wish I could blog more. Thing is - if I sat here at the computer and blogged more I'd be wishing I was playing with my kids in the snow, or building a gingerbread house, or seeing their faces light up as they play with their new toys.
So I suppose I'll let things just be and enjoy the moments when the kids are sleeping and I can play with some photos and share them with you. And I'll enjoy the moments when I'm away from the computer and I can celebrate winter with my family. And really, in the end, it's these moments that I will treasure forever, right?
We rang in the season by building a fancy gingerbread house. Philip was a master craftsman.
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And our city set up their annual Winterfest which the kids just love. Here's my daughter ice skating with a friend.
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Wow, to be young and innocent...
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My brother Jonathan brought over his fiance(!) Angie for a little gift exchange. He told us that she liked Elephants and Dragonflies and so we got her a Ceramic Elephant Tea Pot which had us concerned that we might be giving our future sister-in-law something lame-o on our first Christmas with her. But she LOVED it!!
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We went to Winterfest twice actually. They have a tent set up with all kinds of furniture and toys and a fireplace - all made out of ice. My kids were afraid their 'tushes' would get too cold.
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Emily made a cake. I don't think anyone has ate it yet...
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My daughter sportin' the winter wear.
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At her school they had one of those Santa's workshops where your child can go shopping for their family. We gave her $20 to spend and allocated $10 for her brother, and $5 each for Mom and Dad. When she was finished and we picked her up the supervisors of Santa's workshop gave us $15 change. Needless to say we were kind of curious as to what she got us.
I love my present! It is an ornament for our tree that says '#1 Dad'. She was so happy to give it to me. And I'll be happy every year I hang it on my tree.
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And she was just as thrilled to give Momma a new ring.
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Philip got a Rocket Ship from Nana. It was on the top of his list - right next to Robot.
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You gotta love kids at Christmas. Rose slept by the tree for the first time. Our son wanted to, but gave up on the idea after he considered the thought that a strange man would be sneaking into the same room with him as he slept.
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And these two are from today. We took the kids to a big hill nearby for some sledding.
And some snow eating...
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Too busy eating the snow to smile. :)
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I hope your winter is as awesome as mine and you are able to get away from your computer, or your desk, or your phone, or whatever it may be - and enjoy some time with those you love.
nce again I have so many great shots and great moments that it is really hard to narrow it down and call these the Best. Each and every moment is special, each wedding is unique, and of course - each photo is marvelous! (Emily will love that one!) At any rate, I've pulled out some of my favorite photos and moments from a few of the ceremonies I've attended this past year.
First up is Alex. Every bride I work with and every wedding day seem to have their own personality and their own set of emotions. Alex was fantastically 'bubbly'. I don't know exactly what that word means and if that word works for you but in my mind that's the best word I can come up with. SO - here's bubbly Alex coming down the aisle with her mother and father.
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This next one is from Sune and Kwang's wedding. I just love how it tells the story of the beauty of their wedding, the ceremony, and the church.
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A powerful moment in their ceremony came when Sune and Kwang took time out to go visit their parents who were sitting in the pews. For some this could have been a quick handshake or hug, but they really took their time sharing a moment with those who had raised them and it was awesome to be a witness of such love and respect.
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On the flip side of things was this light and jovial moment from Amy and Jon's wedding. Now, you all know which finger the ring is supposed to go on right? This little moment was soon followed by great bursts of laughter and it seemed to release what was left of any tension in the day. From this moment on it was joy and celebration - and rightly so!
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And I can't remember if this photo of Amy came before or after the little ring incident. It could have been directly after and her tears were tears of joy - it was that funny!
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Flower girls seem to be the big X factor in a wedding ceremony. And the younger they are, the bigger the 'X'. This little one made it all the way down the aisle after her father coaxed her with his cell phone which I'm guessing is her favorite toy. After she made it into his arms he let us all know that he'd just won a bet!
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This precious girl apparently wasn't happy with the job she had done covering the steps with petals and so she left her place in line to finish the job. Well done!
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This one is just beautiful.
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And this one I adore for obvious reasons.
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But let's not forget those ringbearers! I love this little guy praying.
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Here is one of my favorites from Jessica and Drew's wedding. I love how it's kinda about the flowers - but not really...
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And this here moment was one of the most memorable of the year. During their vows, Jessica and Drew would repeat after the priest something like "And I promise to be there to wipe away your tears". Well, Drew went first and as he repeated that line he wiped away Jessica's tears because she was actually crying right at that moment. That got a big "Awww" from everyone in attendance. Then, when it was her turn to say those words, she wiped away Drew's tears as you can see in this photo. Needless to say, it was a pretty emotional moment. One I'll never forget.
