Haley Poulos Photography - The Blog

Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma!

2012-01-20T17:33:00.000-08:00

Oklahoma has my heart. I was there last week to visit family and friends. I didn't take any photos of them; I forgot because I was having too much fun just being around them.

Words: road trip, early-90s cassette tapes, flamingos, animal game, Subway, GPS fail, coffee, uncle, aunts, apple pie, grandmother, old photos, pets, beer, Cherokee, country drives. Babies, old friends, bagels, flashlights, family, eggs. Muskogee, post office, pine cone, banjo, Natty Light, breakfast, dancing, home. Banjo.

(Deep thoughts inserted here.) (With emotions and stuff.)

But this is a lookin' blog, not a readin' blog. So, you know. Here are some photos.

Oklahoma, I love you. We belong together, like peas and carrots. Peanut butter and jelly. Ketchup and eggs. Hot damn.

Odds and Ends From 2011

2011-12-29T10:19:00.000-08:00

Well. Wasn't 2011 ... interesting? (It was!)

(This is the space where I had a bunch of stuff written, and then deleted. It was like this: ajfalfjkadwoeifjkdlaj. Mushy end-of-year vomit. Gross.)

Now here are a bunch of random photos that never made the blog, but I felt deserved some space on the interwebs. Next year I'll be posting stuff here as normal, but be sure to keep up with my horse, Jay, on his blog. You can click here to go to it.

Happy New Year, everyone. Wishing all y'all love and laughter and adventure in 2012.

This Is Christmas

2011-12-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

I am so full. To celebrate Christmas, I basically drove from one town to another and ate all their food. I hope you had a similar day full of family and friends and cheese and joy and turkey and laughter and cookies.

Breakfast at Mom's:

Then to Dad's for the afternoon:

If you think you see a French Bulldog with a cone on her head, you are correct. That is a French Bulldog with a cone on her head.

We did this at Thanksgiving ... might as well do one for Christmas, too. The following is a series we like to call "When Dad Pours the Drinks."

Real resilience is using neon icing when you can't find the Christmas colors.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you who read my blog (Mom. Dad [sometimes]. Stranger in India. You know who you are.)

Lauren

2011-12-05T14:34:00.000-08:00

Lauren is awesome. We set up a cute little one-light studio in the barn so we could do her senior photos out of the snowy near-zero temps outside.

She's awesome. And beautiful. Beautifully awesome.

We got her little sister to come out with us for a while. We didn't MEAN to dunk her into the snow drifts.

Lauren is also a photographer! We made a little tiny workshop out of the afternoon and Lauren shot her friend Mattie's senior photos, too.

Like I said, it was really cold out there. So we went back in.

So much fun! Thanks, Lauren. :)

Sunrise

2011-11-28T07:22:00.000-08:00

How about a little George to start the week off right?

Meghan and Jason: Engaged!

2011-11-04T09:21:00.000-07:00

Next fall, I'm photographing Meghan and Jason's wedding at Lone Hawk Farm in Longmont. We went up to Chautauqua in Boulder last weekend to get a few engagement photos. Afterwards, we stopped by the Southern Sun for a beer. Gotta say: I had a lot of fun with these guys and I'm really looking forward to their wedding next year!

A Shoot for the HSBV; Also, You Need Holiday Card Photos :)

2011-10-23T14:25:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a blog post so I can share some of the photos I did for the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. That post is coming soon.

For now, I wanted to share this one photo to remind you that you need family portraits for this year's Christmas and Holiday cards! We're supposed to get our first snow here on Wednesday, but it'll warm up again by the weekend and there should still be some fall color left next week. I'm booked on Friday, but have spots open on Saturday and Sunday, as well as any weekday afternoon/evening, so give me a holler and we'll set something up. :)

One Shot—Three Rivers Horse Training

2011-10-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

One shot from my afternoon with Alex, the owner of Three Rivers Horse Training. You should check out her website and tell her to update her blog more regularly. :) She's quite the horsewoman and just a neat girl to be around.

More to come, but I wanted to get that spider out of the first page of my blog, so I figured I'd share this one for now.

Spider Pants

2011-10-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

I have written a song:

Spidey pants
Spidey pants
You like to do the
Spidey dance

I know. It's a good song.

New Pasture

2011-10-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

The boys moved to a new pasture yesterday. It's a little bigger than the one they've been in all year, the west boundary is lined with big cottonwoods, there are new, strange horse neighbors, and the water tank is in a different place. A ~~hot air balloon~~ HORSE-EATER flew right overhead this morning. It's all very unnerving for Jay and Orfec. They have no idea what's going on.

Moment of clarity: The new pasture is DIRECTLY ADJACENT to their old pasture. Seriously, it shares a fence line; it has better (not great, but better, and certainly more) grass, so you'd think they'd be pumped about that. But this morning both horses were sweaty from having spent the night running, trying to get back to the "safe" pasture.

I feel bad for them, but I know in a couple days they'll be just fine. It's still hard to watch them get so worked up. Not so hard that I didn't take a couple shots, though ....

Jay coming in to see me. When he's nervous, he definitely likes to be close to me.

Listening to new sounds. These sounds can be heard only from this side of the fence. The other side had safer sounds.

Getting braver.

Benoffee

2011-10-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

... or Ben, which is way easier to say. :)

Taken today during fall's true arrival. Rainy and cold with snow in the mountains.

Orfec (Colorado Horse Photography)

2011-10-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

Orfec shares a pasture with my horse, Jay. He's a 24-year-old Swedish Warmblood (he's actually from Sweden—fancy!) who was a dressage horse before he was retired. Now he spends his days relaxing in the pasture, just eating grass and soaking up the sun.

Penguin is a Cat

2011-09-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

This is Penguin. I like him. He's a good cat. Very gray. Pretty snuggly, but not in the summer; it's too hot to snuggle in the summer. He likes to snuggle up to my face and put his paws on my mouth and his eye in my nose. He stalks my other cat, Pearl, but not in a mean way; he just can't figure out what she is. He and my old dog, 11-year-old Xena (aka Hecky), play games of tag and tackle in the mornings while I'm in the bathroom brushing my teeth and putting my contacts in.

Penguin has this LOOK. You can insert Penguin into almost any scenario, and his expression remains the same.

He's really a good cat. Very gray.

Emily + Jeremy: Boettcher Mansion Wedding

2011-09-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

This Golden, Colorado wedding was a joy to photograph. Emily and Jeremy got ready and hung out with friends at the Table Mountain Inn, and were married in front of family and friends at the Boettcher Mansion on top of Lookout Mountain, just minutes from the city of Golden.

Flowers were by Blooms Floral.

Catering was by Footers Catering.

This wedding was all about family and joy and fun and love—I had a great time with both Emily and Jeremy. Thanks to Robin Usagani for having me out to second shoot for him. He was great to work with.

Enjoy the photos!

Fog

2011-09-16T12:49:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try to post more regularly. Lately I've been taking photos only for clients—and I do love my clients and really do enjoy shooting weddings—but I've been in a rut and haven't been shooting for myself at all in the past few months. I don't think I'll post every day, but I am going to make an effort to make more photos just for fun and post them more often.

To start with, here's one I made this morning while I went out to feed the horse. It was so foggy that it took me a while to find him. :)

Happy Friday, everyone!

