16th Street Mall is full of oddballs.  Anytime I shoot on 16th Street, someone has something interesting (or largely inappropriate) to say.  Apparently, this is only magnified on Friday evenings.

Since Olivia and Blake are night owls, we decided to shoot half of their session after sunset.  As the sun went down, the drunks came out – and the comments intensified.  Poor Olivia received the majority of the uncomfortable commentary, but she handled it like a pro and kept on posing for the camera.  You have to keep a sense of humor if you want your photos taken downtown, that’s for sure :)

Many thanks to Olivia and Blake for a fun Friday night shoot, and to my fabulous new assistant for holding the lights for me after dark!

Stasha’s patience waned.  As the wind flung hair across her face for the umpteenth time in 40 minutes, she let out a sigh of frustration.  I can empathize – nothing kills a woman’s self confidence in front of the camera like hair blowing across her face.  (Especially when it gets stuck in your lip gloss.  Ew.)

While Sunday afternoon’s blustery weather put a bit of a cramp in Stasha’s hairstyle, it failed to ruin our shoot.  Frank and Stasha deserve credit for tolerating the freezing cold gusts up at Red Rocks for over an hour.  And I do mean freezing.  The wind may have tested Stasha’s patience, but she never complained, and the two kept smiling through the shivers.  By the end, all of our fingers had frozen nearly to the point of immobility – mine in the shape of a camera-clutching claw.  I must get some fingerless gloves.

Stasha and Frank will be married this fall in Charlotte, likely followed by a honeymoon in Ireland.  I hope the wind stays calmer for their big day in October :)

You can hardly tell from his face that he’s said something hilarious, but her reaction speaks volumes.  Tony is the straight man; Colleen is the giggler.  Every time they looked at one another during their shoot, Tony would say something that would make her laugh.  I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but whatever it was, it worked.  Very entertaining to watch, and excellent for photographs – good work Tony.

Colleen and Tony wanted a location that felt rustic and a little more outdoorsy, so we spent some time Friday evening shooting at the Evergreen Lake House.  I haven’t shot here in years (the first two weddings I ever photographed were there), but it’s still as gorgeous as I remember.  What a lovely way to spend an evening.  I look forward to seeing Colleen and Tony for their wedding next June :)  Happy Monday!

As a couple, Kaitlin and Adam have charisma.  Kaitlin has an adorable southern accent, and a genuine curiosity about people that’s hard to resist.  Adam’s passion for biking and skiing comes through so clearly in his speaking that it’s impossible not to get excited right alongside him as he tells stories.  In short, they’re just an enjoyable pair to be around, which made my job that much easier.

Kaitlin and Adam won last month’s Engagement Contest (despite having been married for the last two years – I bent the rules. :))  We spent an evening in Riverfront Park downtown for their session, meandering through the park and then back into the city.  The resulting images had a nice blend between city and nature, which makes this an fun place for a portrait session.  Many thanks to these two for entering the contest, and for being such a joy to photograph :)

I gently bent the rules for these two.  Technically the contest was for engaged couples – Kaitlin and Adam are already married.  But I just liked their story the bes.  My contest, my rule breaking :)  So here’s their winning story, as Kaitlin tells it: