Here’s to the Dreamers

I only took on 6 weddings this season.  And Noi and Kyle’s wedding was exactly the type of wedding that  I love to photograph–Simple, natural, and to the point (which of course is the marriage itself).  In my humble opinion, after doing weddings for 12 years, a wedding should be the union and celebration of love between two people amongst their dearest friends and family.  The details are icing on the cake–quite literally.  If the love is there, if the couple is more excited to see their significant other at the end of the alter more than the alter pieces, then the alter pieces aren’t necessary. The emotion and energy outshines the most opulent embellishments.   Congratulations, Noi and Kyle—It was a spectacular wedding!

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For many guests, Katy and Orlando’s wedding was a dream vacation–a once in a lifetime trip to far away, rarely visited tropical islands.  Not only was the wedding on the exclusive Necker Island (Sir Richard Branson’s private island near Virgin Gorda), but the week was packed full of parties and activities that made the wedding feel more like a week long party.  Katy and Orlando opened the celebration with a welcome dinner on Necker Island (unfortunately, we didn’t make it to that one because we were being “detained” in the airport due to  a mix up on my work permit).  The following night they held a Moroccan beach party alongside Branson’s beautiful, famous flamingos, with hooka pipes, a bonfire, an incredible Moroccan dinner, custom cocktails, and a view of one of the most beautiful places in the world.  The third night, Katy and Orlando hosted their rehearsal dinner as a “White Cuban Casino Night”. There was gambling, an amazing Cuban band from Puerto Rico, the best mojitos I’ve ever tasted, Cuban cigars, some lemurs (yes, lemurs), and of course some very heartfelt toasts by friends and family.  Every guest was invited to every party.  It was really fun for me to get to know some of Katy and Orlando’s friends and family as we partied and boated together from our resort Island to Necker.

The wedding itself was held at the temple house on Necker Island which basically overlooks the entire island and is surrounded by the turquoise sea.  Unfortunately, along with the logistics of the layout (no aisles, 4 videographers, pillars and an enormous swimming pool that I couldn’t work around), the flowers were so fabulous are extravagant that even from the other side of the pool I wasn’t able to get any wide shots from a distance. So, I guess you just had to be there to truly witness the grandeur of the ceremony.  It was spectacular.

The reception to follow was also another grand party with a live 80’s band, 4 different cakes, incredible food, desserts, drinks, decor, and major celebrating.  I imagine that I will never again have the opportunity to photograph a wedding quite like Katy and Orlando’s.  It truly was a once in a lifetime vacation for many and for me, a highlight of my career.  Thank you, Katy and Orlando–I am so, so honored that you flew me across the world to photograph your spectacular event.

And many, many thanks to Caroline Treadway, who assisted me at this wedding and devoted 6 days of her life to tagging alongside this preggo.  I couldn’t have done it without her and am constantly blown away by her talent.

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I should be packing right now.  The movers are coming at 6pm and it’s 4:30.  I’m drinking a beer, listening to Waylon Jennings on vinyl and typing on this computer for probably the last time ever in this beautiful space.  My little baby is with my mom and has been with her everyday for almost a week, just so I can get things done.  I’m not exaggerating when I say that I’ve been working 70 hours a week.  That’s shoots plus post production plus premieres plus meetings plus album designs, mailings, customer service, etc.  I’m drowning this time every year, but this year it’s different because I have a baby.  And up until the last couple of weeks, I have also been a full time mom.  You do the math.  As Clinton says, it’s “arithmetic’.  There has been no time for me.  And I can do that… for awhile.  But after 9 months of trying to make all of this work, I am finally throwing up the white flag and letting go.

I will always be a photographer. I wouldn’t be Ramona’s mother if I weren’t.  It’s who I AM.  My identity is completely wrapped up in my work and will always be.  But starting December 1st I am simplifying.  I’m simplifying my packages, I’m simplifying my work space, I’m even simplifying my wardrobe.  And as hard as it is sitting here with tears streaming down my face saying goodbye to a chapter of my life, I’m ready for the next.  I’m ready for some land.  I’m ready for some peace.  I’m ready for 20 weddings instead of 30 and I’m ready to have a semblance of my personal life back.  I can’t wait to take long walks with Ramona, take her to the library, or to the pool just because. I’m ready for the spa—-ahhhhh the spa, which I haven’t visited since my little bean was born.  I’m ready to TRAVEL!!!!

