Dreaming of summer (and free wedding cake)

It was nearly 65 degrees in Denver today (almost a record), and it got me thinking of how exciting the thought of summer can be in the deepest mid-winter. Except it wasn't mid-winter on this winter's day, it was like springtime. Which makes me think of summer colors. And summer adventures. Lots of them.

See, in Denver, the months of January thru early April-ish are officially sponsored by two colors: brown and gray. And unless you trek up to the mountains for a winter-wonderland feel, it's a unique challenge to get some colorful nature backgrounds in the city.

You implore your client to bring the fuschia-infused scarf, and you explore the urban kaleidoscope in LoDo for the striking background you want. But the emerald-green foliage of summer, yes. The slow-motion sunsets of summer that seem to sing gold. Yes, that's the ultimate time for photos.

I also miss the free artisanal wedding cake. Summer can't come soon enough.

Embrace joy

Embrace joy.



And dinosaurs. Happy Sunday.

How I deliver your images

I remember how completely elated I was when I got my first CD/cassette stereo. Yes, it played both CDs and tapes. Like whoa. And the sound blew me away. I played Morphine pretty loud and my parents noticed. I can remember the sound of the CD starting to spin, and the sound of the laser-eye thing moving to play the first track.

I think I was 16. This was in 1995, when the following didn't exist:

+ iTunes
+ iPod
+ Amazon.com (it launched later that year, though)
+ and in my world, the internet

I kept that stereo all through college, playing my CDs an untold number of times. (Same thing went for DVDs. The first DVD I bought was Cast Away, in 2003.)

So much has changed in the past decade of tech that it's necessary to plan for the future when dealing with computer stuff. I've learned to "buy for the future". In my world of photography, file sizes are getting bigger; and the more weddings I shoot, the faster my hard drives fill up with photos.

As a photographer, I have to think how my client will be able to access their wedding photos, say, 5-10 years down the road. Just because they want to.

So I'm modifying the way I deliver my images to the client. While DVDs are popular and very usable, I think they'll go the way of the floppy disk. People stream movies online now. They download music. I literally haven't purchased a compact disc in a jewel case wrapped in cellophane in probably five years.

But I still need something tangible, and stylish. So I've decided to upgrade to USB flash drives...



They've been around for years, but I think they'll remain in the near future as one of the more reliable vehicles for data transfer. Some advantages of USB flash drives::

+ Flash drives have no moving parts and don't add unnecessary movement inside your computer, like DVDs.
+ A flash drive can't get scratched or besmudged with fingerprints, and is harder to break than discs.
+ Most PCs and Macs have USB ports.
+ Flash drives can hold a lot more data than a DVD.

Often, my collection of wedding + engagement images need multiple DVDs, so I'm thrilled to have it all in one place now. Transferring files takes less time than burning on several discs, which had labels that sometimes hindered usability in my client's computer (especially self-printed labels, bad first-hand experiences on that note).

Plus, if I forget to add some pictures, I can just remount the flash drive and add them. I don't have to burn a new disc.

Flash drive is easy. Put pictures on drive, send to client, they mount on computer, and they transfer.

Most importantly, my presentation can still be stylish and branded. The flash drive and its box is personalized with my company colors and logo. And they're bedazzled with my clients' names and wedding date.

The box is just big enough to make a statement, but just small enough to keep in a box of wedding memories (like with their wedding book) without taking up too much space.

So glad this has made the experience so much better! Interested in knowing more about your wedding photography experience? Click below.

+ Email Chris for wedding photography bookings and inquiries. 2011 is filling up, and 2012 is only a year away.
+ Check out future wedding images by Chris — subscribe to this blog via Google Reader by clicking here.

Goal: to concentrate

Details can be shy at times. Almost standoff-ish. They're like cats, actually. Gain their trust with patience, and then you can take the shot.

Introducing wedding books (Part 1 of 3)

When you invest in your wedding photographer, you're also investing in the future. So much goes into the wedding day, but so little actually physically stays with you after the fact. The cake is sliced up for guests, the tuxes are returned, and have you seen how fast they clear those reception tables, like whoa.

That's why you want your photographer to offer wedding books. I mean custom-designed, custom-tailored books that feature the most important pictures of your day. Digital files on your computer is one thing; an actual physical book telling your story is so much more.

The first of three books included in my collections is the Lustre Book, a genuine leather-bound book with heavy cardstock lustre-finish pages that lie flat. It's pretty amazing. Here's the 12x8" leather book for the client, with two duplicate 9x6" books for the parents::

This is one of a couple options for the cover design::


The photos are printed continuous across the spread. No gap that disrupts the photo:


This is actually the first time I saw my pictures printed on this new lustre stock, and I was pretty satisfied (think of it as halfway between matte and glossy).