Anna and Tony: Rocky Mountain Wedding

2011-08-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

Family and friends from all over the world came to celebrate with Anna and Tony as the couple exchanged vows at a friend's ranch about 20 miles southwest of Vail, Colorado. I love shooting weddings like this one—the weddings that truly feel like a celebration and everyone is there to have a good time. It has been so dang hot here on the Front Range this summer; I was happy to escape up to the mountains to shoot this beautiful wedding with Kara of Kara Pearson Photography, who was really great to work with.

Enjoy the photos!

nom:

Stephanie and Marty: Coors Field Wedding

2011-08-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

Stephanie and Marty are serious Rockies fans. From the venue (home plate at Coors Field, thankyouverymuch) to the reception decor (purple linens, flowers, and cupcakes), this couple roots for the home team all the way. I like.

My cousin works for the Rockies, so I'm pretty familiar with Coors Field, but I have to say it was really very cool to be there on a day when the Rockies were away and we had the whole place to ourselves. The guest relations folks who were there to make sure we didn't get into too much trouble were super patient and accommodating. Despite a false fire alarm and mandatory evacuation (before the ceremony, thank goodness), the day went off without a hitch and Stephanie and Marty threw one heck of a great celebration party. Congrats to you two, and thanks to Kirsten for having me out to be her second shooter.

Enjoy the photos!

Waiting for the all-clear after the fire alarm:

You notice the shirt tied over the fire alarm there? Hee! The alarm went off but the light kept blinking; the boys were resourceful.

BOSS

A girl after my own heart ... her tears started before she even stepped out onto the infield.

Hayden at Chautauqua (Colorado Family Photography)

2011-07-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

Lots of fun with Hayden and her family up at Chautauqua last night!

Nom:

Baby Reed (Colorado Newborn Photography)

2011-07-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

World, meet baby Reed James.

I went to visit Liz and Reed in the hospital this morning while new daddy Ted ran home to let the dogs out.

Reed is not even two days old now. He didn't have that whole alien-baby thing going on, like so many newborns do (not that there is anything wrong with looking like an alien).

The doctor and some nurses came in to do regular newborn things, like count his toes and listen to his little lungs.

He even makes hearing tests look good:

First phone call with Dad, who sounded JUST A LITTLE BIT EXCITED OH MY GOSH.

Liz looked so relaxed and happy (this after a drug-free childbirth!) and she's just glowing in mommy blissdom. I'm looking forward to getting to know Reed more and teaching him how to ask for a bunch of horses and a big truck when it comes time (I'm thinking in about 5 years).

Thanks for letting me meet Reed, Liz. He's just too cute. xoxo

Laura + Jason: Married! (Colorado Wedding Photographer)

2011-07-01T18:29:00.001-07:00

Ok, let me see if I can get this straight: Laura grew up in Saudi Arabia. She met Jason in Wyoming. They traveled in India for a year, live in Texas, and got married in Colorado. Yeah ... that sounds about right.

Huge thanks to Laura's brother, Josh, for being the wedding coordinator of the year. He booked their venue (the Greenbriar Inn), ordered her flowers, and booked me, all while Laura and Jason were in India. Awesome pic of Josh coming up in a few.

Laura and Jason's family and friends were nothing if not genuinely welcoming and warm to me. The bridal party made me dance at the reception, and guys, I sincerely apologize for your having to witness that. :)

Enjoy the photos!

Thanks so much, Laura and Jason, for allowing me to be part of your day. It was an honor.

Thanks for stopping by,
Haley

Laura + Jason's Rehearsal BBQ (Colorado Wedding Photography)

2011-06-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

Laura and Jason got married at the Greenbriar Inn last weekend. They invited me to a barbeque the night before so we could all meet once before the big day. Normally I like to get together with my couples a few times before the wedding so we can get to know each other, but these guys have been in India for the past year and now they live in Texas. Anyway, you'll see a lot of these people in the Laura + Jason: Married! post, but for now, here are a few favorites from a casual, mellow BBQ at Laura's folks' house. Enjoy!

(And if you twist my arm, I'll post one sneak peek from the wedding.)

I love this one even though I missed the focus on it:

If socializing isn't your thing, the Rox were a (winning! again!) distraction:

I really enjoyed talking to this couple for a lot of the evening. These are Jason's grandparents. We have the high plains in common; they're from North Dakota. :)

Laura was a super-gracious host and I can't wait to show you the photos from her wedding. I should have that post up within a week.

Here's that sneak peek, by the way. Isn't she pretty? Holy smokies.

Thanks for stopping by,
Haley

Mallory + Jeff :: Colorado Heights Wedding

2011-06-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

These two cats did it right. They've been together for years, are best friends, and have a wonderful family who clearly believes in them. They celebrated with a beautiful ceremony and reception at Colorado Heights University in Denver, Colorado.
Huge thanks to Matt Allen for having me out to shoot with him.
Enjoy!

One of my favs:

Thanks for stopping by. :)

The Northeast Pasture :: Colorado Horse Photography

2011-06-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

... and a couple of birdies.

Kieran + Tom :: Colorado Wedding Photography—in New Jersey

2011-06-14T07:12:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I flew to Philly, stayed in Delaware, and shot a wedding in New Jersey with Chuck Anerino, who is an east coast wedding photography rock star. Shooting with Chuck was a milestone for me. I am still pinching myself.
And.
Chuck's FAMILY.
They are wonderful. They took me into their home and made me an honorary Anerino for the weekend. I photographed their family and posted it here, but this post is about the wedding. :)
Kieran and Tom are a gorgeous couple who had a perfect wedding and reception. Shooting an east coast wedding was a little different than what I'm used to. There was a TROLLEY. I had never seen a trolley in my entire life. :)
Enjoy the photos!

Jay Again :: Colorado Horse Photography

2011-06-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

Jay at Night—Colorado Horse Photography

2011-06-08T14:08:00.001-07:00

Just a simple late-evening shot of my 15-year-old gelding, Jay.

Colorado Family Photography—in Oklahoma

2011-05-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

I live in Colorado, and Montana feels like home to me, but Oklahoma is where my roots are. Last week I drove down to the northeastern part of the state—the prettiest part—to visit my family. Spring in the Rockies is difficult for me. There's almost too much excitement in the air. Things change fast. One minute there's a snowstorm and the next there's a forest fire and then before you know it there's a baby raccoon on your front porch. See what I mean? I get twitchy and feel anxious. But springtime in Oklahoma wraps you up in a big warm hug and doesn't let go. It feels safe. And yes, maybe there's a tornado and then a baby possum in your yard, but at least you're being hugged. I like that.

When we lived in Oklahoma, my family went on a road trip to Colorado. I was probably 9 or 10. I got so excited when we were driving back home and we reached the prairie. I remember my dad saying, "I think you're a wide-open spaces kind of girl." And that's what I mean: at heart, I'm an Okie.

I'll be spending more time there over the next few months, and I have an Oklahoma photography project beginning to take shape in my head. It'll be a months-long process, and it'll probably mean more to me and my family than to my blog readers, but I think it'll be good. I'll post small updates here and on my Facebook page, so be sure to check in once in a while. In the meantime, here are a few from my trip last week. Enjoy!

The end.