Jesse and I bought this incredible space just 3 1/2 years ago knowing that it was an investment property and that it might make more financial sense for us to lease it one day.  And it’s come down to that.  We can own this amazing space and make a tiny profit from it now.  And I can bring everything home to confine my life into one working space.  I’m actually really looking forward to it.

Let me reiterate.  For any of you who are thinking that I am quitting or am going out of business, I am absolutely not.  I am still and will probably always be a full time wedding and portrait photographer.  I just won’t be working like a mad woman.  I’ve made some of the best work of my life this season simply because I realized that my work is ME.  As much as my family is ME, my work is ME and seeing two worlds collide this season, actually extracted some of my finest creative juices.  I was in an “alpha-state”, if you will.  I’ve posted a few images that I’m quite proud of below, just because.  And believe me, now that I’ll be working from home there will be much more blogging and much more clarity in my “voice” as an artist.  I hope you will all follow me down this new path and will be able to see the new spirit in my work.  I’m very excited.  But until I feel the freedom, I’ll let these tears flow and feel the loss of surrendering my home away from home.  Good bye 2405 W 32nd Ave.  You were a dream come true.  Literally.

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Val and David, albeit rock star party animals, were one of my sweetest couples to work with. Ever.  They deserved the perfect weather, the elegant oxford backdrop, the most scrumptious of cakes, and the love that was lavished on them from their family and friends on their wedding day.  It was a pleasure working with them and I hope they have babies soon so I can continue to photograph the love…

Congratulations, you two!  You truly make the perfect couple.  xo

I had the pleasure of photographing Jenny and Matt’s gorgeous wedding last Saturday at the Hotel Boulderado.  Jenny and Matt live in my neighborhood and I fell in love with them the minute they walked into my studio.  They make their own wine and brought me a bottle, even though I was pregnant at the time.  So thoughtful, and unassuming!  We did their engagement session last fall with their two sweet doggies and got to know each other even more, and I’d been looking forward to their wedding ever since, knowing that it would be one of my favorites of the season.  Saturday was HOT like hell, but luckily these two choose to have their ceremony on the staircase of the Boulderado.  It was original, and perfect.  I had a great day with them and am sincerely hoping  that this will be just the beginning of our relationship…  Congratulations, Jenny and Matt–you two are perfect like peas and carrots.  It was an honor working with you.  xoxo

Those of you who know me, know that I am a huge music lover.  I spend way too much time downloading new tunes and following music blogs.  I go to shows weekly and bask in the presence of rock and roll.  If I may say so myself, I have a pretty dandy palate for what’s good.  So….  I made the best Christmas mix EVER and wanted to share it with those of you who would also start celebrating Christmas in October if you could–with good music, of course.  Here’s the catch…  I’m only mailing out 10 CDs to the first 10 people to comment here on what they would want in a workshop if I were to teach one.  Yes–I’ve got something up my sleeve which will be announced soon, but I’m having a hard time narrowing down my syllabus.  I’ll say this—It isn’t going to be a workshop with models or “how to start your photography business” or how to “post-process” your images.  It will be heavily critique based,  seeped in good old fashioned, purist style image making. And of course, it will be a riot and will include seeing some live music of some sort.  So…  please leave your feedback on what you would like to learn in a workshop like this, and if you are one of the first 10 to  post here or email me, I’ll mail you my new Holiday Mix (It is seriously, seriously good).   Good luck and have fun!!

I’m curled up on the couch with a bowl of oatmeal and a strong cup of black coffee meditating on my last day of my working season and reminiscing over the last 7 months.  Normally I’m in Paris this time of year–sleeping in until noon, then making my own crepes for “breakfast”, then hitting up a cafe to read, write, ponder, rest.  It sounds romantic and refreshing, no?  It is incredibly romantic and refreshing and I’m mourning that I’m m not there this season.  But I have a little monkey inside of me that is due on January 18th and they won’t let me fly.  So, I’ve been working instead—working hard.  7 or 8 shoots a week–30 plus weddings–sometimes back to back  on the weekends, post-production, premieres, blogging, meeting with future clients, etc, etc.  I’m tired.  But even more than tired, I’m simply ready to bring Paris here to to be really present for the first time this entire pregnancy.   Something has fundamentally changed in my heart and spirit over the last few months.  Being able to feel this little girl inside me kick like a little field goal kicker, hiccup 4 times a day, turn from breech to normal, breech to normal… I’m falling in love.  I never thought this would happen to me.  I’ve never really wanted to have children and while I love working with them, have never really thought about the real miracle of life.  I’m such a student of the human condition—I love people’s personalities–quirks, moods, remarkable traits, etc.  And being pregnant has brought me even deeper into the wonder of the human psyche.  What will my little girl be like?  Will she be wild?  Shy?  Will she be grumpy in the morning or chirp independently?  Will she love to travel like her mama  or will she be a philosopher and truth seeker like her Dad?  It doesn’t really matter to me as long as she is healthy.  And I want to foster whatever spirit she might have–even if it looks nothing like mine.  My one true wish for her is to be wild and free like children should be.  I want to give her a safe, loving environment where she can dress however she likes and color on the walls….

