Tag Archives: photography

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

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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

Documentary

Salt Lake City, UT | Family Gathering| Kids Crack Me Up!

We recently went out to Salt Lake City, Utah, for a Bat Mitzvah (attending, not shooting). The night before, there was a reception at our hotel. I brought along my camera and grabbed some fun pictures of Molly at play.

For me, these pictures fall somewhere between wedding photography and documentary portrait photography. I shot them at a family gathering (similar to a wedding reception) but they are really all about my subjects (Molly and her Grandfather) rather than the event itself.

Almost any situation or event will give you an opportunity to get great pictures of kids. Get the camera ready, pay attention, and they are bound to do something funny or interesting. Along with being ready and paying attention, I am always on the lookout for great light or great expressions. Either of these things can make for a nice documentary photo, if there is a chance to get both, that is when exceptional photographs can happen.

In the case of these three images, I didn’t have great light, but the expressions are really fun and they tell us a lot about Molly’s personality (and Papa Al’s as well).

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

A two year old girl plays with her grandfather at a hotel reception the night before a Bat Mitzvah in Salt Lake City, Utah.
A two year old girl surprises her grandfather at a hotel reception the night before a Bat Mitzvah in Salt Lake City, Utah.

A two year old girl looks suspiciously at the camera. Picture from a hotel reception the night before a Bat Mitzvah in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Note: Molly is always perplexed by my old film cameras. She asks “Who is it? Who is it?”, Which actually means “show me the picture on the back of the camera”. Of course, I have to tell her “Sorry, this camera shoots film.” Which usually gets me the suspicious look you see here.

Tech Info:
Nikon F100
Nikon 50mm f1.4 lens (wide open)
Fuji Neopan 1600 (@ 1600)
Processing and scanning by Richard Photo Lab

Personal Work

Denver, CO | Details | Quiznos Pro Challenge Press Conference

As you may have heard, Lance Armstrong was in Denver on August 4th to announce the Quiznos Pro Challenge with Colorado Governor Bill Ritter. I though it would be a great opportunity to shoot some interesting documentary photographs. As it turns out, I was right. There were thousands of cyclists at the capitol for the announcement. They probably set the world record for most lycra at a press conference. This made for great juxtapositions between the “freewheeling” cyclists and the staid atmosphere of the capitol steps. I have more pictures from the event, but will save them for another post.

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

Cycling shoes and high heels. Photograph from the press conference announcing the Quiznos Pro Challenge, in Denver, CO on August 4th, 2010.

Picture of multiple bicycle wheels, an interesting detail from the press conference announcing the Quiznos Pro Challenge, in Denver, CO on August 4th, 2010.
Cyclist in a Livestrong jersey at the state capitol for the press conference announcing the Quiznos Pro Challenge, in Denver, CO on August 4th, 2010.

Cyclist at the state capitol for the press conference announcing the Quiznos Pro Challenge, in Denver, CO on August 4th, 2010.

I shot these using an old Canonet QL17 GIII rangefinder camera on Fuji Neopan 400 (Legacy Pro 400) film. This was also the first roll of film that I have processed by hand in about ten years. Luckily, it is kind of like riding a bike, once you’ve done it a few thousand times, you never forget how.

The “scans” were made using a Sigma SD9 camera and a light table. I am still working out the kinks in the camera scan workflow. These images  turned out pretty well but some of the other frames had focus problems. Looks like I will have to pick up some hardware specifically for making camera scans. Still, this is much faster and easier than using a dedicated film scanner. So I think it will be worth the effort.

Tech Info:
Canonet QL17 GIII
Canon 40mm f1.7 lens (fixed)
Legacy Pro 400 (AKA – Fuji Neopan 400)
Ilford Ilfotec DD-X Developer
Camera Scan – Sigma SD9 + 50mm f2.8 Macro + Light Table