Tag Archives: details

Personal Work

Wray, CO | The Other Half | Colorado’s Eastern Plains

The mountains of Colorado get a lot of love from photographers (for good reason). This is a really beautiful state, and the first subject that generally leaps to mind, is the mountains.

Having grown up spending a lot of time out on the Eastern Plains with relatives, when I think about cool places to shoot, this other half of the state really calls to me. Out on the plains, agriculture and open spaces rule. This gives photo opportunities that we rarely come across in the city. In the small towns, the pace of change is slower. Old buildings stick around longer. And history feels real, not like something that was made-up for the tourists.

Below I have a few pictures that were shot on a trip to Wray, CO (my Dad’s home town) last summer. They are all pictures of buildings, some in use, some abandoned. The images were all shot on a quick walk around town early on a Sunday morning. The streets were pretty much empty, so I had the place to myself. I was really happy with the textures and forms that I got with these pictures, also the detail visible in both highlights and shadows is really amazing – gotta love that black and white film.

Hopefully you will like these pictures, and if you are thinking about a quick photo trip, I would highly recommend taking a look at a map of Colorado, picking a small town out on the plains and pointing your car in that direction. You never know what beautiful pictures you will find along the state highways, county roads and small town streets.

You can click on any of the images to see them larger. Enjoy…

Garage, fence, house and trees

Two Sheds
Wooden house and trees

Large steel wall with a small window

Abandoned storefront

Tech Info:
Fuji GS645S
60mm f4 Fixed Fujinon Lens
Fuji Acros 100
Ilford Ilfotec DD-X Developer
Epson 4870 Scanner + VueScan + Adobe Camera Raw

Personal Work

Glenwood Springs, CO | Photo School | Pretty Pictures

There are a few places that I tend to think of as my “home towns”. I have spent most of my life in the Denver metro area so that is the most obvious. But another town that holds special meaning for me is Glenwood Springs, CO.

When I was a sophomore in high school  my family and I passed through Glenwood on vacation. I loved it – the old buildings, the mountains, the river – it just seemed like such a nice place to live. A couple of years later, I got the opportunity to live in Glenwood when I started attending photo school at Colorado Mountain College.

At CMC (sometimes referred to as See Me Ski), I learned the techniques, history and craft of photography. Being isolated in the hills above town, provided a perfect environment for learning. There really wasn’t much to do besides sleep, eat, go to class,  and work in the labs. This was back in the days when labs housed enlargers and chemicals rather than Macs and inkjet printers. But I did have a couple of classes using some new software called Photoshop.

During my first week at CMC, I did manage to find time to meet Julie. Who, as it turned out, was from right there in Glenwood. About three years later, we were married at a large house that overlooks the CMC campus and Mount Sopris. Julie’s Dad still lives in Glenwood, and we try to get up there every chance we get.

Below are some pictures from a trip to Glenwood back in the fall of 2007. These were all shot over the course of a couple overcast days on black and white film using a yellow filter. The yellow filter rendered the autumn leaves a very light tone and provided great contrast with the dark tree limbs.

I’m not sure if these are great pictures, but I like them, and they remind me of “home”.

You can click on any of the images to see them larger. Enjoy…

Glenwood Hot Springs water slides
Colorado Highway 82 bridge support

Building exterior and balcony
Dead flowers
Autumn tree

Tech Info:
Nikon F3
Nikon 35mm f2.8
Yellow Filter
Ilford HP5 Plus
DR5 Process (B&W Slide)

Camera Scan
Sigma SD9
Sigma 50mm f2.8 Macro
Photosolve Xtend-a-Slide

Documenting Your Family

Documenting Your Family | Photo Tips | Tell An Authentic Story

With the advent of digital scrapbooking, and inexpensive one-off book printing, it is more important than ever to tell a story with your pictures. Rather than thinking about your final product being a print, think about a series of prints or a layout in your very own coffee table book.