So I’m officially taking maternity leave this weekend.  No more shoots until I feel ready–which will most likely be months after this monkey arrives.  This is my sabbatical–though it’s not in Paris, but on my living room couch.  I want to be present during this amazing time in my life.  I want to gear up to be a good mama and also an amazing artist.  I want to laugh at the changes that are happening with my body and embrace my new outlook on life artistically.  I want to blog because I want to blog again. I have about 30 weddings from this past summer that haven’t been blogged.  I want to have the time to really reflect on those weddings and post them with my heart and because I want to–not because I should.  Alex and Matt, Megan and Dylan, Lee Lee and Michael—you guys are first on my list.  I’ve truly had the most incredible last 7 mind-blowing months.  I’m going to revel in this time and stay in touch right here on my blog.  Please stay tuned.  My adventures, I believe are just beginning….

Photo above by Paige Elizabeth

My blog has been compromised.  Hacked.  Deleted.  DELETED!!!  Who does this? It’s cyberspace vandalism. I’m among 30 plus other flosites blogs who have been hacked.  If you have a flosites blog, or if you password protect your blog.  PICK A STRONG PASSWORD.  I have been spending the last 48 hours frantically trying to restore and collect any data that I can in order to somehow piece together 5 years of my heart and soul.  My portfolio and journal are gone.  Please be patient with me for future posts and keep your fingers crossed.  I may be starting from square one…

Work isn’t work when working with women like Tamara Hutchins and Cynthia Goodberry. We did this shoot on Sunday, all in good fun and company. Of course Tamara is a natural beauty, but really Cynthia (www.denvermakeupguru.co makes a lady glow with her mad makeup skills. Seriously… She’s a sought after makeup artist and you should call her. Jesse even told me that I should have Cynthia do my makeup everyday after he saw me all dolled up at a friend’s wedding. And Tamara—Wow! This smokin’ babe is in her 40′s! You’d never believe it. I didn’t until I visited her for facial rejuvenation (basically a natural, safe botox). Not only did I see immediate results, but my skin cleared up, my digestion was better, and I started sleeping better. Tamara is a miracle worker. Make an appointment with her and see for yourselves http://www.zenredheadacupuncture.com/

I feel so fortunate and grateful for having such an amazing network of women in my life that I’ve been able to call my close friends. I will certainly be blogging about them more often to spread the love….

Street photography is my passion of passions.  Who needs facebook when one can be a voyeur on the streets?  It’s the human condition that I love most about photography. The quirks, the styles, the emotions…  I love to observe and capture it all.  But what moves me more than anything is the fact that as humans we all share the same planet, breathe the same air and are all mortal.  I guess it’s a mix of empathy and curiosity that drives me to photograph the human condition.
I had the most amazing trip out to Dallas/Fort Worth to take some engagement photos of Libby and Brent whose wedding will be in August.  The icing on the cake, was that my mom came along with me and we visited my brother who, at the time was working out in Fort Worth.    I treasure our last day there together,  when we went to Granbury, Tx to visit my grandparents graves…

