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Destination Wedding: Belizean Elopement Photography for Krystal & Chris

The wait is over Recherche fans! I'm so excited to share these destination wedding images with you! I've stayed up almost all night editing these images here at the resort where we're staying with Krystal & Chris so I can show them my favorite images before Jay & I head out tomorrow morning for our last few days of traveling. I think it was worth the lack of sleep!!

Krystal & Chris's wedding day was spent driving through Belize to the Mayan ruins stopping along the way at some of the most gorgeous (and non-traditional) spots we just couldn't pass up!

They had originally planned to have their ceremony at the ruins but when they were informed they had to have permit which required quite a few hoops and dollars they opted for just a photo shoot. Fortuitously the driver and officiant the couple hired for the day recommended the Blue Hole for the ceremony and we reached it near the end of the day. It was surreal and idyllic. And when finally married to the love of her life, Krystal could not resist a dip in the pool! See slideshow below for my favorite images of this dip! It was a dream to photograph!

By the time we arrived back at the resort we were all spent. And it was dark. So the following night we did an extra little photo shoot on the beach just outside their villa. A perfect ending to their wedding images.

OK, those were just a taste! See the slideshow for the rest of my favorites! And let me know what you think via the comment box!

We're off to Belize!

There is nothing like the thrill of stashing the passports in the backpack, taking out a wad of cash that is to get us through the next 10 days come hell or high water, and getting dropped off at the aiport at 1am by a loving sister for a red-eye flight! I am a destination wedding photographer heading out with my faithful husband/assistant to shoot the wedding of Krystal & Chris among coastal Mayan ruins...so romantic and exciting!

As always, we're taking the opportunity to travel. And by travel I do NOT mean parking it at a local resort, but actually getting into the country. "But can you afford that?" our parents ask. Of course not. Have we ever been able to afford it? Not really. Therein lies the adventure. Is it possible to do a trip to Belize with less than $1,000? (Assuming photographer's airfaire has been covered by the elopees?) Yes it is! And we're going to do it in the next 10 days! Half of that budget is allocated for the car rental, which I deemed necessary due to the dollar amount and weight of equipment we'll have with us. That leaves$500 for food, lodging and entertainment. A great adventure! Stay tuned...this Recessionista will break down the whole trip for you! (if we can get online... but for sure as soon as we have internet access!!)

Boulder Engagement Photo Session at Chautauqua: Amy & Heath

When I drove out to Chautauqua to meet Amy & Heath who had just flown in from Virginia for a weekend of wedding planning, I thought it was going to be way too sunny to shoot out in the open hillside and was already thinking of alternative locations. But I should have known better after all these years of shooting outside and my love of sun flare! We hung out right there and shot the whole session on the open space and I'm not sure they really ever noticed I was there. I may be making a quick trip out to their home in Virginia to do portraits of their four horses and three dogs and some documentary work for them. Their dream is a ranch where they can rehabilitate horses and train dogs. It is my dream to document lives like that! But, I'll be photographing their wedding up at Devil's Thumb Ranch this summer and that will be dreamy, too!!

Loved One Portrait of a Grandmother & Grandson

When Aimee called me to say she wanted to schedule a session as a gift for her mother to have photos with her favorite person, Aimee's son Callum, I was thrilled! And, honestly, a bit nervous. I guess I'm always nervous before I shoot, but somehow grandmother and grandson felt unfamiliar for me. I'm not very good at posing- Would she be stoic? Would it be awkward? Would Callum feel comfortable with me without his parents around? Would Judy be happy about this session or agitated? Maybe.

And maybe all those things were a little true.

But as a photographer I need to just jump on in there and not mind about the awkward, to embrace it, to lighten the mood while not letting it get completely out of hand! Such a delicate balance...in the end I guess it all comes down to my personality and just enjoying every single person I work with.

And this pair were easy to enjoy. Judy has such a gracious way about her, so engaged with Callum but at the same time so easily engaged with me. An intelligent childish elegance. Callum was definitely shy to start, but the idea of funny faces with Grandma was just what our session needed!Butterfly kisses...

And my favorite of all time... an Eskimo kiss...

As they were leaving Judy casually mentioned that she has hated every single photograph ever taken of herself. Ugh. Kind of like a punch in the gut. Slight panic. Should I have taken more time? Different angles? Different lenses? What would I have done differently had I known that before she came in??

I shoot very instinctively and nothing is rehearsed, so honestly, I probably would have done just the same but with more anxiety. While I was editing these images I wondered if the photos we have taken of ourselves really about us at all? I may not succeed in being the only photographer on the planet to ever take an image of Judy that she likes. I'm optimistic, but realistic. In the end, I think these images are for Callum to treasure when he is older as a window back to when life was safe and soft. And for all of Judy's family and friends that know and love her keen intelligence and beauty. I hope she can see in these images what the rest of us see the minute we meet her. I hope you love these, Aimee! It was my pleasure to meet and photograph them for you!!

(And I really need to take my own advice and stop deleting almost every single picture ever taken of me!)

I'm a Recessionista!

I was at a marketing seminar the other day when I first heard the term "Recessionista." The speaker said, "are you someone that thinks that a recession is a good thing? Do you think it is great to be thrifty? Would you prefer to barter or borrow items instead of accumulating and disposing? Do you take pride in finding a good deal?" Everyone else in the room was staring blankly at her while I was nodding emphatically (this is very common at seminars I attend). Lori looked right at me and said, "then you are a Recessionista!"

Ah, to be labeled. To fit into a category. To have a name for the embarrassing excitement I experience over our economic collapse. Perhaps that's a bit too dramatic, but I will admit that I think it is high time we get this ball rolling. We have been due for a hit like this for some time and I'd just prefer to get on with it. What a huge mess this is going to be.

Here's what excites me: things getting real. People feeling real emotion. Dealing with real numbers. Looking at real people. Asking for (and giving) real help. Taking stock of our lives and deciding what is truly important to us. What makes the cut and what doesn't? What are the luxury items and what has true value?

Scary? Yes! Especially when in the midst of all the assessment the question I have to ask is, "Does what I DO have true value...or am I just a luxury item?" For an artist, it's a very fine line to walk.

Everyone assigns value in different places...thats what makes the world an interesting and dynamic place. So while many people will choose to cut photography from the budget, I still choose to believe that the images I create are more than just a pretty picture- they are a sort of glue that holds the good things of our world together. Somehow, photography (a certain kind of photography) can take an emotion, a relationship, an experience, a fleeting moment and make it REAL. Something tangible, evident and permanent.

I pray every time I shoot that God will show me a glimpse of who He created my subject to be, show me the person He loves and revels in. Is there such a thing that is truer than the obvious? I believe so. And I believe that I was created to be a photographer, a truth-teller...the kind of person who points to something beyond the conspicuous and uncovers a deeper layer.

We all know a grandmother loves her grandson. But I'll tell you, when I shot those images of Callum holding his grandmother's face to give her an Eskimo kiss, something took shape. That pure, unconditional, unquestioning love between a grandmother and grandson was no longer just a vague assumption, but a plausible reason for having a child, for sacrificing certain comforts to make space for that kind of love and relationship in the world.


I'll stick to my craft, but will take the time to continually assess...I'll probably make some pretty big sacrifices along the way.


Are photos required for every one of a photographer's blog entries? If so, I'll add a recent photo that Caroline Colvin just shot of me! She did such a wonderful job, and I'm so excited to have a picture I really like of myself!! She's just started shadowing me this winter/spring and I think it will be a great experience for both of us!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!!