Estes Park Family Photography—Straight From Kansas

2011-05-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

Amanda, Mark, and Rowan left Kansas to spend a week at Rolling River Spa along the beautiful Fall River near Rocky Mountain National Park here in Colorado.

They're driving home today, so I hope these photos are a welcome sight after staring down the interstate for 9 hours on their way back to Lawrence.

After photos, Rowan showed us her new fishing skills.

Rowan is one cool kid. I hope these crazy wonderful people come back to Colorado soon. :)

Colorado Family Photography—in Delaware

2011-05-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

Late last month (where has the first part of May GONE?), I flew out to the east coast to shoot a wedding with Chuck Anerino. I was incredibly honored that Chuck asked me to shoot with him; he's been an amazing source of inspiration to me and I was surprised he even knew who I was.

I'll cover the wedding we shot together in the next blog post; for now, enjoy some photos of Chuck and Carmel's beautiful family. There are a lot of photos here. Make sure you get at least to the noodlecycle shots. :)

This is Spiderman:

After the baby was fed and pooped, we went bowling. See?

Luca got a strike!

So did Mom!

After bowling, we went for noodlecycle (thanks for the new term, Luca) rides:

We rode some other stuff, too.

This is how to eat a ham sandwich:

Then it was time to sleep. Nightnight, Anerino family. I want to steal you all and bring you to Colorado to live next door.

Brittan

2011-04-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

Brittan Maassen and I hung out yesterday ... had a glass of wine, got caught up on each other's lives, and took some photos for her portfolio. She's moving to Australia next week. Brittan's my alter ego; I love to travel, but chose to own a horse instead. :) She's worked on cruise ships for years, traveling the entire world and seeing some really neat places.

Brittan love, even though I see you only a couple times a year, I will miss you DEARLY. I can't wait to hear about your adventures and see your photos. Australia is lucky to have you!

Butterfly Cakes and Love

2011-04-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

Brandee spent 4 months planning her mom's surprise 60th birthday party at the Pumphouse Brewery in Longmont, Colorado. She brought in local vendors (listed at the end of this post), and her mom's friends came to Longmont from all over the Front Range and as far away as the western slope to help her celebrate.

Here's an initial preview of some of the photos for Brandee and her family. Enjoy!

Annnnd the Power Lift Bra. :)

Patsy reading the card from her daughter ... I have to admit I was a little teary-eyed, myself.

Happy Birthday, Patsy! Thanks, Brandee, for letting me be part of the celebration.

Venue: Pumphouse Brewery

Florist: Lafayette Florist

Cake: Stephanie Wright (ph. 303-916-6391)

Spin Art (Colorado Family Photography)

2011-04-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

Tubes of paint + things that spin =

Jameson {Colorado Family Photography}

2011-04-13T16:00:00.000-07:00

I met up with Kim, Dan, 13-month-old Jameson, and doggie Abby last weekend for some fun family shots. This is my kind of family: kids, dogs, beer, playing outside ... we had a great time.
Enjoy!

This cracks me up:

(No babies were harmed [or drinking] in the making of this photo.)

Best of 2010 {Colorado Wedding Photographer}

2011-04-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

I'm shooting some really cool weddings this year. I'm super excited to get the season off to a good start (the first wedding I'm shooting is at the end of this month in New Jersey! WHAT?)

I decided to post a few favorites from last season. I look at this post, and then I look at my inspiration folders, and I feel good. I have a lot to learn, yes. But I'm in a good place and I've got an open mind and I just know it's going to be a good year. Love is good. Taking photos of love is also good.

Bear with me while I reflect on last year. I narrowed it down to a handful of personal favorites. I hope you enjoy!

Sonia and David: Evergreen, Colorado Wedding

2011-03-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

I shot this wedding late last summer as the second shooter for Matt Allen, who is a complete rock star. He's one of the funnest (!) guys you'll ever meet, and dang he's good at what he does. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post to see Matt hard at work.

This was my second time shooting at the Evergreen Lake House, which is one of my favorite mainstream wedding venues. Insanely beautiful setting, and super nice people on top of that.

Sonia and David were a genuinely sweet couple to work with. Thanks, Matt, for the opportunity to shoot with you, and thanks to Sonia and David for being so easy-going and pretty to look at. :)

Thanks Matt! Hee!

Ramone et al

2011-03-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

Walking into Della's home, I knew this was going to be a good shoot.

I expected a little more chaos between the five cats and two dogs, but everyone was pretty peaceful and happy. Some were a little shyer than others, but that wasn't too difficult to overcome with a handful of snacks and some patience. I don't blame shy animals—I hate having my photo taken, so I understand their reluctance. :) I've done clicker training with my own dogs, so I've learned to click (the shutter of my camera) and treat shy pets as they hear the noise. It can be a process, but pretty quickly they realize that good things happen when the camera is aimed at them.

I haven't finished processing everything from this session yet, so not all five cats are featured here, but I couldn't wait to share some of these photos with you. For now, meet Skippy, Ramone, CoCo, Divine, ChaCha, and Charlie. Enjoy!

(You'll want to keep tabs on Della's animal communication website. It's not live yet, but keep checking back—it should be up and running before too long.)

Four of five of the cats are Abyssinians—and yes, they were show cats. Charlie (below) is clearly a cat of a different breed (I think he looks like a person) but that didn't keep him away from the show ring—he was thisclose to winning Best Household Pet. His current job is being his human dad's companion, and something tells me he likes it that way.

I love it when clients tell me they like black and white processing. Sometimes a shot looks better in color, but I'd say that 80% of the time, I far prefer doing my work in black and white. Here are two very similar frames that made the choice difficult for me:

Della also has a horse (somehow I know what Della was like when she was my age :) ) and he'll make an appearance here on the blog once his winter coat sheds out.

Thanks to Della and her critters for a really great shoot!

Marie

2011-02-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

As a wedding photographer, I'm used to a pretty hectic day of shooting: making sure I'm in the right place at the right time, pointing my camera at all the important moments (both the obvious and subtle ones) and being on my feet with two cameras hanging off my shoulders for eight hours at a stretch. The adrenaline makes it pretty easy, and at the end of the night, when the gear is packed up and I'm driving home, there's a sensation of—for real—whoosh as the adrenaline wears off and I can replay the day in my head.

I'm so used to counting on that sense of urgency when I'm shooting. Photographing Marie was at the other end of the spectrum for me. It wasn't easier, or more difficult, or better or worse. It was just different. I guess that's pretty obvious (Hello! Yes, shooting a wedding is different than shooting a 91-year-old's portrait. I know.) :)

I don't know that I really have a point to make. I'm just observing, as a photographer, that it's important to step outside our comfort zones, and it's interesting to observe how we feel and act in different scenarios.

By photographing Marie, I remembered that I have a very true interest in people's stories and lives. I want to go out and photograph everyone's grandparents and record their stories so the family has something tangible to look back on and touch and read in 30, 50 years.

ANYway, Marie and I sat there for a while and talked about her early days in Colorado. There were stories about kids and rattle snakes in the backyard and hound dogs jumping over the hood of her car in pursuit of a mountain lion. There were stories about mountains and family and losing a child and moving from Chicago to Denver in its cow-town days. When you get to be 91 ... I mean, dang. It's pretty neat to think of all the things a person can experience and remember and all of it is packed into one tiny frame.