Confession: I really didn't want to actually give it to Stephanie & Nick because I liked the book so much. They got married this past July in Bozeman, Montana and I love how we worked the big sky and trees into the design::


*I actually did end up delivering their books, but I got samples for myself to show future clients. Really happy with this first go.

I make the process of getting these books from computer screen to coffee table very very simple and easy for my clients. Trust me, a wedding book is totally worth the investment! Want to know details? Click below.


+ Contact Chris for wedding photography bookings and inquiries. 2011 is filling up, and 2012 is only a year away.
+ Check out future wedding images by Chris — subscribe to this blog via Google Reader by clicking here.

Pictures 2010: Image of the Year

Going through my favorite pictures of 2010, I didn't really have a clear frontrunner that *defined* my growth as a photographer last year. Not like last year. Then it hit me:: "It's not about the best photo, silly."

So right. Instead, I picked a picture that I've gone back to again and again over the past few months, and every time I was like, "Wow, I love that look. I love the spontaneity of the moment. All of the elements harmonized."

I love the bride's gaze. Her eyes just stunned me, so I stepped aside and concentrated on her eyes while she waited for her soon-to-be-husband to join her on the bench outside of the church.

I like how this picture is decently exposed. I like the contrast of shadows and highlights. Her dress and her hair just rocked the whole wedding day. The placement of people in background could have been better, but it's not about that here. It's the feeling. Sometimes stepping out of your own expectations for a minute can be so rewarding.

(More pictures from this wedding here.)

I still have mucho mucho to learn with finding more of these moments during a supercharged, sometimes hectic, wedding day. But I'm learning more and more how to be both outside of the frenzy and within it. I'm excited to explore that bubble even more this year as a photographer. So here's to it!

Tech::
Canon 50D
Canon 85mm f/1.8
1/200sec, f/2.8
ISO 800

+ Contact Chris for wedding photography bookings and inquiries. 2011 is filling up, and 2012 is only a year away.
+ Check out future wedding images by Chris — subscribe to this blog via Google Reader by clicking here.

Pictures 2010: Weddings, People in Love and Dreams in Color

There is something of the whimsical in a marriage of color and form. These designs trace back billions of years to the birth of time, when they simmered in a black bath, when the concept of a line was only a dream.

Now, we are confounded by the wide-eyed mischief of a light-obsessed being. I am a photographer, and I explore the relationships of light and shadow as they dance beyond me. I've come to know there are purple lyrics in an orchid; I know I can find the measureless undercurrent of a mutual gaze.

When I take your picture, I look for the liquid qualities of light, and the colors that paint the world. Some moments are touched up with tints of orange, yellow and jewel-fire red. I've become familiar with blue hues—raw winter blue, beach-party summer blue. Summer green is king of the jungle. The burst of autumn orange is more mysterious than any spring mauve. Indigo is fleeting. Purple is attractive, rich and lusty. Green revels in subterranean rarity, and yellow in a rare drop of honey.

The camera is more a kaleidoscope than machine. Our tool remains simple in its brilliance. How else could you view the world through someone else's eyes so easily, than through pictures?

The cover image to Dana and Micah's wedding book, from their Manor House wedding::




The cover image to Stephanie and Nick's wedding book, from their Bozeman wedding::




High-energy dance party at Anand and Lindsey's wedding::


Last picture taken at Hilary and Tim's wedding::






From Anand and Lindsey's urban e-session::




The Oval Wedding::


















































Stylin and profilin at Mariarosa and Paul's City Park wedding::










































































Candy a-go-go at Krista and Micah's Space Gallery wedding (I still think about that grape licorice)::




















Favorite picture from Courtney's family shoot at Wash Park::















Some things I learned this year:

+ Style is borne out of intent.
+ Fear is the bitch of laziness.
+ Back-button selective focus is the key.
+ Flash will be your best friend if you let it.
+ Silence is golden if you want the scene to unfold.
+ MST3K is excellent background noise for editing.
+ Even light is good light.
+ For great pictures, know thyself before knowing bells and whistles.
+ They're not kidding: PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.
+ Coopetition (cooperation + competition) will make the industry more successful.
+ 2010 was pretty amazing, and I want 2011 to be even more so. So let's get started!

+ Contact Chris for wedding photography bookings and inquiries. 2011 is filling up, and 2012 is not too far away.
+ Check out future weddings by Chris — subscribe to this blog via Google Reader by clicking here.
+ Check out the portfolio back at my wedding site. Peace!