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This one is funky. Someone else's super-flash went off at the exact same time I took this photo. The shadows are just crazy!
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I love this photo of Kenda and Elbert exiting the church after their wedding. Joy, joy, joy!!
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And this one I love because of the dramatic location complete with gnarly old tree.
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And here is another moment I will never forget! Right after Lisa and Adam were pronounced husband and wife, they turned around to face their friends and family. And as I watched them through my viewfinder I began to wonder 'Why aren't they moving?' They were standing there. Silence. Nothing...
Finally I pulled away from my camera and turned around only to see two columns of soldiers marching quietly down the aisle, bearing down on me! I immediately jumped into a nearby pew, narrowly escaping being trampled, and let them pass. This photo was taken moments later after I got out of their way. Whew! Close one...
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Who knew soldiers could march so quietly on marble floors?! Almost like a whisper...
Don't you wonder what Eric is saying to her?
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And here is a beautiful shared moment between Corrinn and Ankur right after the recessional. A little twirl to top it all off!
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And finally, this is personally one of my favorite photos of all time. The pastor actually invited me up to the front - yes, out loud - to get a photo of the scripture he was reading during the ceremony. After he had finished he asked the couple to hold their hands together and he prayed for them. Since I was still up there, I kept shooting. And this moment is what I captured.
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Stay tuned. In a couple of days I will share with you some 2007 'Textures'. Just what I've been waiting to show you!
orry if this is kinda a lame post, but I just wanted to tell everyone out there (especially those last-minute shoppers) that I still have dates available in the first quarter of 2008 that I'd love to fill with another wedding or two. So, if you're getting married the weekend of February 16th or 23rd, or March 8th, or April 12th, 19th, or 26th then give me a call and we can meet up and discuss your wedding day. Give yourself and your fiance the best Christmas present ever this year... ME! :)
Colorado December 2007 - Light at the end of the tunnel
L
ast weekend Colorado made the news - again. And now, one week later, it's becoming old news.
I've been desensitized. I can talk about events the day they happen and I don't feel too much. It's almost not real. It's a movie, or a book - something other.
The thing is, these were real people. Someone's children. Sisters.
And today it finally hit me when I went to church and there was a Boulder County police officer guarding the children's wing as I checked my daughter in.
Something is so wrong when we need armed protection to go to church, or to school...
Man, it makes me sick to my stomach.
And it makes me think of a film I saw about this time last year called "Children of Men". The film is set in some type of future world full of darkness and war. Not one child has been born in the last 18 years and so, faced with this bleak future, the world has turned on itself. Depression has set in. A great despair. And then...
A baby is born. And he silences wars. He gives hope to those without. This child brings a future to those who had lost it - and now the future is bright.
And I'm thankful that this year, in Colorado, there will be Christmas.
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"In him was life, and that life was the light of men."
o I started opening up some folders on my computer thinking that I would pick out a few 'candids' for this post. Well, I didn't make it through the first wedding before I realized that this was going to be impossible. You see, candids are what I do. Call it photojournalistic if you must. Call it 'fly on a wall' even. But I love shooting the moments, unposed, unplanned - simply spontaneous and true. I must have 10,000 candid shots that I just love from this past year so I don't know how to narrow 'the candids' down to just 20 photos or so. But as I looked through this first wedding folder I opened, 'Angela and Travis', I came across this photo and it hit me so powerfully that I thought "What about a candid tribute to Fathers?" Yes. That will do it.
This photo captures one of the most powerful memories I have from 2007. Forgive me Angela if I don't know all the details here, but Angela's father can't walk like the rest of us and I'm not sure of the reason why. Something we take for granted is for him a real effort. And when those doors in the back of the sanctuary opened up and Angela stood there with her father and they began their journey down the aisle to meet Travis - I simply couldn't breathe.
I believe this photo tells us that a wedding is not just the fairy tale ending/beginning for women everywhere. I know, being a Dad myself, that women dream of their wedding day from the time they first learn what a wedding is. I also know, being a Dad myself, that Dad's dream of that day, too. It's not quite the same I'm sure. Our dreams are not filled with romance and happily-ever-after type joy. But we dream too. Dreams of a beautiful girl all grown up, dreams of a new son, nervous dreams of "will she still need me"?
Angela's dad had a dream. And nothing was going to stand in his way.
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And so in honor of him and Fathers-of-the-Brides everywhere I thought I'd show you a few Dads.
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I've mentioned this before, but Brides...If you hear some sniffling during the Father/Daughter dance, it's probably your Mom - and me.
've got to give credit to Zane (whose wedding I'm shooting in February) for sending me this youtube video. It could be THE youtube video of the season - sorry if it's old and you've seen it before, but it's new to me and it's great!!