I'm going to post two photos of Marie. This was a more intimate photography setting than I'm used to—I wasn't just observing, as I do in weddings; I was part of the discussion—so I didn't take a lot of photos. Just a couple. I'll tell Marie's favorite story here, and then I'll post the pictures.

When she moved from Chicago to Colorado in 1950, Marie had a husband and two babies. They moved here for her husband's job, and Marie felt out of place in her new neighborhood just outside of Denver. The neighbor ladies invited her to tea, and she wanted to make friends. In an effort to fit in in her new fancy neighborhood, Marie, who describes herself as "uneducated and plain," dressed as one dresses for tea in Chicago: a dress, a hat, and white gloves. When she showed up at the tea, all the other women were dressed in blue jeans and boots. Poor Marie was mortified, but one of the ladies took her under her wing and they became good friends.

Here are a couple of Marie at 91 years old. I shot these a few days ago with an old Nikon 50 1.2—wide open—mounted on my Canon 1ds2.

Steve and Flash: A Boy and His Dog

2011-01-26T08:36:00.000-08:00

Maybe this is a product of growing up in Oklahoma and choosing to live in a semi-rural area of Colorado, but nearly everyone I know has at least one dog as a pet. Almost without exception, and perhaps not surprisingly, it seems that most people and their dogs mirror each other in some ways, especially personality-wise. In some cases, we as owners project bits of our own personalities onto our dogs in an attempt to understand things about ourselves: "He doesn't like to be alone," or "She's insane and hyperactive and needs Valium." :)
All of this to say: At first glance, Steve and his dog Flash look pretty tough.

But on the inside, they're both the sweetest people you'll ever meet.

I mean dang. Steve loves his dog. He lives in Arizona and works on the oil rigs in Wyoming. Every other week he drives Flash to Colorado to spend time with his parents while he goes to work so Flash doesn't have to be in a kennel. It's obvious that Steve has put in a lot of time into training Flash and keeping him healthy. I've never met a hound dog with a recall as good as Flash's. These two have a serious bond.

ANYway, on with the photos. This was my first photo shoot since I've moved back to Colorado, and it was a lot of fun. Thanks to Steve for crawling under fences and rolling around in horse poo to get a lot of these shots.

Generally speaking, I by far prefer black and white photos, but with Flash's colors against the winter grass, I kept a surprising number (for me) of these in color.

Treat motivation is a good thing.

Flash knew I had a pocket full of snacks.

Next time Steve and Flash are in town, we're going to do some studio shots. I might also kidnap Flash at that time. I'm serious: He is one of the best dogs I've ever met. I have total Basset envy right now.

Thanks for stopping by the blog ... I know it had been forever since I'd posted. Lots of changes going on (including a move from MT to CO, obviously) but I'm very excited for 2011. It's going to be a good year. :)

Those Cows Won't Move Themselves

2010-12-13T22:19:00.000-08:00

We're about 10 days out from calving, so today we moved the mama cows up from the pasture to the pens near the house.

THIS IS A CHICKEN.

The cows weren't sure about crossing the icy stream.

Tim and Charlie were ALL UP ON THAT.

Srsly if you have never seen a cow dog at work, it's no wonder you still have that Honor Student bumper sticker on your car.

I didn't get any photos of the dogs working cows today, because I was riding up front and the dogs were working behind. I feel dumb when I'm around them, and my IQ isn't too low.

Global Warming is next on the agenda, right after the cows.

And starving children.

But first we had to get the girls to cross the next stream.

Cows are a little iffy about crossing things. You know your cows are happy when crossing a bridge is their biggest concern.

Tiny cornerCows!

We've all heard this before, but: MONTANA TRAFFIC JAM.

This dog, Charlie, ate my ACT scores and then rewrote astrophysics:

Good job, dogs.

Miscellanea:

This is a pretty girl:

The Cows I Have Been Waiting For

2010-11-27T17:53:00.000-08:00

At the request of Greg Feldman, I have been trying to take a photo of cows for about two years now.

Given my lifestyle, getting a good cow photo should have taken me about four frames. However. I have taken over 100 cow frames, and, while some of them were good, they just didn't feel all that cow-y to me, and they weren't what I had in mind.

But finally I have a cowShot that I'm happy with. We've been under some intense winter conditions for the past couple weeks (see egg shot in my most recent post) but today was relatively warm (24 above zero!) and the light snow on the tall grasses made for a nice cow blind, and let me get the sort of hazy effect I was after.

I kind of liked this one too, despite (or maybe because of) the out-of-focus cow.

And what is a blog post without Wilbur?

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for light, clouds, critters, family, people who don't give up on me, wuv, and a whole lot of other stuff. :)

Eggs At Ten Below Zero

2010-11-22T15:51:00.001-08:00

Or, I do not live in a chicken coop.

My Wilbur

2010-11-16T20:09:00.000-08:00

He's just so cute.

Ashlinn

2010-11-11T11:58:00.000-08:00

My friends Ryan and Jen came over today so they could introduce me to their daughter Ashlinn and so Ash could meet all my critters.

She wasn't really sure what to think about the chickens at first. The rooster said "COCKADOODLEDOO" and Ashlinn said "LOUD NOISE LOUD NOISE!" Her parents are pretty sure she's a genius and I say it runs in the family.

It took her about 10 seconds to warm up to Jay.

Pretty soon she was BFFs with all of my animals.

Ash is super duper cute. She likes to spin and make monkey sounds and give the puppy kisses. And her parents are really cool, too.

My favorite frame from the morning:

Green Mountain Red Angus Auction

2010-10-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

Today is Saturday, so naturally I was at the Big Sky Elite Female Sale (Red Angus) at Green Mountain Ranch in Logan, Montana, about 10 miles away from MVF.

Some of these photos are a little redundant, but I picked each of them for their different details, so bear with me.

I would just like to point out that auctioneers are real and holy hell I had no idea what he was saying half the time. My (ready?) second-cousin-in-law was selling heifers today. His website seems to be under construction, but if you happen to be in the market for a nice Red Angus, check back frequently. :)

ANYway, I bought zero cows today (we're Hereford people) but it was fun to chit chat with the ranchers who were bidding. This was a smaller auction but there will be more in the next few weeks--next time look for the cute white Hereford faces. Yes, I go to cow sales for the cuteness.

Taking bids:

Justin worked the pens while I was shooting.

Checking out the previews:

Maybe they're related:

Taking bids again

Ringman Craig De Boer ushers heifers out of the ring and back into the pens.

Pushing for a higher bid

Chuck Feddes discusses his game plan

Check back soon for more Big Sky living ... and look for other stuff over on my personal blog.

Jay

2010-10-29T14:07:00.000-07:00

World, meet Jay.

14-year-old Appendix Quarter Horse.

More JayPics as well as his bio on my personal blog.

Loose Ends

2010-10-27T11:23:00.001-07:00

I'm tying up loose ends from this year's wedding season. Here are a couple from two recent weddings that I haven't blogged until now.

I really love this two-shot series:

These were taken at Grace Marie and Travis's wedding back in August. I'll have to find out if Travis posted his pics from their honeymoon online anywhere: they're definitely worth checking out.

I'm Missing ...

2010-10-21T19:31:00.000-07:00

... but I'll be back.