It’s a fact. Medical Marijuana is now legal in the state of Colorado with a valid State of Colorado medical marijuana registration, and there are literally hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries in Denver alone. The Releaf center contacted me to do some “branding” for them. They wanted some images that could portray who they are as people and as a business to counteract some of the negative cliches surrounding the industry. Many people out there have the perception that “growing” is a job for a bunch of hippies who can live the dream smoking pot all day, while making money off of high school students. Of course some serious pot connoisseurs can set up their own “hydroponic” system in their closet at home, but to grow thousands of plants and hundreds of strains as medicine is a completely different ball game. These guys are extremely professional, extremely organized, and are working many, many hours in this warehouse to produce some of the finest medicine in the state. I also want to add that the green thumbs over at the Releaf center are not smoking joints while trimming their plants….
I am a photographer who shoots primarily weddings and family portraits so I was a bit hesitant to post this, as my readers could be more conservative on the issue, but I honestly couldn’t think of a reason why this should be “taboo”. Whether we like it or not ( and I happen to like it), marijuana is now available as medicine, and dispensaries are popping up like coffee shops. However, not all dispensaries are created equal, and I wouldn’t blog about just any. Beyond the fact that the Releaf center is just down the street, and is friendly neighbor, I was surprised and impressed to hear about all that they are doing. In addition to selling medicine, both plant and edibles, the Releaf center offers a slew of services to their members including educational classes, housekeeping, free meals, day spa treatments, discounts at other local business and RTD transportation assistance. Believe it or not, the Releaf center is not just a hole in the wall, glorified drug dealer. It’s a healing center that sincerely cares for its patients. For more information and a video tour of the center, check out their website: www.thereleafcenter.com.

Not 10 minutes ago I was meandering my way down the East bank of the Gallatin River in Bozeman Montana. Camera in hand, two glasses of wine in my system, and fresh autumn air that permeated my senses like Halloween night or a Friday night High School football game, I was seduced into a total stage of nostalgia. Funny that I say nostalgia, though because there is something so virginal about my senses when I escape and explore. Everything comes to life–everything feels new and fresh. Why is it that I have to get away from home and work to feel like I do right now? Alive. Present. Peaceful. I’m without internet service here, although I should throw my phone in the river because I’m still checking my email every hour. I’m also without TV, (and believe me, when presented with a good movie or TV series, I will toss a nature walk to the wind and veg out.). But right now, at 5:45pm on Tuesday, September 21st Bozeman time, I’m completely present and tuned in. I’m clear for the first time in what feels like months. And these words that are flowing out of me, like the river in front of me, are streaming consciousness and I’m experiencing a little bit of heaven. I am with pen and paper in hand, ready to freeze time and write about the most amazing hour of photographing, meditating and reminiscing that I just experienced, my first day in Bozeman…
Two “practices” came to mind while I was out drinking in this zen state–Macro photography and Haiku. Random and perhaps esoteric, these two art forms have been significant exercises that have grounded me throughout the years–both artistically and personally. When I was a junior in high school, I was already sure I would be a photographer when I “grew up”. Maybe not a photographer of weddings, but a National Geographic staff photographer, perhaps. I remember taking my first photography class very seriously. When Russel Croup, my instructor told me to find images that inspired me, I think I spent two months allowance on magazines and journals at Tattered Cover and cut out 100 images and them into an inspiration journal. I still have those. I also wrote a 10 page paper on Eugene Smith and soaked every moment of research up (which at the time was certainly out of character). But there is one thing that Mr. Croup said that has changed my life forever: “Within every two square feet, there is an image to be found”. Ahhh Haaaa…! For somebody as ADD as I am, this simple idea of macro photography has given me a tool to slow down and breathe — to stop, look around and be present in every moment—In every step that I take, there is virtually something worth noticing–worth capturing, in fact! Is this not the most freeing way to photograph? I took that statement to heart the first time I heard it and when given my first assignment, I photographed and experienced things that I would have never noticed. There were colors I’d never seen in my backyard. I saw shapes and textures that didn’t exist to me before, and I felt for the first time in my life that I had the “eyes of an artist”. Life came to life in my first roll of Kodachrome. So now—15 years later when I am feeling overwhelmed and overworked, as I often do this time of year, going out and making photographs and experiences on a “macro level”, is like an oasis. And the beautiful thing about it, is that I don’t feel like I have to make beautiful images. What is that word anyhow? Beauty is subjective (although maybe not in the wedding photography industry, but don’t even get me started on that—another blog post) To me, beauty is experience—it’s something, that for some reason, makes me feel something. Beauty is a little piece of eternity that I didn’t know was there. It has always existed, but I have never touched it, never smelled it, never seen it or never experienced it. But it almost always makes me feel as though sometime, in a dream or in a past existence, I have experienced “it” before.
Fast forward from junior year in high school to Freshman year in college at CSU. I was taking a class called “Knowing This Place”. It was a class designed to help us become comfortable with our new surroundings. We had a weekly assignment of going off campus somewhere to sit for an hour–it could be anywhere. After that hour, we were to make a drawing and write a haiku about our experience with that particular place. What an incredible exercise this turned out to be for me. To simply get off campus and go to a park, or a field of pumpkins, or sit on a rock at Horse Tooth Reservoir— It was incredibly grounding. The haikus and drawings for me were usually less about the place, as they were about the experience that I had in the place. And that is what Haiku often is. It’s a Japanese poem that is 17 simple “sounds” in three phrases of 5,7,5. which should sum up an experience–however esoteric. In Japanese, Haiku means “playful verse”. It should contain two juxtaposing parts in three lines—and should avoid subjective commentary. Without going into a lecture on Japanese poetry, you might see how the study and practice of Haiku has influenced my work. Especially when I’m photographing on a macro or very personal level. Haiku—I’ve missed you.
Without further ado, and without further explanation, here are some images from my first day in Bozeman, Montana. Namaste.

