September 2015

In the Mornings

  • by

I’ve been booking fall sessions and my mind has been wrapped around photographing outside.  Then the thought came to me that once the weather turns, I will not photograph people as much.

india with book-1

India pages through last year’s book.

Yesterday I began organizing my annual photo book and found a group of images, similar in that they were all taken inside the house… in the mornings… with snugly, drowsy kids.  I’ve shared many of these here in different posts, but thought I’d bring them together into one story.  As they should be seen.

I’d love to do this for you.  You game?  Contact me and we’ll choose a nice, cold day for you to snuggle and me to photograph.

Either way, take a look at the morning story I put together.  Having these mixed with the rest of our annual story will be so cool.

sunrise photograph on a winter morning

boy snuggling with kitten, b&w photograph

Our kitten was so tiny.

eating a bowl of cereal, b&w photograph

The cat still will put her paw on his eyes.

b&w photographs from above of boy with his kitten

week1May-20

photograph of kids under their blanket fort

b&w photograph documenting morning at home

partial silhouette of boy playing with kitten, b&w photograph

week1May-37

boy with his cat cuddling on couch, b&w photograph

This one still gets sick from wheat every once in awhile.

Sick

b&w photograph of brothers wrestling

injuries adding up.

b&w photograph of kids playing soccer in their house

TiredAndPlaying

kids on top of bunk bed, b&w photograph

kids' baseball card collection

color photograph with boys watching tv on the couch

Our Street: Backyard Concert

  • by

We have great neighbors. There is often something really cool or fun happening on our street. Not always, but enough to start a photo log here in the blog-sphere.
Every summer our neighbors host a backyard concert. This year they somehow booked Paper Bird, whom we once saw perform at Red Rocks. A local band. The party this year was a lot larger and louder… with the occasional power issues. Which made for some intimate, acoustic performances. Truly lovely and I only wish we could get our act together to host a backyard concert too. I have a running list of who I’d like to play in our backyard. That list is nearly never ending.

"paper bird"

Paper Bird didn’t let a little power glitch get in the way of their set. The show must go on!

BackyardBand-35

of course he found the storm drain.

BackyardBand-13

My little man exploring the rocks in the yard. It’s a lovely yard.

BackyardBand-41

The lights really added so much to the concert this year. Well done!

BackyardBand-5

These kids enjoyed the music… and got bored too. But I think they mostly had a good time.

Paper Bird backyard concert

really beautiful and just a perfect evening. No rain

paper bird backyard concert

BackyardBand-65

Anniversary Party

  • by

We lent our backyard to our friends Angel and Lynda for their 11th wedding anniversary. It was a beautiful day… if a little hot. These beautiful women have become part of our family here in Colorado. Love them.
It was so great to see so many from our ward (church congregation) come support two women who have spent so many of their years together as a couple. It means a lot.

LyndaAngelAnniversary-43

Most of everyone who came is in this photo. I think we may have missed a few. This spot in the yard was the only true shade, so where everyone gathered.

LyndaAngelAnniversary-30

squirt bottles on hand to help everyone cool off. Nice touch… of course my kid terrorized all the girls and eventually dumped his on his head.

LyndaAngelAnniversary-8

keeping cool. I really cannot believe she gave me a smile. So rare and so beautiful.

LyndaAngelAnniversary-13

Signing the matted print. I may have forgotten to sing it. I think one of my kids signed it “I love cheese”

LyndaAngelAnniversary-16

Gorgeous.

The Broadmoor: Family Portrait

  • by

You may have heard that the rain in Colorado this summer was epic.  Who knew that the week of the 4th of July would be so wet!  I know the rain wasn’t part of their vacation plans and it took us a little extra finagling to get this shoot to happen. I had never been to The Broadmoor Resort and it took my breath away.

family under a tree at the Broadmoore Resort, color photograph

I was so excited to meet Lisa Algert, and her family (of course).  Not only is she a talented photographer she is also a health nut, which I love.  It is always nice to meet another photographer whom I’ve only known from afar (that’s code for FB).  We got to chat after the shoot and I am so grateful to her for her bit of encouragement with my image transfer work.  She even gave me some tips on how to help my boy with celiac.  I hope San Fran is treating you well, and bringing some sunshine to make up for Colorado’s lack.

extended family portrait by the pond at the Boradmoor Resort

We began near the pond in the center of the Broadmoor complex. That place is expansive and quite beautiful… even with the low clouds obscuring the mountains.

family portrait by the pond at the Broadmoor Resort

Cutest girls.

b&w photograph of sisters under a tree at the Boradmoor Resort #stacieannsmith

They were brave and climbed down to this spot near the pond.

B&W photograph of a mom and son in front of the Broadmoor Resort

Pre-teens love a good hour with the camera in their face. Can’t you tell? I love this grimace/smirk

In the Studio: Vanity Fair Cover Shot

  • by

Some of you may know what Vanity Fair is, and have caught a cover or two while in the grocery line. I took inspiration from those covers (I always imagine Annie Leibovitz behind the camera) when I was asked to photograph a large, glamorous family portrait this rainy summer. We were worried about the rain… and if it wasn’t raining- the heat.   So we planned to photograph inside and split the large group into smaller groups.

Have you ever seen a more beautiful group of people? I think not!

Vanity Fair Style family portrait, in studio, near Denver, Colorado