Here's one for now.

Caleb: Doggie Portraits

2010-10-10T11:53:00.001-07:00

Brenda approached me and asked if I would do some nice doggie shots of her friend's pup.

Caleb is a strikingly handsome black lab, and black labs make me melty.

The goal of this shoot was to take a nice headshot-type photo of Caleb so Brenda can frame it and present it to her friend for his birthday.

Caleb is one handsome dude ... leave a comment with the number of your favorite shot so we can help Brenda decide which one to frame. :) I mean, ifyoudon'tmind. Thanks!

1.

I liked his white little face hairs:

2.

3.

4.

5.

We removed his collar in real life; no Photoshop tricks here. :)

6.

7.

And one of Brenda and Caleb together:

Caleb was so well-behaved and obedient--the perfect model.

I hope Caleb's dad likes these. Happy Birthday, Caleb's dad!

Pete: Three-Minute Shoot

2010-10-04T00:32:00.000-07:00

I work with Pete. He understands how it can make a person uneasy to take one's gloves off around one's horses for fear that the horses won't understand.

Or something.

Pete probably thinks I'm a little loony, but we still have fun working together.

Day-um, Pete:

He took revenge:

Your First September Pony

2010-09-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

Dizzi and Becky.

Holly + Pat: Colorado Wedding

2010-09-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

Annnnnnd I've fallen in love with another one of my couples.

I counted, and I cried four times during the day while I was photographing Holly and Pat's wedding. Yes, they're pretty to look at; and yes, Pat's little girl is too darling for words; and yes, they got married at my all-time favorite venue ever; and Pat and Holly, surrounded by people who love them, are impossible to not fall in love with.

I love this shot of Anna waiting for her toenails to dry:

She has more patience than I do.

Lucy, Pat's little girl, had her ears pierced not too long ago, and this was her first time taking her earrings out. I remember how that feels. She was pretty brave!

Pat and Holly did part of their getting-ready at the guest house together. But then they got distracted, so Pat had to leave. :)

It started to get a little crowded:

I can't remember who this little boy was, but I know he loved Holly. Holly is a kid magnet--during one of the toasts, someone mentioned that once his kids had spent time with Holly, they didn't want to go home to their parents.

(Yes, this is the part where I cried)

(And here)

(And also here)

Thanks for stopping by the blog. I feel super lucky to be shooting my own weddings these days ... I have the best clients ever. A huge thanks to Pat and Holly for allowing me to be part of their day, and to Scott and Kellie for the referral. You ALL are the best. Love.

Meredith: A Senior Session

2010-09-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

I think I'll just let these images speak for themselves and hope it's evident that photographing Meredith and her animals was a complete joy!

We're in the midst of wildfire season here in Colorado ... slurry bombers were flying overhead every few minutes. But we're tough and fires don't bother us.

We had a great time making these photos--hope you all enjoyed them! Thanks for stopping by. :)

Grace Marie + Travis :: Colorado Wedding

2010-08-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

I don't need to tell you that Grace Marie is the most elegant bride I've ever seen, or that Travis is ridiculously handsome, or that the location was a photographer's dream. Travis built this house and barn. To further perfect the scenario, the owners of the property, Scott and Kellie, are the kindest people you'll ever meet; for them to open their home to host this wedding speaks volumes about their generosity and sense of family.

Big thanks to Greg Feldman for assisting/shooting with me. I'll not post any of his shots because he and I have such a different style of post-processing, and I don't want to butcher any of his visions. :)

Without further ado, here are some of my favorites from Travis and Grace Marie.

The following is one of my favorite shots that I've ever taken. This moment speaks volumes, I think, about this sister relationship:

First look:

The groomsmen were oh-so-very patient:

Favorite. Shot. Ever:

This makes me snortLaugh every time I look at it. Travis really wasn't crying while signing the marriage certificate ... I promise. We went up to the barn's office to make things legal and it was 12,800 degrees up there, and 194% humidity. That is Grace Marie's father who officiated the ceremony--how cool is that?

Grace Marie and her mother had some seriously special moments. I was a little choked up more than once.

Here's an example of a low light, failed flash shot. And still I love it.

It rained. The wind blew. But that did not stop the party.

During a toast to the couple, Scott mentioned something that he, Kellie and I had discussed before: It takes courage to confidently promise fidelity, love, and commitment in front of the people who mean the most to you. It takes a certain bravery to believe in a lifetime partnership. A huge thanks to Grace Marie and Travis for not only allowing me to photograph this commitment, but for making me feel like I was part of it all, too.

Dia and Garret: Colorado Wedding Monster Set

2010-08-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

Even their names sound good together: Dia and Garret.

There's not much I can say about this wedding that you won't see below, although the guy I was second-shooting for--Gino Siller--was with Dia while she was getting ready, so be sure to pop over to his blog and check out his coverage of the day. Stunning couple on the inside and out, picture-perfect location and weather, and a whole lotta love.

This shot just amused me:

This wedding was an absolute joy to photograph! Count me as one among many, many people who wish nothing but success and lifelong joy for Dia and Garret. (Oooh, of note: Gino's engagement photo of the couple was featured in the NY Times! Pretty cool.)

Your First August Pony

2010-08-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

Legs lives at the barn where I work. He went to a show this weekend and did an inspirational job. His owner was thrilled that he placed third in dressage, second in jumping, and second in cross-country. Them're no small beans! (Is that how the saying goes?) He used to be a very timid horse when he came to live with his current owner, so it's fun to watch his confidence and athleticism when he's at work. As one of his caretakers, I have to say that my heart swelled a little bit when I watched him on the course. He's strong, brave, and tries his hardest.

I was a very, very proud barnGirl (I think that's my official title there) when I watched Legs run. Bravo, Legs! Good Horse.

Andy + Erin + Critters

2010-08-06T20:57:00.000-07:00

I had a great shoot last night with my old college friend Andy, his wife Erin, and their critters: Ella, Abby, and Charlie.

The thing is: it started raining just as we left their (beautiful) home and headed to Andy's work--located in a park-like setting with big old trees and if my eyes served me well, an old chicken coop! Sometimes rain makes the light just perfect, but we're talking torrential downpour here, folks. The dogs were having none of it. So we stuck with their house and street and within the next couple weeks, we'll make up for lost time and do a re-shoot somewhere around here.

Andy and Erin hoped I could capture Abby's standard mood of excitement and joy. I hope I've done that here:

We all know I'm a sucker for the Labs ... that sweet face!

Little Charlie:

Stay tuned for more outdoor images of these guys ... we've got a few weeks left of beautiful Colorado summer weather to work with, and I'm looking forward to shooting with Andy, Erin, and their crew again soon. Bonus: look for Erin in an upcoming post about Colorado women. She's going to be modeling for me this month. :) Believe me, you'll want to check back. She's stunning!

Banoffee and Stormy | Colorado Horse Photographer

2010-07-31T22:10:00.001-07:00

Zephyr and Stormy | Boulder Horse Photographer

2010-07-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

The boys after a post-rain mud bath.

A Vail Wedding: Lisa and Mark

2010-07-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

Lisa and Mark were surrounded by family and friends when they were married atop Vail Mountain over the July 4th weekend. Everything about the day was gorgeous: the venue (The Arrabelle Resort), the flowers, the couple, the guests. Even the weather--normally thunderstormy and unpredictable this time of year--held out for us all day.

