Tag Archives: film is not dead

Wedding

Boulder, CO | Chautauqua Wedding | Bridal Party Portraits

Below are a few of the Bridal Party portraits from Kate and Brandon’s fun and intimate wedding at the Chautauqua Community House in Boulder, CO.

As you can tell from the photos, it was raining pretty hard throughout the day. We really wanted to get outside to shoot these portraits, but because of the weather, we had to work fast and be resourceful. Knowing that the forecast called for rain, Kate and I had both picked up clear umbrellas that worked out really well throughout the day. I think these umbrellas add a cool element to the images that help tie them together an make them unique.

Normally, I would spend a little more time with the bridal party working on variations, groupings, individual portraits, etc., but in this situation, if we had spent any more time outside in the elements, it could have easily turned into a “trash the dress” shoot – not a great idea for the wedding day.

We were all really happy to have such a great location just a few yards from the wedding venue. The muted light, saturated colors, and shiny wet surfaces, mixed with everyone’s great expressions, really made for some beautiful photographs that sum up the emotions of the day.

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

The Bride stands for a portrait in the rain
The Groom stands for a portrait in the rain
The full bridal party standing for a portrait in the rain
The bride and groom take a moment to look at each other

Tech Info:
Nikon N90s
Nikon 35mm f2
Fuji Pro 400H
Processing and Scans by Richard Photo Lab

Wedding

Boulder, CO | Chautauqua Wedding | Documenting The Ceremony

Below we have a few of the images documenting Kate and Brandon’s beautiful wedding ceremony at the Chautauqua Community House in Boulder, CO.

I really like this little set of images. Kate and Brandon had a quick ceremony, and these pictures capture the moments and emotions that made their wedding ceremony special.

Without all the distractions of color, the black and white images really draw attention to people’s faces and let us focus in on their emotions.  For this reason, I really prefer to document the more emotional moments of a wedding day in black & white. Color works well for documenting details and setting the scene, but moments shared between people always seem to be more powerful in monochrome.

There are a few of the shots that I wanted to call out for you. I think the moment between the ring bearer and flower girl is really cool. Also, I love the light in that shot. The vertical picture of father and daughter walking down the aisle is very traditional – exactly what you would expect. I prefer the horizontal image below it. You really get to see a range of emotions, including on the face of the mother of the bride, over on the right. Finally, in the kissing shot, note the pastor’s face just over the grooms shoulder – he has a huge smile.

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

The ring bearer and flower girl meet in the center aisle
The father of the bride escorts his daughter up the aisle

The father of the bride escorts his daughter up the aisle

The bride and groom hold hands
The bride and groom look into each other's eyes

The groom places the wedding ring on the bride's finger

The bride places the wedding ring on the groom's finger
The bride and groom share their first kiss

Tech Info:
Nikon F100
Nikon 50mm f1.4 (Aisle shots)
Nikon 85mm f1.8 (Alter shots)
Fuji Neopan 1600
Processing and scans by Richard Photo Lab

Portrait

Arvada, CO | Baby Portrait | Smile, It’s A Holiday Weekend!

A baby boy smiles for the camera
Smile everybody, it’s a holiday weekend!

Let’s kick it off with a picture of a happy baby. Check out those new teeth.

This scene was photographed during an at home portrait session in Arvada, CO. All of the light was provided by large windows to camera right, and a smaller window just out of frame above the baby’s right shoulder. Fill light was provided by the window light bouncing off of the rest of the walls in the room. Fast film (ISO 1600) and a fast lens (50mm f1.4) let me grab this shot while keeping motion blur to a minimum.

You can click on the image to see it larger. Enjoy…

Tech Info:
Nikon F100
Nikon 50mm f1.4
Fuji Neopan 1600
Processing and scanning by Richard Photo Lab

Portrait

Arvada, CO | Documentary Family Pictures | At The Bowling Alley

I love to go “on location” to shoot family portrait sessions. When you can get out and do something, people start to have fun and interact. This interaction makes for much more natural and spontaneous pictures. When the natural location is coupled with available light photography (no annoying flash pops), subjects tend to open up and let me document who they really are. The resulting pictures tell a much better story about the family than a studio portrait ever could.

Below we have pictures from a trip to a local bowling alley here in Arvada, CO. Everyone had a great time, and I was able tell a story about the family and how they interact. Even though bowling alleys are not exactly know for their great light, I was able to push my black and white film and use a fast lens to capture these moments, and I think the grainy look really adds to the authenticity of these images.

