Ciao Amici!

That's "Hello Friends!" to those non-Italian speaking viewers. Well wedding season is in full swing and I should soon have many many pictures for your viewing pleasure. But before that, I'm dying to share some images with you from my recent holiday in Italy. I just returned a few days ago... which is lucky for my brides, cause I seriously considering finding a way to stay. ;)

I think I left half my heart in Italy. I was captivated by Italy and its people. I came back with a renewed perspective on the American way of life and a love for the modest Italian lifestyle. In addition, I became quite the connoisseur of gnocci and cappuccino; in fact, I don't see myself drinking Americanos quite as much anymore. :) I felt a connection to the Italian people and can see myself one day studying abroad. I'm looking into an MBA in business administration at one of the most prestigious design schools in Italy: the Politecnio di Milan. I visited the campus and was blown away by its technology.

Other than Milan, I visited Rome, Florence, Siena (I luuuuvv Siena), Riomaggiore and the Cinque Terre, and Venice. Here are just a FEW images from the trip; I have more to show, but do not want to overwhelm you. Check back soon!

ROME:
We sure had our fair share of adventures in Rome. I can't even count the number of times we laughed to the point of tears. We asked for many different sets of directions, got our first taste of interacting with Italians, also had our first taste of the famous Italian gelato. Rome is so filled with history; I'd love to go back. This is such a classic picture as it foreshadows the rest of our trip.... we constantly had our noses in Alyssa's phrasebook and our eyes on my maps (I had one of these for each city and they came in SOOO handy). However, we DID make a point to ditch the map for a day and get lost in every city.

Sara and Simon: I ran into this cute couple at the Trevi Fountain and did a spontaneous photo shoot with the English couple.

Laughing at the entrance to the Coliseum. We were actually able to score 3 free tickets from Totó.

My favorite part of Rome: the wedding photographers!! Both the above and below images were obviously taken in Rome. It was a Monday afternoon and we saw the first couple at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City and the above couple outside the Coliseum. I can't even explain the feeling I got when I saw the photographers. They were living my dream of photographing internationally, well I guess to them it was just another local wedding.. how boring.. shooting at the Coliseum AGAIN... ;)

Looking out over Rome from the interior of the Vatican Museum.

Our first dinner in Rome where we coined the term "Rome it up," meaning because we had such a fabulous time in Rome, we were going to "Rome it up" in all the cities to come. This bottle of wine you see here led to a very interesting night of fun, dancing (well almost...), the purchase and use of a street vendor's night flying toy, a very late walk home after realizing the metro was closed, and to top it off, a near "picking" of my pockets!!

SIENA:

Overlooking Siena. This was one of my favorite parts of the entire trip. The view was breathtaking and literally almost brought me to tears of joy. Siena is about 30 miles south of Florence in the heart of the Tuscany. (Photos from Florence to come soon.)

Jesie and I having lunch at Key Largo Bar on the perimeter of the Piazza del Campo, a famous square in Siena where the biyearly Pilao derby is held. Siena was one of my absolute favorite towns. It was small and quaint.

MORE PHOTOS FROM FLORENCE, VENICE, THE CINQUE TERRE TO COME SOON!

The Grantham Family

You are about to see one of my favorite families: the Granthams. I grew up right down the street from them and went to school with their oldest son. I was honored to photograph them. These photos were taken the day after their youngest son, Jordan, graduated from high school. So many people were in town for the party that Lori, Jordan's mom, knew family photos were "now or never."

My favorite part about these images is the scenery. We actually set up shop on the side of their house, which makes the images more personal. Backyard shoots are my favorite. :) The lighting was perfect; I set up the subjects in the shade, but used a large white reflector to brighten up their faces and eyes and then from the back I added a silver hair light. Do you see the hair light?

United States Air Force Academy Graduation

Hey everyone! Through my ties at the United States Air Force Academy, I was able to land a spot on the media platform at yesterday's USAFA Graduation. I was right up there with the AP and UPI press, as well as White House Television and all the major TV networks. It was an incredible experience as the commencement speakers was our very own President George W. Bush! Here are just a few of my favorites. If you check any newspaper or magazine, I'm sure you will see very similar shots from the AP. What a one of a kind day, to say that I've shot the president. Er.. I mean, to say that I've photographed the president. ;) Gotta be careful.

I was amazed at how genuine the president was; it seemed he had something different to say to every cadet (all 1012 of them). Whether he was laughing at a joke a cadet told, autographing a hat, bumping chests or fists, blowing kisses, waving at families, or even talking on a cadet's personal cell phone, Bush seemed to be having a blast up there. This was a side of our president that I have never seen before and an experience I will never forget. The rush that came over me when Bush was announced for the first time and out he came, marching to the Hail to the Chief song was something I didn't expect to feel. It was one of my most memorable moments in my photography career.

Paul or John Travolta?

Hey Everyone! It's been a busy weekend for photography. Yesterday Kami, and today Paul, who Jesie and I finally figured out looks an awful lot like John Travolta. :) Paul is a senior attending St. Mary's.

Like I said, photo season is beginning, so be sure to check out Kami and Chris's pictures as well as Jesie and Brandon's. But first, Paul:

Talk about photogenic, huh? He was so calm and easy to shoot. He just looked at the camera and smiled! He made it look so easy. :) We had a blast, for sure. I always have fun on my shoots. I truly love my job. Thank you, Jesus!

Miss Kami

What a fun shoot today! Kami is graduating this May from UCCS and these photos will be used in her graduation announcements. We had a blast in Manitou Springs today and had quite an entourage: me, Jesie, Kami, Chris (the boyfriend), and Steph (the best friend)! We shot for just a little over two hours. We had a heck of a time with the wind blowing Kami's hair all over the place. We were patient though. :) These are just a few of my favorites. An online gallery will be up soon. Enjoy! As always, click to enlarge. And if you like what you see, tell a friend! Or at least post a comment. :)

Jesie & Brandon

Geez-a-loo! I can't believe it's April 10th. Where has time gone? It was JUST April 1st. I feel like I just woke up and missed 10 days. I guess time flies when you're having fun... or working 12 hour days. :)

Hey, here are some images from Jesie and Brandon's shoot on Saturday. For those of you that don't know, Jesie is my wonderful assistant. She has such an awesome creative eye and always has great ideas. These images were taken in my hometown of Cañon City, Colorado around the Abbey and then downtown in the ghetto alleys. I had such a blast showing off my quaint little hometown to Jesie. I even took her and Brandon to The Owl for lunch for a double double egg burger and a chocolate malt. A special thanks to my buddy, Jared, who helped reflect and shade. Thanks, Jared! You're the best.

Okay, let's get to the good stuff!


It's been a busy couple of days. I booked two weddings and 1 senior session in the last 24 hours. Whew! This coming Saturday, I have college graduation photos with Kami. She's a gorgeous girl with beautiful ivory skin, bright blond hair, and vibrant blue eyes. I believe Kami's boyfriend will be joining us for a few shots as well.

On Sunday I have another senior session. This time, a local high school senior, Paul. I'm looking forward to his shoot in Downtown Springs. I'll be sure to keep you all posted on Kami and Paul's shoots. I'm off to catch some Zzzz's now. Good night!