seattle as well.

emily.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

This session was awesome. I have known Emily since she was about five years old, but I was truly floored when she came to me and said that she wanted me to take her senior portraits. Knowing her family's "usual" flavor for portraits, I wasn't sure that accepting was a great idea. I didn't want her to be disappointed when her photos weren't of the cheesy-background-in-a-department-store-studio style. She insisted.

I haven't slept in three nights in anticipation of this shoot. I had a ton of ideas, but still wasn't sure that my client and I were on the same page. So we headed out to the beautiful ponderosa forest of Northern Arizona this afternoon and went in search of some decent places to take pictures. I wanted to avoid, at all costs, the typical senior portrait of my generation: letter jacket wearing senior leaning against or hugging skinny pine tree.

Let me tell you this girl did not disappoint. She climbed up rocks, mossy wet slopes, laid in rotted out tree stumps, and ventured down a dark and muddy wash, all for the sake of some great portraits. As we hiked and talked, I asked her why she wanted me to shoot her portraits so badly. She said, "because I'm not an ordinary person. I don't want my senior pictures to be ordinary." Ahh, a girl after my own heart. Her reason for wanting me to shoot her photos were the exact reason I wanted to start shooting senior portraits. To take a step away from ordinary.

The rest of her awesome session can be found here.

katie.

I have to be honest: I didn't get the best start on this portrait session. Fighting sleep, the elements, and copious amounts of traffic, I was a little frazzled when I arrived to shoot this gorgeous gal, my first senior in the class of 2010.
A funny thing happens when you have the coolest gal in the world to shoot -- you forget all that was wrong with the day and just focus on capturing her beauty. We quickly jumped into our session and started talking and laughing and having a blast.


Katie is one of those girls that's just darn cool. She was an excellent subject, taking direction and posing as if she'd done it her whole life.

And the thing I love most is that she was adventurous. If I asked her to climb up something, she did, despite the fact that she had on four inch stillettos. Lean on a hot piece of metal, hold it while it sears your flesh? You got it.

I had a great time in this session, and am enjoying going through all of the images. The problem is, when you have someone that doesn't take a bad photo, it's hard to narrow them down to a reasonable number to work with. At least I don't have the burden of picking the one for the yearbook (sorry Katie). The rest of the photos from the session can be viewed here.

the delgadillos.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here in Arizona this summer and I feel super fortunate for the opportunity to shoot Christi & Andres and their darling daugher, Krysta. I enjoy seeing couples who are so in love that it shows in every photo you see. Krysta was a kick when, at the end of the session, she sat down and began nibbling on the grass as we shot some of just mom & dad.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

jess. scott.

If you know Jess & Scott, you'd know that they are two of the most hilarious people you'll ever meet. So their little bundle of joy is in for a ride with these two as parents. Since they decided to keep the sex of the baby a surprise, we'll have to wait until August before we can actually say "him" or "her" (although I hear boys are prominent in the McTaggart family line!). These two were so goofy as we wandered around a school playground, shooting photos and cracking jokes about how this baby might think its parents are nuts. Well kid, they are, but we love them despit.

I am looking forward to meeting this new little one in a few short months.

brenda. andrea. bff's.

Upon arriving at Union Station in Denver, Andrea and Brenda immediately let their hair down and started goofing off like the best friends they have been for the past eight years. They were so great in coloring outside the lines a little to get the unique & interesting shots. I also managed to avoid being hit by a few cars while getting some of the shots, and just as we finished the session, we were serenaded by a street performer.

zane.

Zane had to be the world's easiest baby to shoot. We got all of these shots in a span of 20 minutes, on a cold and windy day. But Zane didn't seem to mind. He just smiled and giggled and showed off those darn cute dimples.

joanne.

Joanne was the funniest young lady -- she has a natural beauty about her and yet, she didn't seem to believe that she looked as great as she did. She was adventurous though, climbing up onto walls and finding great places to shoot her at her best.

connie.

Connie was such a doll. We had fun running all over the Wash Park neighborhood and grabbing shots in doorways, windows, and alleys.

jamela. reggie. love.

There's nothing like a couple in love. I had the pleasure of meeting Jamela & Reggie through another client of mine. In December, I spent an hour with their family, laughing and joking and fitting family portraits in between. I'm looking forward to their wedding next summer; if this session was any indication, it's going to be a blast.

favorites.

eli.

The creative act lasts but a brief moment, a lightning instant of give-and-take, just long enough for you to level the camera and to trap the fleeting prey in your little box. ~Henri Cartier Bresson