OH Glory BE! What a fun wedding to be a part of! The 2-becoming-1 of Mike and Bekah, who are just as full of energy, life, and good old fashioned romance as a couple of high schoolers ... so it should come at no surprise that they've been dating since then - since their good ole days at Rampart High School. They have been together for the better part of about 7 years!!! Mike and Bekah are so fun to photograph and to be with; they just ooze life everywhere they go. They must attract others who do the same because this was one of the most fun wedding parties I've gotten to photograph thus far, too. It's obvious that they have been through so much together -- the way they laugh, the way they know each other, the way they care for each other. It's inspiring! A regular Zack Morris and Kelly Kapowski, they are :) Some highlights: (too many to mention them all, first off) Mike seeing Bekah for the first time, under the bridge at Colorado Ave. His face is absolutely priceless, and I limited myself to just putting 2 of these in here. In the middle of the shoot, this kind woman from the Bridge Gallery invited us in to take pictures with the art! The art made a great backdrop, and the wedding party liked me again because they didn't have to stand out in the freezing cold anymore, taking turns on who gets to stand in the sunshine! I also LOVED the ceremony. I joked with M & B afterwards that in almost all the pictures I have of them, they're either laughing or kissing. Mike's response: "Those are our 2 favorite things!" The ceremony was just another chance for them to do their favorite things; in fact, they actually sneaked a kiss during communion, long before the pastor had given 'em permission. And we all got to laugh heartily along with them as they read their vows to each other. Bekah: "I promise to stay well read, so you can read vicariously through me." Mike: "I promise to always order dessert, even if I'm full." And those are the funny vows, but these 2 gems love God even more than they love each other and that is the real beauty in this relationship and in what they promised to each other. Thanks for letting me join in the fun, Difelices! Good luck in GA and AZ!!!

Sean & Rachel

This was the first time I got to brave the snow in a wedding photo shoot, and what a glorious day it was! I feel that I've had the privilege to work
with such kind, caring, and thoughtful brides in my career thus far, and Rachel was no exception. She and Sean met in high school here in Colorado and started dating shortly after. I've also photographed her brother for his senior pictures and her parents' bed & breakfast for their website (www.rockymountainlodge.com). Their inn is perfect; it's exactly what comes to your mind when you think of COLORADO! Chunky snow on the trees, real log cabin, mountains in the background ... Ahhhh. Glory. One tradition Rachel's dad has is that he doesn't like to see his daughters until he's about to walk them down the aisle. He didn't even let them show him their dresses! So, of course, he loses it a little and their weddings can turn into a big tear fest for everyone! This time, he budged a little and decided to see Rachel a few minutes in her dressing room a few minutes before the ceremony began. One thing I love about my job is that's not awkward for me be around to witness these precious, timeless moments between family and friends -- if I was just a normal guest I would get kicked out when these moments come and go! But my camera is my ticket into all kinds of intimate moments reserved for the closest of friends. I love it! And I loved getting to work with Sean and Rachel ... best of luck to you 2 out in your new South Carolina adventure!

Manitou Cheerleaders!

Let the good times roll!




I'm pretty sure I smiled for about 2 hours straight during this photo shoot at Garden of the Gods. What a fun group of girls from Manitou High School here in CO! And I had fun just watching them be girls -- giggling incessantly, making witty comments, yelling at strapping young lads who would drive by going through the Garden. It was hilarious! It was a jolly good time, and actually reminded me of my own days spent in a cheer uniform (Sshhh, don't tell). All in all, I think everyone had a good time -- Go Mustangs!

Juneteenth!

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the US. This year's celebration marks the 20th Annual NAACP Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom and was full of gospel music, ethnic food (mmm...), moonwalks, and lots of dancing and celebrating! It was a blast! I was hired to shoot this event by COPPeR (Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region), which is the premier organization serving the arts here in Colorado Springs. At any rate, the kids were precious, the food was delicious, and the atmosphere was full of celebration! Highly recommended :)

Claire

One of the coolest high schoolers I've had the privilege of meeting. Claire grew up in a pretty unique family - born in the Philippines, raised in Colorado, a middle child of 5 (2 older sisters and 2 younger brothers). Their father died before Claire hit double digits, and her mother has raised the 5 kids (with the help of lots of friends and neighbors!). Each child in this family is so unique and gifted, and Claire is no exception. Artistic, aesthetic, musical, beautiful, and both socially and spiritually aware -- she's pretty exceptional in a lot of arenas of life.

We had a great time on this shoot! We actually had to do it in 2 parts, waiting for a nice cloud cover to come around and give us premium lighting for the afternoon. The clouds are actually pretty good to us out in Colorado, at least in that way. We shot everything at Glen Eyrie, which is a place that's quite special to Claire's family. She's off to Arizona in the fall for college, and then probably off to change the world ;)

Sweet 16

This photo shoot happens to star one of my favorite high schoolers in the youth group - Mikayla, a bubbly, loving cheerleader with bright red hair to match her fiery, passionate personality. But I probably didn't even need to type that; you can just look at these pictures and see! Kudos to Mikayla and her fam for coming up with a really fun and unique way to celebrate a 16th. They hired a friend who's a chef to come and prepare a 4-course meal for Mikayla and several of her friends. All the friends showed up in cute cocktail dresses (can you call them that when 16-year-olds are wearing them??!) and took their seats at the dining room table by their own personal name card. After dinner, we went downstairs and did a photo shoot with Mikayla and all her friends for about an hour with all kinds of fun props, and these girls were HYSTERICAL -- so hammy and wonderful. I barely had to tell them what to do! After the shoot, they come back upstairs for some chocolate fountain action and stayed for a slumber party. In the end, a good time was had by all, and Mikayla had a whole photo shoot worth of images to remember her
special night by.

San Antonio's Best

This bed and breakfast is a getaway of getaways. The view is lovely (overlooks a lake), the food is divine, the decor is like something out of Real Simple magazine, and the hosts are so gracious! Not to mention it's just down the road from San Antonio, which is one of the most fun cities in the country of Texas. I went there to work, but left feeling like I'd had a vacation --- complete with my first ever viewing of Casablanca.