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

Father feeds his infant son a bottle
A five year old boy watches his ball roll down the lane

A five year old boy picks up his bowling ball
Five year old cousins sit at the scoring table
A woman takes a picture of her niece
A woman and her nephew smile for the camera
A man holds his son and his niece

Tech Info:
Nikon N90s
Nikon 50mm f1.8
Ilford HP5 Plus – pushed 1 stop (ISO 800)
Processing and Scanning by Richard Photo Lab

Wedding

Boulder, CO | Chautauqua Wedding | Bridal Party in the Rain

Here are a few more pictures from Kate and Brandon’s wedding at the Chautauqua Community House in Boulder, CO. It was a very rainy day, but we were able to get outside and do a little bit of shooting because we picked up a set of clear plastic umbrellas after we had seen the forecast for the wedding day. These bubble umbrellas worked great! They kept the bridal party relatively dry, and because they are clear, they let light through so faces are not in deep shadow. I highly suggest picking up a set of similar umbrellas if you have any concerns about rain on your wedding day.

I have included a portrait of Kate that we shot immediately after coming in from the rain. You’ll notice that she isn’t drenched, and more importantly, she looks awesome! I really like these documentary images. They add an interesting feel to the album, and are pretty unique here in Colorado.

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

Bride and her bridesmaids standing in the rain
Bride and her bridesmaids walking in the rain

A bride and her bridesmaids walking up the street
Candid portrait of the bride

Groomsmen and ring bearer walking in the rain

Tech Info:
Clear Bubble Umbrellas from Target
Nikon F100
Nikon 50mm f1.4
Legacy Pro 400 (AKA Neopan 400)
Richard Photo Lab

Documentary

Glenwood Springs, CO | Documenting Family | Summer Barbecue

Here are a few more pictures of my favorite subjects. These images are from a family barbecue at my father-in-law’s house in Glenwood Springs, CO. I had great late afternoon light and a beautiful day so I decided to shoot some film.

I love to document these small events, they are authentic moments in a family’s history that could be easily forgotten if they are not captured on film (or a digital sensor, if you must).

Click on any of the images to see them larger. Enjoy…

Six year old girl sitting in a deck chair
A three year old girl hugs a dog

A couple looks at a photo album with their granddaughter
Happy couple at a family barbecue
A three year old girl looks into the camera

Tech Info:
Nikon F100
Nikon 50mm f1.4
Legacy Pro 400 (AKA Neopan 400)
Richard Photo Lab

Portrait, Seniors

Northglenn, CO | Senior Portrait | Breanna – Westminster H.S.

Breanna was a great subject to shoot. She is at that cool point in her life where she is comfortable in the present, but thinking about college and her future. Her whole life is ahead of her and she is excited about it. That is what makes senior portrait sessions so much fun.

I blogged the digital pictures from this senior portrait shoot last week. Below are the film scans by Richard Photo Lab.

I think the film scans are really beautiful. In color, digital files tend to look sharp and contrasty with punchy colors, while the film scans look softer and more pastel, almost ethereal. In Black and White, film just looks right. The blacks are punchy and highlights retain detail. Love it!

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

Senior portrait of a young woman in front of a footbridge
High angle senior portrait of a young woman.

Senior portrait of a young woman in front of a flower bed

Senior portrait of a young woman with flowers in the background
Senior portrait of a young woman at the park

View the entire session and order prints here.

Tech Info:

Color

  • Nikon N90s
  • Nikon 50mm f1.4
  • Fuji Pro 400H
  • Scans by Richard Photo Lab

Black & White

  • Nikon F100
  • Nikon 85mm f1.8
  • Legacy Pro 400 (AKA Neopan 400)
  • Scans by Richard Photo Lab
Wedding

Boulder, CO | Chautauqua Wedding | Groom & Kids Getting Ready

Here are a few more of the getting ready images from Kate and Brandon’s wedding at the Chautauqua Community Center in Boulder, CO.

These pictures show the groom, the ring bearer and the flower girl getting ready and then waiting for the ceremony to start. I often find that after the mad dash to get dressed, there will be opportunities to document “quiet” moments with the bridal party just waiting and thinking. These types of images can really help control the pace when laying out a wedding album. They give the viewer a moment to pause and wonder what the subject is thinking about.

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

The Groom works on his shoes
The ring bearer, in his tuxedo, stands at a balcony railing

Groom has his boutonniere pinned on
The ring bearer has his boutonniere pinned on
The Groom and Pastor share a quite moment

Rear view of the flower girl's dress
The Flower Girl inspects the ribbon on her bouquet

Note: Fun pictures of the Bride and Bridesmaids getting ready over here.

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

Wedding

Boulder, CO | Chautauqua Wedding | Bride Getting Ready

1 Comment

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