The views from either side of the Vail Wedding Deck are not so bad:

I couldn't get enough of the officiant and his wife, either. Talk about oozing with adoration for one other--they were just as in love as the bride and groom.

Mark's daughter ... super sweet girl:

What an all-around beautiful day. Big shout out to Gino Siller for inviting me to shoot this wedding with him. Check out his coverage of the day by clicking on his name.

And now for your token sidewalk shot:

Your First July Pony

2010-07-13T21:19:00.000-07:00

Sassy:

Aubrey and Kirk (Love on a Mountain)

2010-07-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

I have so much to say about Aubrey and Kirk. SO much. And it'd probably be easier for me to tell their story in words, but since the point of all of this is for me to improve my storytelling through photography, I'm going to take my chances and dial back the narrative tonight. In short: If ever a couple was meant to be--if there is such a thing--Aubrey and Kirk define it.

(This is the part where there wasn't a dry eye in the house.)

Aubrey and Kirk, thank you for the fun, the laughs, and the inspiration.

Huge thanks to Gino Siller for allowing me to second shoot for him. He's one talented guy! Check out his coverage of this wedding by clicking on his name.

Ham and Julie

2010-06-12T12:54:00.001-07:00

Last week I had the opportunity to photograph Julie and her 20-year-old cat, Ham. Ham looked pretty darn good for a golden-aged cat, and it's no doubt due to Julie's love for him.

I have to admit, this was a difficult shoot. When you are an old man and also when you are a cat, all you want to do is chill in the sun and sleep, which made things a little tricky for me. But Julie and Ham have been together since Ham was only eight weeks old, and they've lived all over the country together. I knew I had to relax on getting shots I wanted to get and instead focus on capturing the connection between these two best friends. I hope I've done that here. Ham was happy to see me--he loved being petted and loved on. He's really a lucky cat to have spent his entire life with somebody who so clearly adores him (I have a hunch the feeling is mutual).

Julie, thanks so much for trusting me to photograph Ham. I hope you enjoy these.

Brittan

2010-06-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

Hai! I'm insanely busy at the moment but I wanted to share a few of my favorites from my recent shoot with singer Brittan Maassen last week. Not only is she drop-dead gorgeous, she is one of the most genuinely kind and caring people I've ever known. Thanks for a beautiful Colorado photo session, Brittan.

One of my favorites, as imperfect as it may be:

Dina and Alpen

2010-05-25T15:48:00.000-07:00

Some of you know that this is my first season as a second shooter for the super-talented Gino Siller. I'm still a little surprised that I get to do this pretty much every weekend for the summer. Big thanks to Gino for letting me shoot with him, and for gracing me with his lyrical singing voice on the way up the mountain. :)

Since most of you are used to seeing mainly animal shots on here, I'll get you warmed up with the groom and his dog Buster, enjoying their last moments as bachelors.

And the bachelor snuggling on up to the bride's best friend:

Really though, Dina and Alpen were so laid-back, so kind and genuine. The wind was blowing and it threatened to rain several times, but from setting up the table cloths in gusty wind to driving an automatic transmission for the first time to her mother's house (where the electricity and water had gone out earlier in the day), Dina was a study in calmness.

I guess I'll stop talking, and post some photos now. I'm still nervous from shooting my first wedding of the season, if you couldn't tell. :)

This is probably my favorite shot that I took all day:

This band, The Last Minute String Band, gets a big OH HECK YES from me. I could have stayed there all night if they'd kept playing.

That's all ... I hope you enjoyed my first wedding blog post. I have a feeling I'm going to learn a lot this summer, which means plenty of mistakes, so stay tuned! Thanks for stopping by and taking a look. Any feedback is most welcomed!

Your First May Pony

2010-05-08T23:05:00.001-07:00

Theo

2010-04-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

It is LATE but I can't sleep. I'm thinking about sweet Theo.

It had been a while since I had a dog session and when I got to Vanessa and Kevin's house, I instantly remembered why I wanted to photograph dogs in the first place. They train service dogs (I'll get the organization's name this week, if anyone is interested in contributing in any way) and live with two labs on a permanent basis as their SDITs (service dogs in training) go through their training program on their way to working homes with people who work with them side-by-side on a daily basis.

Phlox and Chisum were hilarious, well-trained, astronomically friendly Labs who I would welcome in my home at the drop of a hat. And then there was Theo. Theo is one of those once-in-a-lifetime heart dogs.

Theo lives with hip and elbow dysplasia and is lucky enough to have a mom and dad who are committed to his comfort and happiness as he lives out his golden years in his lifetime home. He has a special harness which makes it comfortable for him to be lifted and carried to his multiple beds (and couches) throughout the house, and to go outside to sit on his favorite hill and grassy spot in the yard so he can soak up the sun.

During our session, I couldn't stop thinking about how lucky Theo is to have had the same loving home for his entire 12 years so far. I missed a few shots due to the tears in my eyes, especially during Theo and his mom's special moments together on the porch. That's why this blog entry is being written at 2 AM--I just can't sleep for thinking about how special this dog-human relationship is.

I know what it's like to love a dog with all your heart; I dread knowing what it's like to know that my best friend won't be with me for much longer. I feel so incredibly honored to have been able to spend the afternoon with Vanessa and Kevin during Theo's twilight.

I hope I did a decent job in capturing how very loved Theo is, and how dedicated his parents are to his well-being.

I don't mean to leave the other dogs out. Chisum was too darling:

And adorable Phlox (do these dogs have great names or what?)

Theo has helped train many service dogs. Old, wise man.

Another one of Phlox, mostly because "Phlox" is such a great name and I want to type it more:

And this is just too funny:

Dad + Theo + Mom:

I've been crying over this image all night. Sweet, handsome Theo and his mommy:

Thank you so, so much, Vanessa and Kevin.

Just One. Or Two. K Three. (Now Four!) Five.

2010-04-11T21:16:00.000-07:00

Today I had the unique opportunity to shoot a fellow photographer's wedding photos. Colby and Sarah are getting married in a couple weeks at a super neat art gallery in Denver, but they wanted some outdoors shots before the ceremony.

I've just started going through them, but I wanted to post a couple tonight because I'll most likely not be posting this coming week--I'm headed to NYC with a friend from high school for a few days of eating, taking photos, and taking photos of eating. I'm taking one lens ... the first person to guess which one I'm going to pack wins lots of internet points. :)

I'll post the rest of this set when I get home, but for now, here are a couple of my initial favorites.

Meet the lovely Sarah and Colby:

Stacking

2010-04-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

My in-laws have a ranch near Manhattan, Montana.

I've been to some pretty cool places--from southern Greece to northern Sweden--but I can't think of one place in the world that I love nearly as much as these 550 acres in southwestern Montana.

When I moved to Montana back in 2004, I swore I'd never come back to Colorado--at least not to the Boulder area. Through a series of ooopses and wtf's, I find myself right back where I said I'd never be, and it's ok.

I needed Colorado when I moved back last year, and it's been good to get my footing back. I'll be here for a while yet, and I'm trying to be patient with it. But I'm antsy here, and twitchy and strange. Going back to Montana this past week to help out with the cows (if my father-in-law is reading this, he's laughing ... my "helping" was only feeding cows, stacking hay, and holding gates open or shut, but I do insist that I can stack bales of hay better than anyone up there) reminded me of how good I feel there. It's the one place I belong. Even though I lived in Montana for only a few years, it's the first place I could call home.

With Uncle Tim out of commission due to a broken pelvis, and with breeding season in full swing, my FIL needed some extra hands around to help out with AI-ing cows. Justin went up a couple weeks ago and dove right into a job he was sure he'd never do. I think most farm kids go through an "oh HEY-ull no" stage when it comes to following in their father's footsteps, but then they come around. :)

Anyway, all this talky talk is unusual for my blog, so let's just hit the photos, shall we? Most of them will speak for themselves if you are familiar with farming at all. I think a lot of people put a romantic spin on ranch life, and admittedly I inadvertently did that here for the most part, I think. That is to say: these photos were all taken during a relatively easy time, compared with waking up at 2 AM to check on calving cows during a blizzard with 32-below temps in the howling wind.

I'm still talking.

Farm boys.

And they have big toys.

Meow

Ok fine: Just for fun, I'll add one of me that was taken with my 5D on the green box (!) to prove that I did some work while I was there.

Long Shadow Farm

2010-03-28T21:34:00.000-07:00

Today Gino Siller and I went shooting out at Long Shadow Farm in Berthoud, CO. My intention was to get some shots of their Great Pyrenees, but I ended up spending most of my time with the sheep and Marlow, the cutest steer I've ever met.

I totally just got hit with a ton of Tired Bricks, so without further ado, here are a few from today:

(Entirely too many sheep bodies and not enough heads here ...)

Thanks so much, Kristin and Larry, for having us out to your farm. I'll be seeing you at Farmers Market this summer!

The Underdog

2010-03-14T14:25:00.001-07:00

Poor Dizzi. Sometimes I'm not sure she knows she's a horse. Her interequine communication skills are perhaps not on par with the rest of the herd, and this time the result was a few stitches and a couple weeks on stall rest.

I stopped by the barn today to say hi to her and check her bandages. It's rainSlushing outside and she just looked so pathetic in her stall, calling for the other horses.

Your First March Pony

2010-03-08T18:08:00.000-08:00

Ms. Mac

2010-02-27T20:02:00.000-08:00

Eleven years ago, I went to high school prom with my good friend Derek. Ten days ago, he and his gorgeous wife had a darling baby girl and today I got to be there to document her first bath. I've known Derek for about 17 years, and even though I hadn't seen him in about 8, it was just like old times. Except, of course, that he has a baby and is married and owns a home. But you know. Other than that. :)

Baby Mac was easy and sweet and just about fit in my pocket when I left after our session.

I was so happy to finally meet Derek's wife, Erica. I didn't have a ton of friends in high school, but Derek was one of the people I truly enjoyed being around and he was probably one of the few people who actually understood my weird sense of humor. I always knew he'd be a fantastic husband and father, and YES I KNOW I SOUND REALLY MUSHY TONIGHT, but it makes me smile to see that he found Erica. I like her. I like him. And I like their baby. Good then.

The Hilarity Was In The Temperature

2010-02-22T10:55:00.000-08:00

Somehow I bribed my good friend Amy into letting me try out my new lens on her yesterday. She flew in from California to brave the Colorado weather in short sleeves and really cute ruffly shoes, which I insisted she wear but then didn't shoot even once. :)

In between shots, we hung out upstairs at the West End Tavern on Pearl Street to warm up and chat.

I have got to start picking uglier friends. People were asking what we were shooting for ... when I told them that Amy was famous, people started wanting her autograph.

That's just silly.

Srsly, Amy was such a good sport. It was 19 degrees outside and the wind was blowing.

Outside:

Inside:

Things got funnier:

I mean, reallyreally funny:

The end.

These Are Cows

2010-02-20T20:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes missed focus is a good thing. And so is being ok with missed focus. And so is the spongey learning stage I'm in, because I'm being ok with things that I thought were bad. And I like them. Good then.

Betsy

2010-02-08T20:07:00.000-08:00

A Horse A Day (or so)

2010-01-27T10:14:00.000-08:00

Sassy + Betsy (again)

Legs

Dizzy waits patiently for me to bring her in for dinner. Good ponies.

The Cows Were Gone

2010-01-21T20:11:00.000-08:00

For the past year, I've been whining about the lack of nearby trailheads, compared to the miles and miles of trails right outside my back door in Montana. Sooooooooo, the mutts and I were pretty excited to find this great big empty Open Space pasture right across the road from where I work.

We got kind of a late start, so we were hiking back after sunset.

These are all with the (fabulous) plastic 50 but I think next time I'll bring the 70-200.

National Western Stock Show

2010-01-10T22:40:00.000-08:00

The Stock Show started this weekend. Today was the freestyle reining event and the alpaca and llama show. Am soooo sleepy so this will be a photo dump, but I'll be back down there later this week so I'll comment on the photos then. :)

Advanced warning: nine million photos.

Mares

2009-12-28T22:22:00.000-08:00

Horsepeople know that geldings are so (so!) much easier than mares. They're sweeter, and gentler, and less bossy, and generally easier to get along with. But there's just something different--more--about a mare. She'll break your heart a million times and keep you coming back for more. She's not shy about how she feels at any given point in time. She'll give you everything she's got (when she wants to) and when she does, it's physically painful to know that that horse is so in tune with you.

Then she'll bite you in the ass and run away with the bit between her teeth. :)

These are two of my favorite mares.

Merry

2009-12-23T20:45:00.000-08:00

East

2009-12-18T16:46:00.000-08:00

I'm very fond of the plains. Can't help it. Maybe it's a product of being born in Oklahoma. We don't have real plains here on the Front Range of Colorado, but I drove east about 15 miles this afternoon to see if I could find fake plains, and I came across this field of sunflowers just in time to watch the sun go down.

A Horse A Day (or so)

2009-12-15T22:12:00.000-08:00

Stormy.

Dino

2009-12-09T22:52:00.000-08:00

The cuteness:

Aside from my dogs, she's my favorite person.

I even give her the good orange juice cartons.

Aaaaand It's December

2009-12-01T08:47:00.000-08:00

I have a whole pile of horse shots left to show you, dear readers, but for my first December post I thought I'd surprise you by giving you KITTENS.

We have two little kittens at the barn where I work. They are just the right size to put in my pocket and sneak home with me!

Rar.

Maybe Just One More

2009-11-17T17:19:00.000-08:00

More ponies I can't get enough ponnnnnnnnies.

A Pony A Day Again

2009-11-16T10:53:00.000-08:00

A Pony A Day

2009-11-15T17:22:00.000-08:00

Oklahoma: Part 3

2009-11-14T10:23:00.000-08:00

When I was in OK last weekend I had a few hours to spend in Tulsa with my other sister, who isn't really my sister at all but she really is. :)

Sara's all grown up now, with a real husband and a real house and real kids, and being with them for the afternoon was a trip back to 1987, but without the 80s-era side ponytails and tight-rolled jeans.

Sara's little boy is a tiny replica of her brother, Tommy, when he was three years old. Naughty, determined, and super-sweet all rolled up into one really cute package.