Nope…. this is not a workshop led be me.  I’ll just be hosting it.   I don’t really have many brilliant things to say when it comes to being an organized photographer other than to call on Regina of The Organized Photographer to revolutionize your work-flow!  I just spent over 4 hours with this amazing lady while she schooled me on getting my act together so that my daily grind  is streamlined and savvy.   Her first question to me was, “What would your perfect day look like?“  I answered, impulsively saying that I would love to wake up, enjoy a cup of strong, steaming black coffee,  write in my journal, drive to Boulder, take a long hike up Sanitas, then head to the Boulder Cafe for Happy hour.  I’d then probably come home, watch an episode of Mad Men and go to bed early in freshly laundered sheets.  She said, “How often do you do this?”  Never was my answer, of course.   I never have time!  The only thing I do on this list on a regular basis is the strong black coffee!  It’s ironic actually, I’m a person who fully embraces freedom and “quality of life” and I preach it on a regular basis to others, but I’m never actually walking what I talk–albeit the travel of course, which if you ask my husband, I don’t have time for either.  Regina however preaches about literally making space and time in your life and in your work to do the things that you love, so that you are living your dream day–be it spending time with your children or hiking Sanitas with friends.  Sounds nice, eh?
I don’t want to spoil the workshop, but let me put it this way…  I didn’t even have a portrait contract before Regina met with me.  I didn’t have a filing system or database for my clients or future clientele.  I didn’t even have a trash can under my desk.  I simply accumulated a years worth of unnecessary junk and somehow stuffed it into every corner of my studio.  It looked nice to an outsider coming in of course.  I could present myself as an organized photographer but I dreaded the day I would have to go through every loose data DVD lying around, or send a mass email to my clients…   Today however, Regina did that for me, and with me.  And she’ll do it for you too!  I am so excited about Regina’s mad skills as an organized photographer, business coach, and artist (did I mention that she is an esteemed and incredible photographer of 10 years) that I am going to host a mini-clear the clutter workshop to get people started on the right foot!  Come learn new ways to create a work space that nourishes you, work more efficiently and align your values with your daily to-do list. Bring a notebook and a friend!  Whether you are just starting your photography business or simply want to gear up for the wedding season, this workshop is for you!
The mini-clear the clutter workshop will be held at 7pm on June 1st at my studio: 2405 West 32nd Ave Denver, CO 80211.
The cost is $35 which will include cocktails, food and a serious education!
Please contact Regina at [email protected]  by May 25th to RSVP. Hope to see you there!

