Horsefly Mesa Wedding, Telluride

I'd like to extend a sincere Thank You to Melissa Plantz for the invitation to shoot this wedding with her earlier this summer - hopefully the start of a great working relationship!

Fortunately (as this was a destination wedding), this Saturday wedding avoided the cycle of showers that day (what a wet summer it has been in Colorado!) as its location was just far enough from the mountains on one of the local mesas. From there, we got to watch the weather come and go over the Wilson Range while we basked comfortably under one of our trademark Colorado skies.

Dogs, kids, touching and thoughtful do-it-yourself touches everywhere - it was a joy to shoot! Oh - and the carriage was a surprise to the bride from her father that day - what a great element of charm it added to the celebration!

What a beautiful gift it is to be invited to share in such an intimate celebration of love, intimate family and friends... it is incredible how much I feel for these couples after shooting their weddings, even when, as in this case, I met them for the first time that morning! I truly do wish them a life of happiness! And I once again feel so lucky to do what I do!!

Architecture of Jim Hardy

Had a blast shooting this gorgeous contemporary home a few weeks ago in Telluride, Colorado for James Hardy, Architects. Exquisite attention to detail, exposed structure and mining vernacular blended beautifully with the softer, more textural finishes of the interiors, making the job of photographing this home highly satisfying!

Wedding at Greyhead Owner's Cabin

June 13, 2009...

This intensely joyful, intimate and FUN wedding was a blessing for me to shoot. We woke to a stunningly perfect Colorado blue sky, but by the hour of the ceremony, the rain had grown over the mountains. It broke just long enough for a shortened outdoor ceremony, which, as far as the photos go, made for gorgeous skin tones on the wedding party, and the raindrops that started to fall as the groom heard those words, "You may kiss the bride" added beautifully to the perfection and almost other worldly quality of the day. Stunning.

The Bride and bridesmaids peaking out at the site for the ceremony, smiling joyfully despite the passing mountain rainshower.

Officiant and friend adds a moment of humor to the ceremony

The raindrops start to fall...

Sun re-emerges for the reception!

Architecture + Weddings ...

Architectural Photography + Wedding Photography...

... May seem like an odd combination, but each represents a soulful connection to the world around and within us. I suppose, for me, they each represent one of the more significant milestones in our lives - iconic dreams that we hold from childhood - each of which brings us to a new phase of our lives. The photography of each, if executed well, allows a viewer a glimpse into someone else's dream space...

This blog will celebrate both - beautifully designed architecture and joyfully lived weddings - as seen through my camera (currently my beloved Canon 5D).

It is every bit as different an experience to photograph each as you might imagine... Architecture (for which I have an undying love following a Master of Architecture degree and several years in the design profession) will sit for you unflinchingly while the light plays its magic within and around the spaces, and generally, you have many chances to get the shot the way you want it.

In stark contrast, each moment leading up to, during, and following a wedding ceremony is beyond fleeting and as such, work as a wedding photojournalist is hugely weighted with significance, but when I start to watch the images emerge as I edit the shoot, it is unimaginably and profoundly rewarding to know that these moments are captured forever.

Sensitivity above all else, followed by patience and passion for the subject matter are required for both genres of photographic work, and I find both to be among the most satisfying work I could ever imagine being lucky enough to do!