When you work in this way, not every picture needs to be able to stand on it’s own. If fact, they probably shouldn’t. Some pictures will just be there to reveal a detail or give a broader view. Some pictures may even be presented simply to give a visual break. The trick is to remember to shoot these “supporting” images as you are out shooting your more traditional portraits and snapshots.

Also, when you are working in a story format, not every picture needs to be technically perfect. You are free to do some experimentation – dramatic lighting, motion blur, soft focus, interesting angles, etc. These elements can all bring depth to a photo story, as long as you already have a few “safe” shots in the bag.

So, when you are out shooting pictures of your family, try to think about how the pictures you are making will work together as a story and whether that story authentically captures the situation.  Remember to experiment with different techniques and grab some of the supporting shots that will add the flavor to your story.

This weekend, get out with your family and try to find a story to tell. I’ll be curious to find out if you found this information useful.

Below is a series of images of Emma that I shot in Glenwood Springs, CO. You will notice that almost all of these are of the more “experimental” variety (my favorite variety) – We have a cropped portrait with dramatic light and motion blur; another portrait shot from a low angle; an “action” shot that focus on leaves and grass rather than Emma walking; a detail picture that doesn’t even include Emma; and a picture of her climbing on the playground, completely unaware of the camera.

Of course, there are a few elements that tie these disparate images together – Emma’s clothes and hair remain consistent, and the pictures were all shot on the same camera/lens/film combination. But I feel like the pictures are really unified and given a purpose by the final, traditional, portrait. It’s clean and sharp and she has a great expression on her face.

You can click on the images to see them larger and read a caption. Enjoy…

Portrait of a little girl with dramatic lighting

A little girl plays on playground equipment
A little girl walks away from the camera

Detail image of playground equipment
Little girl climbing on playground equipment
A little girl in a winter jacket smiles at the camera

Tech Info:
Nikon F3
Nikon 35mm f2.8
Ilford HP5 Plus
DR5 Process (B&W Slide)

Camera Scan
Sigma SD9
Sigma 50mm f2.8 Macro
Photosolve Xtend-a-Slide

Personal Work

Denver, CO | Follow Up | Quiznos Pro Challenge Press Conference

Cyclist at the state capitol on cell phone.
With today’s announcement of the route and host cities for next year’s Quiznos Pro Challenge, I thought it would be a good time to show a few more pictures from the announcement press conference back in August. My previous pictures from the event are over here.

I went downtown to hear the announcement and see if there would be anything interesting to photograph. To my surprise, thousands of cyclists showed up on their bikes to see the press conference and have a group ride with Lance Armstrong following the event. Needless to say, there was plenty to photograph.

I was mostly looking for interesting details and quirky situations, rather than traditional “news” or press conference images. The fact that I was shooting with a fixed 40mm lens certainly eliminated the possibility of getting close-ups of the speakers, but I do like the context provided by the crowd in the shots of Governor Ritter and Lance Armstrong speaking.

You can click on any of the images to see them larger and read the captions. Enjoy…

Cyclist is interviewed by a video crew
Cyclists talk as they wait for a press conference
Governor Bill Ritter speaks to a crowd of cyclists
Lance Armstrong speaks to a crowd of cyclists
A young boy watches cyclists pass by
A family of cyclists prepare for a huge group ride
A group of cyclists outside of the first Quiznos store
Cyclists in Livestrong and Colorado jerseys

Tech Info:
Canonet QL17 GIII
Canon 40mm f1.7 lens (fixed)
Legacy Pro 400 (AKA – Fuji Neopan 400)
Ilford Ilfotec DD-X Developer (7min @ 20C)

Camera Scan
Sigma SD9
50mm f2.8 Macro
Photosolve Xtend-a-Slide

Wedding

Boulder, CO | Chautauqua Wedding | Bride Getting Ready

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The getting ready portion of the wedding day is one of my favorite times to photograph. I try to blend in with the furniture and document all of the activity. The bride and bridesmaids are talking and interacting, making for really interesting photo opportunities.

Here we have ten of my favorite images from the getting ready part of the day at Kate and Brandon’s wedding at the Chautauqua Community House in Boulder, CO. These images were shot in a beautiful little cottage right across the street from the Community House.