This is not really a workshop, and I’m sorry if I have led some of you want-to-be photographers on with this headline. It’s actually a weight loss support group that I am hoping to lead. I probably should have titled this entry, “Bikini Meltdown”, because that is what it is, really. I just arrived home from the most needed vacation in Hilton Head Island, SC. It was complete with long evening walks, mint juleps, the best and freshest seafood I have had in years, kayaking, sun worshiping etc, etc… it would have been absolutely perfect had I not put on the dreaded bikini. All I can say is serious, meltdown! This sounds vain, I know, but I was in hysterics about the muffin top that loomed above my bikini bottoms and wouldn’t even take my towel off so that Jesse could see me. I have never, ever been a bikini girl, mind you. I have always been the good ole’ sports tank swimsuit girl who wears cover ups and slowly de-robes as she enters the pool, inch by inch so as not to get it wet, but still remained covered at all times. I really wish I would have gone this route in Hilton Head, but Jesse encouraged me to put on a bikini– telling me there is really no reason I should look like a mom before I am one in that frumpy one piece tank. So I gathered all the courage I could muster (liquid of course) and bought a bikini from the TJ Max down the street. It was all downhill from there.
This may be TMI for most of you, but I’m blogging about this because for some reason, putting my thoughts and opinions out there on the inter-web for others to see and read, somehow seems to be a catharsis for me….It becomes “real”. I try to blog about everything from inspiring sabbaticals to Paris to some of my more trying moments with clients. Today I’m blogging about my shame and long life battle with my body image. I wouldn’t call myself fat by means—maybe a little “pleasantly plump”. But I have, since the age of 14 struggled with food, eating issues and body image. You can ask my mom, after every singe meal or snack I would ask her, “Do I look fatter to you”? Logically, of course there is no way that one could look fatter after eating one healthy meal, but that gives you a better picture of my relationship with food. Food has been both my enemy and my console. And every minute of my life feels like another minute of failure when it comes to self-acceptance and/or looking and feeling the way I would like.
Enough is enough. The bikini did me in. I am going to make some serious changes to my lifestyle… both with food and also with how I view myself. It’s ironic that I see every body so unique and beautiful when photographing it, but with my own there so much disgust and shame. I am 32 years old. If I don’t start loving my body now, I never will. So without further ado, I am starting a weight loss support group. Let me preface this by saying this is not a diet, but a program that changes the way we view food. The program is called Prism and is based on biblical principals and address the whole person–body, mind, spirit. The bible verse that inspired this program is Romans 12:1-2 which says “Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Amen.
I am hoping to get a group of 10 together which will meet at my studio once a week on Monday evenings to encourage and inspire each other to commit to this lifestyle change. There will be no humiliating weigh-ins, and I won’t be a Nazi leader up there telling you what “not to eat” or that have done “wrong” each week. Because, let’s be honest here… I’ll be on this road with you. I want to foster confidence, a change in the way we view our bodies, how we deal with our emotions and anxieties and how we view food. And I’d like to drop 15 pounds, of course! If any of you are interested please reply to this blog or shoot me an email to [email protected]. I’m hoping to kick this off on Monday April 19th at 6pm at my studio on 2405 W 32nd Ave Denver, CO 80211. Please come and check it out. There is no pressure and I won’t ask you to commit until you are ready to. I can’t think of a better time to get working on those bikini bodies (and minds) and support each other each week. And of course it will be a great excuse to get together once a week for fellowship and laughter…

I’m  sitting here, still completely stunned that there was even a thread about my work and post-processing out there on Photo.net. I was contacted yesterday by a client of mine who thought I might be interested in the online discussion, and then again by Bill Morgan today, asking if I could respond to this thread.  It’s funny, really–If anybody actually knew the way that I worked, both as I shoot and how I post-process my images, they’d be totally uninspired and quite frankly, disappointed.   I am a purist with my work and no technical genius by any means, my whites are sometimes blown out and it’s true—my tux’s tend to have a bluish cast to them.  My work is often out of focus and sometimes my compositions are completely unorthodox. And the truth is, I don’t even use photoshop, except to re-size my images and to sharpen them for the web (Magic Sharp–which is the only Kubota action I even know how to use).  That being said, I do owe you, Paul and Otto an apology  for never responding to some of your questions.  Quite frankly, I didn’t even know how to answer some of them.   Honestly, I don’t consider myself strong enough,  technically to be dishing out advice.

So, without further ado I will share some of my secrets—you may be surprised, and please–if you have something bad to say about me in response please don’t say it here.  I’m still reeling from some of the comments on the forum.

1.)I shoot jpeg.  I know, I know—the biggest sin of a “professional photographer”.  This statement right here will probably start an entire new thread.  However, I shoot jpeg for 2 reasons–one technical and one practical.  I find jpeg color to be truer to reality and easier to manage.  I will sometimes shoot RAW if I know that I will be working with impossible lighting situations, but jpeg usually gets the job done for me and I attribute my “color quality” to the jpeg.  That being said, when shooting  jpeg, one needs to make sure that her exposure is pretty dead on.  It is true that RAW has much more “information” and  it is certainly more forgiving.  But ahhhhh—the color right out of a jpeg is just yummy.  And practically speaking, RAW is just too large.  I save all of my original files and already have 2 1TB drives totally full of jpegs–think about how full my shelves would be with over 250 weddings shot in RAW.  Shooting jpeg is simply more economical.

