Skattewhat?

I can't say enough wonderful & hilarious things about this family. I think the pictures tell you exactly what kind of family they are, and I leaped for joy in my heart when they agreed to let me dress them in charlie chaplin moustaches and drag a couch up to Garden of the Gods for a fun-filled photo shoot. One thing I hope doesn't come through the photographs is the temperature... cause I couldn't feel my fingers and my props were being blown about by ice cold gusts of hurricane. And I couldn't blog this without giving a shout-out to one of my best pals, David Rau, who single-handedly hauled that couch up the huge rock next to Balanced Rock. I did indeed bust out in choruses of "Whatta Man" while he made the trek up with a sofa on his back.

Long story short: this family rules. Each one so unique. Each one so beautiful. Each one SO FUNNY. We should all wanna be Skattebos.

What's Wrong? (inspired by Highlights Magazine)

Photographing bed & breakfasts has its upsides, for sure - staying in beautiful inns for free, getting to sample their delicious menus, shooting in my sweatpants... the list could go on! But, since one of my favorite magazines as a child was Highlights (y'all remember that one?), which featured an illustration on the back called "What's Wrong?" where you were supposed to spot the weird things going on... fish with sunglasses, mohawks on chimpmunks, birds swimming... you know, the usual. The not-so-upside of b&b photography are the mishaps, but I just realized they would be great material for the "What's Wrong?" game, so I've included a few here to show the not-so-polished side of the work. Who knows? Maybe you'll get a toy if you can find them all...

I Fancy This Inn!

The town of Greeley has never conjured up images of class or elegance for me. When it comes to mind, I tend to think of the lovely people I know who live there and... well... the cow poop (I had to say it). But the Sod Buster Inn (website under construction by Acorn) has really turned me around! Now, when I think of Greeley, I think fond thoughts of one lovely couple from Britain who is changing my mind and bringing an uptown feel to one of Colorado's more blue collar towns. This couple is a TREAT to be around and their inn is beautiful - with 10 rooms to share! The shoot was a bit long – 11 hours – but I never got bored and never bruised myself :)

Here's what I wrote in my journal the day after the shoot:

I love this place! I love Derek & Stephanie; they're just lovely. This inn is beautiful, they are beautiful, and I had a beautiful time. I hope this one succeeds! They just moved here 12 weeks ago from England to start this inn, but they've lived all over – Japan, Nigeria, Greece, Indiana, and England. I've never been treated so graciously and like "part of the family" by any innkeeper before. Stephanie bought lunch for me yesterday, she helped me behind the scenes as my "flunkie," and after the shoot was over the poured a glass of wine for the 3 of us to sit down and toast to celebrate! Then, they insisted on me having dinner with them! So lovely...

And here's what I had to say in their guestbook upon checking out from my (11 hour!) photo shoot:

WOW. I have stayed in a lot of B&B's and taken lots of pictures. And I may take the pictures, but you, Derek & Stephanie, take the cake. Your hospitality was above and beyond. I can tell you really care about the people who come through the Sod Buster, and that makes me know that people really will leave as your friends. I know I am! Much love to you both. If kindness and hospitality make a business successful, this should be a Fortune 500 Company :)

Long story short: go visit these people. You won't be sorry!

Look Out For #4!

I don't even know where to begin with this precious family... they are wonderful and giving and hilarious and creative and inappropriate (in the best ways possibly) and snarky and share their food with me and let me stop by whenever I feel like it and just flat out A+ The scene begins with Clay, Krista, and their 3 beautiful children–Noah, Sadie, and Seth.

And then there was Piper.

I first found out about Piper when sitting down to watch 500 days of Summer with Krista near Christmas last year. "I hope I'm not pregnant," she said, as she took another sip of wine. "Could you be?" "Well, yeah..." (I only questioned it because I knew that her husband had gotten the old "snip-snip" just a few DAYS before) I told her to call him and tell him to pick up a pregnancy test on his way home. "No... I will just wait."

The next day I got a text from her that read "Ummm, can you say 4?" :) And she surprised everyone on Christmas by putting a note about little unborn Piper in Clay's stocking. Then came summer, and then came Piper. I am so excited for them to have a 4th because a) they are really special to me, b) the more Enochs in the world the better, and c) Krista really wanted another girl before they were done with the childbearing years! I'm so glad to see how God has blessed this wonderful family, and I'm so glad they got a baby so well behaved and CUUUUUUTE.

Shooting Babies Is Fun! :)

Sweet little Ella is the daughter of my good friend, Jayme Mac (as we called her), who was a fellow counselor with me at Eagle Lake Camp in 2003, '04, and '05! It's always a little weird when your friends start having their own offspring, but it really is a beautiful thing! It was a fun shoot because Jayme and I were able to hang out and catch up in between shots... especially when Ella felt like she needed to get some screams out :) There were definitely some funny outtakes that I'll have to include, because babies just make the most awesome faces when they're screaming bloody murder. But Ella did so great overall and was a really good sport, as we changed her outfits and locations multiple times, made her lay naked on the floor, and tried to stick wedding rings on her toes. Here's some of my faves.

Business & Arts Luncheon - Colorado Springs

I really love my job. Well, both of them. But there are some days I come home from a shoot and just think "No, I REALLY REALLY love my job today!" Being at this luncheon was one of these days. Not only was it a collection of some really amazing, trailblazing, artistic, and brilliant people who have made big things happen in our community, but I also got to photograph breakdancers and acrobats! And, for those of you who don't know me that well, if I could snap my fingers and be really amazing at one style of dancing, I'd be a b-girl in a heartbeat :) So, of course I asked if they taught lessons and picked up a business card from one of them before I left. In addition, I had the privilege of photographing a breathtaking opera singer, who indeed received a full standing ovation after only 1 song. To say that she gave me chills would be an understatement. I could have photographed and listened to her all day, as her beauty was not limited to her voice alone.

The Business & Arts Luncheon was designed to bring together people who are making a creative difference in our community, via having creative workspaces, giving big money to the arts, or thinking of innovative ways to combine creativity and business. I hope this is an event I get to capture with my camera every year, and many thanks to COPPeR for making it happen.

Look out for the Goats!

I have seen a lot of B&B's the past few years, as I've been the staff photographer for Acorn Internet Services, and the more you see of something the less it excites you. But this was not the case with the Mountain Goat Lodge (dba CO Crossroads B&B)! From the moment I walked in, I felt at home! I also was really impressed with the way my fabulous hostess, Gina Marcell, decorated in a modern rustic fashion and was able to combine the woodsy, outdoor feel of a cabin with the more modern feel of Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrel. It was wonderful!

My room had view that rivals the ending scene in The Sound of Music, and to top that – there were chickens and mountain goats! Gina is actually quite the MGL (mountain goat lady), and she raises them, milks them, and even uses the milk to make her own cheese and to put in lattes (that she's happy to make for all her guests!). I was pretty impressed. And I remained impressed throughout the shoot... until we got out to the pasture with the goats. Then I got scared :) You see, Samson, the "man of the house" (if you know what I mean), was kinda eager to rub his scent on me. And you may think "Why be scared of a goat?" But this was no ordinary goat. No. This was a small buffalo! But Gina was awesome, as is normal for her, and I got back out the gate without a trace of smelly goat scent. All in all, it was such a splendid time, a great photo shoot, a wonderful hostess. Point being, if you are ever the Salida/Buena Vista area, visit Gina at her Mountain Goat Lodge. You won't be sorry!

ps - The reason I photographed Gina's inn is because she's having her website redesigned, so just know that the one you see linked above is NOT her heart's desire :)