You can click on any of the images to see them larger. Enjoy…

Bride applying make-up
Bridesmaids applying make-up

Bridesmaids applying make-up
Wedding dress hangs over the closet door

Wedding dress hangs over the closet door
The bride's shoes set on the floor

Bouquets, garters, and rings set on a dresser

Bridesmaids adjust the bride's veil
The bride adjusts her dress

Tech Info:

Black & White

  • Nikon F100
  • Nikon 50mm f1.4
  • Legacy Pro 400 (AKA Fuji Neopan 400)
  • Processing and Scanning by Richard Photo Lab

Color

  • Nikon N90s
  • Nikon 35mm f2
  • Fuji Pro 400H
  • Processing and Scanning by Richard Photo Lab
Portrait

Yuma, CO | Documentary Portrait Session | Toddler Shoes

When working on a documentary portrait shoot, I always like to keep an eye out for the little details that can add depth to the story and will work nicely with the more traditional images in a session album.

In this case, we have a picture of a little girl’s worn out patent leather Mary Jane’s. You can tell these shoes are well loved and were not jut put on for the portrait session. In other words, they are a real part of this little girl’s life; So even though they may not be pretty and perfect, they are important to document all the same.

Click on the image if you would like to view it larger. Enjoy…

Two year old girl's worn out shoes

Tech Info:
Mamiya 645AF
Mamiya 80mm f2.8 AF
Ilford HP5

Wedding

Boulder, CO | Chautauqua Community House | Venue Details

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I will be publishing a series of posts about a wedding I photographed at the Chautauqua Community House in Boulder, CO. In preparation, I thought it would be a good idea to give you a few details about the venue.

The Community House is a really beautiful old building (built in 1917) with lots of stonework and a cool front porch that overlooks a stunning courtyard filled with colorful flowers, huge trees and green grass. Inside, the Community House is a large room that can be used for a wedding ceremony, a reception, or both. There is also a kitchen for last minute food prep and a room that can be used for serving. A balcony circumnavigates the whole large room and off of the balcony is a room that can be used for getting dressed.

For my June 12th wedding, the Groomsmen got dressed in the upstairs room in the Community House, while the Bride and Bridesmaids put themselves together in one of the quaint little cottages that sit across the street from the Community House. This worked out really well, keeping the Bride and Groom separate, but giving me easy access to both of them.

The pictures below should give you a feel for the exterior and interior of this very unique location. It was raining the day of the wedding, so the exterior shots have very soft lighting, but the color really pops. Click on any of the images to see them larger. Enjoy…

Sign outside of the Chautauqua Community House
Flowers and the exterior of the Chautauqua Community House

Detail image of the chairs set up for a wedding ceremony
Chautauqua Community House - overall view of the building interior

Tech Specs:
Nikon N90s
Nikon 35mm f2 lens (first three shots)
Nikon 24mm f2.8 lens (overall room shot)
Fuji Pro 400H (Exterior)
Fuji Press 800 (Interior)
Film processing (+1/2 to bump the contrast) and scans by Richard Photo Lab

Wedding

Lafayette, CO | Gatehouse | Same Wedding Cake, Different Looks

Below are a couple of detail pictures of a wedding cake from a beautiful wedding at the Gatehouse in Lafayette, Colorado.

I find it interesting how different these two images “feel”. To me, the color image feels modern and vibrant. It is really all about those colorful flowers. Alternately, the black and white image feels timeless and almost delicate. You really notice the shape of the cake and the way the light falls on it. The flowers become much less important. I also really like the texture that we can see in the leaves and on the rear wall.

Having both of these images of the cake really tells us a lot more about the details of the wedding than either picture could on it’s own.

You can click on the pictures to see them larger. Enjoy…

Color photograph of a wedding cake at the Gatehouse in Lafayette, CO.
Black and white photograph of a wedding cake at the Gatehouse in Lafayette, CO.

Tech Info:
Sigma SD9
Sigma 50mm f2.8 Macro (@f2.8)