2.)Depth of Field.  I touched on this a bit in a post last fall.  I almost always shoot all the way open.  Even when I’m doing family portraits I will rarely shut down to anything larger than 3.2.  This may explain the very soft background and sharp focal points in my work (and also some of the botched up family portraits).  My very favorite lens is the 50mm 1.4.  It’s what I was using when I photographed Hannah’s headshot/bridal portrait.  You can shoot a portrait with this lens and only the eyes will be sharp.  I have never used a tool to blur some things and sharpen others.  This is all done with lenses and depth of field.  I’m too lazy and have far too many images to edit to use photoshop tricks that can be achieved in camera.  For those who are reading this and are not familiar with aperture, the smaller the number on the aperture ring, the more selective the focal point.  It is this that creates the creamy depths of field. If somebody wants everything in the frame to be sharp, one would shut down the aperture to a higher number on the ring.   The other lenses that I use at weddings are the 70-200mm 2.8 and the 24mm 1.4.  Other great lenses are the 80mm 1.4 and the 24-70mm.  Prime lenses tend to be my favorite.  I shoot with a Nikon D3 and use a D300 as my back up.

3.)Backlight.  I backlight a lot of my compositions.  It’s how I get an even exposure on my subjects’ skin.  I rarely—and I mean, rarely use a fill light and did not use one in any of the images posted on Hannah and Eric’s wedding post.  I absolutely hate artificial light unless one is using it for a more stylized  shoot.  It looks pretty hokey to me and I  prefer my work to look  journalistic. Place your subject between yourself and the sun.  Be careful though– the key to beautiful back light is an amazing lens hood, or standing in a shady spot.  Otherwise, one can easily blow the entire background out—a mistake I make probably every time I shoot.  I also overexpose a bit when doing this to ensure that my subjects face isn’t too dark.

4.)I do all of my editing in lightroom. Like I said earlier, I never use photoshop or Kubota actions.  I find them over-used and often cheesy.  And again, I’m too lazy to spend that much time on a computer.  I like to shoot–not edit.  The one thing that I do in lightroom (and have overdone in the past) is black clipping.  On that little histogram, I generally drag the blacks up which tend to pop the colors without making the image over the top contrasty.  However, you will lose details in your blacks when you do this–to me an easy sacrifice for beautiful skin tones and colors. I never saturate my colors.  To put it frankly, when I sit down to edit my work, I aim to make the images look like film.  I like contrast, black blacks, white whites and as many midtones as I can have.  I often use the “fill light” tool in lightroom to bring back some detail after I have clipped the blacks.  I love this tool!  I shot film for years and I studied Fine Art at CU in Boulder and learned how to print–never in the 5 years that I attended class, were we sat in front of a computer and taught how to “post process”. I was a pre-digital art student.  Making the switch from film to digital was hell for me–hell. It took me years to hone my style, and I honestly think I found it by mimicking the look of film.  It’s still surreal to me, that people are asking me how I edit my digital.  It’s pretty ironic, actually.

5.)This isn’t a secret to my work, but the fundamental way that I try to live:  Everything I do, I do because I like it for me.  I never took workshops, never stalk forums, and try to keep myself from obsessing over other photographers work.  There are days that I’ve spent hours looking at other photographer’s work and then wanted to throw myself under a bus.  Seriously.  I can’t compare myself to others.  My work is my own.  I am an artist and have found a style that works for me and that my clients like.  There are a lot of people who don’t like my work—hell there have been some days when I check my stats and see that “julie Harris Photography Sucks’ is an actual search string.  I don’t claim to know more than anybody, and I’m certainly not technically driven, but I will say that I absolutely love the art of photography and am inspired by all sorts of photographers—not just the perfect, “by the book” ones…  Nan Goldin in actually one of my favorite photographers and if her work were ever posted on a forum and people didn’t know that she was famous and respected, I believe that her work would be shredded.  My advice to anybody trying to learn some tricks is to keep it simple—do what works for you and keep your work pure.  One of the posters on yesterday’s thread, said: “one’s eye is the finger print to her work.”  And that pretty much sums it up.  The camera is an extension of your soul–it’s how you see and interpret the world.  Focus on this, and the technical aspects will follow.

peace!