Mount Evans day and night

Hello, last week a good friend of mine from Kansas, Randy and his nephew, Logan, visited and we decided to get up early and explore Mt. Evans, at 14,258 feet in elevation.
Believe it or not Randy was in my very first photography class at West High School in Wichita. Logan just graduated from high school and will be attending college this fall and wants to become a photojournalist. I've been mentoring him for the past few years mostly via email. This was the first time we've actually photographed together.
We knew it would be more than a little chilly so we packed coats, hats and gloves which came in handy even before it started to snow. We hiked around Summit Lake at 12,800 feet where we saw a herd of mountain goats - also where a group of climbers from Iowa started their climb to the peak.
Then we drove to the parking lot at the top and climbed up to the actual summit, crossing snow more than once. A pair of skiers hiked by carrying skiis and looking for a chute to ski down. We were happy just taking pictures, as it started to snow and we decided it was time to head down to lower elevations.
On the way down we stopped at the Mount Goliath Natural Area which has one of Colorado's few stands of bristlecone pines, some of the oldest trees on earth. Several of the bristlecones are more than 1,600 years old. I broke out my black and white infrared camera trying to make the pictures even more interesting.
The morning trip to Mt. Evans was so much fun that we decided go back for a late night photography experience and make some long exposure images - 20 to 30 minutes each - so you could capture star trails. The moon came out and added some nice fill light. Some of the pictures appear like they were taken in the daytime except for the star trails. The Mt. Evans Wilderness Area is an amazingly cool place to visit, and it's only an hours' drive from Denver.
Cheers, Kent

Danelle and Michael's Wedding at Phipps Mansion

Hello, last weekend I had the pleasure of photographing Danelle and Michael's wedding at the Phipps Mansion. Phipps Mansion.
The ceremony was held about 11AM in a garden area on a beautiful, blue sky summer morning followed by a reception/luncheon on the patio. Click here if you would like to see a slideshow of their wedding. Wedding.
At the end of the ceremony I made a group photograph of all the guests, and enjoyed having plenty of light to catch everyone mingling before and after lunch.
Thank you Danelle and Michael for choosing me to photograph your wedding!
Cheers, Kent

Bend it with Beckstead

Hello, last week I spent three intense days participating in a wedding/fashion photo workshop called, Shoot with Beckstead. Shoot With Beckstead. Last year American Photo Magazine named David Beckstead one of the top ten wedding photographers in the world.
David Beckstead.
A group of about 15 wedding photographers mostly from the Denver area, lived and breathed Beckstead's style, both in a classroom/studio situation and photographing models on location for 14 hours a day! Beckstead is known for his use of composition, color and light. On the first day, after getting pumped up listening to David speak and viewing a few slide shows of other shoots he's done from around the world, we drove up to Georgetown and the Georgetown Loop Railroad. Georgetown Loop Railroad.
At each location David would quickly look around for scenes that had dynamic lines, patterns, colors etc. Then we would photograph for about 15 minutes before changing locations. I don't normally use models, preferring reality over fiction, but this was actually great portrait practice using creative compositions. Usually I draw on emotion, action and occasionally architecture.
After lunch we worked our way around the Georgetown Historic District before heading out of town to an old graveyard, and believe it or not, an I-70 underpass, because of the cool lines and light. That night we edited our images down to 30 to share with the group in a critique session lasting eight hours.
The second evening we went out to practice low light night fashion using available light and/or video lights. The last day we did a shoot at Centennial Airport with two WWII planes. We went from a night shoot/low light situation to a bright, hot midday location. Each provided different challenges and opportunities.
Cheers, Kent

Jessica and Casey's wedding at The Tapestry House

Hello, last weekend I photographed Jessica and Casey's wedding at The Tapestry House in La Porte, Colorado, which is just north of Fort Collins. The Tapestry House.
I photographed the wedding with my good friend, John Hudetz. John Hudetz.
This was the first time I had been to The Tapestry House and I admit that it's a great location for both a wedding and reception. The house is beautiful inside and out and their perennial gardens have been meticulously tended. If you would like to see a slideshow of the wedding, click here. Wedding.
Cheers, Kent

Jennifer and Mark's wedding at Cordillera

Hello, last Saturday I photographed Jennifer and Mark's wedding in Cordillera with my good friend John Hudetz. John Hudetz.
It started at The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera where Jennifer was getting her hair and makeup done. Lodge and Spa at Cordillera.
Then Jennifer and I rode with Carolyn Moorman, of Artisan Events, to The Club at Cordillera for the ceremony and reception. Artisan Events.
The Club at Cordillera.
The first thing I noticed upon arrival at the club was Desiree Kelly of The Makery setting up a 7-tier cake using a ladder. The Makery.
It was a beautiful sunny spring day high in the mountains above Vail for their outdoors ceremony followed by the reception in both a tent and the Timber Hearth Grille.
If you would like to see a slideshow click here. Wedding.
Cheers, Kent

Home improvements

Hello, I've had an exciting time this week at the home office. First of all it's spring which means lots of cool flowers are in bloom and everything is planted and growing in the garden! The really big news is that we've had the house painted - inside and out - and it's finally finished. We had to delay the exterior paint job for a month while a house wren minded her nest and hatched two babies.
There are a couple of themes running through this post: painting, plants, flowers, and of course Chinle, our cat, hanging out in the yard. Note how the front of the house changes from green to a copper color.
If you would like to see a slideshow click here. Home Show.
Also, I need to shout out a huge thank you to Ron Vetter for doing a wonderful job on our painting projects.
Cheers, Kent

Lauren and Nathan's wedding at the Garden of the Gods Club

Hello, last Saturday I photographed Lauren and Nathan's wedding at the beautiful Garden of the Gods Club in Colorado Springs with my good friend Sean Cayton. Garden of the Gods Club.
Sean Cayton.
The Garden of the Gods Club must be one of the most picturesque wedding venues in Colorado, with its layered vistas. The ceremony was held next to the reflecting pool with the Garden of the Gods Park behind it and Pike's Peak rising above it all. It seemed like the environment was interacting with the wedding guests who were involved from start to finish with the clouds, light, mountains and sunset. Even a deer stopped at the pool for a drink. If you would like to see a slideshow click here. Lauren and Nathan.