He couldn't quite figure out how to say my name, so when he wanted my attention it was: "Hey! Hayhayhay!" (love!)

This was the first time I'd met little Maya.

I'm a sucker for a snuggly one-year-old. She's at that fun Exploring Stuff age.

Maggie was there before any of the human kids.

She's very helpful with them.

I wish I had a scanner so I could show you photos from when Sara and I were 8 years old, playing "Statues" in the front yard.

Or photos from college, when we were ... well, neverMind. :)

Happy Birthday, Sara Kate. :) I love you a zillion and hope you come out here to see me soon. Bring those kids. But when they start to scream we'll leave them at my mom's house, k?

Oklahoma: Part 2

2009-11-11T19:15:00.000-08:00

Dear Universe:

Please

let me have acres to keep a herd of rescued ponies

the means to keep them healthy

the ability to listen to what they are telling me

and a donkey to keep them safe.

kthx!

New favorite shot. Ever.

I was being followed. :)

I have many horsish things to say. People who know me are very aware of that. If you are a horse person, please post your local horse rescue's website in the comments section of this post. I'm hoping to go somewhere with this .... I'll start with our local rescue: Colorado Horse Rescue. Your turn. :)

Oklahoma: Part 1

2009-11-09T12:51:00.000-08:00

This last weekend I was in Oklahoma for 48 hours. During that time, I photographed

22 horses

17 dogs

3 human children

3 cats

1 donkey

and 2 reindeer disguised as Oldenburgs. :)

Most of this weekend's critters were rescues of some sort. Lisa's dogs, including sweet one-eyed Hootie, found her, rather than the other way around.

This is little Nellie Belle.

Don't let her looks fool you. She's not really that small.

And this is Sky:

Corkie the ...

Gah! This is one of my favorite shots EVER.

And this one too. I loved the big dogs. They were tricky to photograph because they just wanted to be close (I'm an excellent scratcher).

Jake:

Nellie Belle and her dad (who, btw, is a big, tough motorcycle cop) are superClose, and this shoot was a surprise for him (even though he pulled up from work right as we were in the middle of shooting! Whoops.)

It really was a treat to be able to shoot in such a pretty corner of my home state. I'm glad to be back in Colorado (especially after two years of dreary Washington), but there's just something about rolling-hilled northeastern Oklahoma and its big-hearted people (witness the 43 rescued animals that I met this weekend, and that doesn't even begin to include the strays that my aunt feeds and doctors daily) that I'll always look forward to visiting. Except for in the summer, because really? 112 degrees with 90% humidity? Maybe not then.

Thanks to Lisa and her pack for inviting me out to their home and for agreeing to pose in the middle of the road for me. :)

Stay tuned for horses tomorrow. Lots and lots of horses.

Happy November!

2009-11-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

Ireland and Reese

2009-10-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

I lovelove doing shoots in people's homes. Everyone is more relaxed (notably toddlers!) and I think the photographic results are more representative of the day-to-day interactions of parents, kids, siblings, and pets, which is exactly what I want to come away with.

Two-year-old Ireland was a little nervous when we shot at Chautauqua last week, but as soon as I showed up in her house yesterday morning, she grabbed my hand and gave me the grand tour, starting with the big girl room and moving along to tea parties, puppies, and kitchenGolf with no reservations.

It is my suspicion, however, that her parents were the ones who wanted to play with the blocks. Baby Reese didn't mind, though.

Ireland wasn't quite sure about my 5D and big lens until she pulled out her very own camera at the end of our session and started shooting everything in sight. It was like watching a shorter, much cuter version of myself. Now I know how my dogs feel. :)

Seriously, I want these blocks:

We went out back for a few minutes--it was cold and snowy yesterday, so that didn't last long.

Meanwhile, back indoors ...

We ended with a tea party ... plasticFrenchFry tea is decidedly delicious. Please note that Reese is gnawing on a drumstick. :) Love!

Thumpkin

2009-10-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

Autumn is my favorite time of year.

Ever.

In the history of times of year.

Sport + Ali

2009-10-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

Lately I've a little unimpressed with my keeper ratio, and last week I had a mini internal meltdown regarding my apparent lack of photography skills. I did a Typical Haley Freakout (THF) and considered feeding my 5D to the bears and going back to school for biology.

(This is all making perfect sense so far, right?)

While I'm still seriously thinking about going back to CU for the spring semester (strongly encouraged by Mentor 1), I decided to save my 5D from bearDeath (also strongly encouraged by Mentor 1) and keep shooting, but maybe switch things up a little and get out of the processing rut I was in. To shoot for fun and not worry about what anybody thinks of the results, because maybe changing things up would inspire me to do something different (strongly encouraged by Mentor 2, who mentioned he would feed ME to the bears if I stopped shooting).

ANYway, I went hiking with a friend today. I decided to process a couple shots in the Regular Haley Poulos style, and then just goof around with the others. And ... it was fun! I'm not sure I'm crazy about how I did them, and tomorrow I might say ICK BLEH but I figure I'll post them anyway, because Sport is darling.

Meet Sport!

Then I shot this comPLETELY out-of-focus over-exposed thingo and LOVELOVE.

Sport wasn't really too sure about the thing I was pointing at him, and I was using my plastic 50, so I was all up in his face and stuff.

Sport has a story. He was a stray who made it from a shelter in Kansas to The Animal House in Ft. Collins, where Ali worked. He was adopted out to a person who returned him after a biting incident, and who then requested that he be put down (GAH!).

Ali swooped in and fostered him, rehabilitating him from the terrified dog he was into a pretty brave, trusting little guy. She failed as a foster mom, and now Sport is in his forever home. :)

Bumper Stickers

2009-10-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Someone (two someones, actually) once (technically twice then, I suppose) told me that I lack direction. YOU HAVE NO DIRECTION. I think they meant it as an insult, and at first I saw it that way too, but then a friend pointed out a bumper sticker to me: "Not all who wander are lost."

I liked that very much, and decided to live my life by the wisdom of bumper stickers. Good plan? I think so.

That's all I have to say about that.

Here are a couple more of Moose + Steve from last week:

Little Moosey reminds me of a serious little boy. He's all puppy in that he wiggles as though he has no joints and he chases bugs and he does naughty things like eating horse poo and barking at strangers, but he definitely looks to Steve for guidance and takes his jobs (heeling, sitting when told, reluctantly spitting out horse poo, etc.) very seriously. He's going to be a Good Dog.

Moving on:

I hope this next photo creeps you out as much as it did me. :)

I do have more grape and winery photos from the Western Slope trip a couple weeks ago, but they're sort of on the back burner until I finish up this Monterey sailboat batch.

SPEAKing of Monterey, my mistake was in not staying longer. The weather on Saturday was crap, and that's the only time we had to get out on the boat. So rather than shooting Glory (my intended subject) from another vessel, I was onBOARD Glory shooting Glory. Tricky!

I should post the before and after boatPics, so you can see how gray it really was out there. And flat and bleh. But I'd never been on a sailboat before, so to me it was still a lot of fun, and my crew was great company. :)

This afternoon I'm going pumpkin-picking with the Dino, my little cousin. Yesterday I had a family shoot up at Chautauqua, so hopefully once I get these boat photos done, I'll have time to process the pumpkin pics and some from yesterday before I go to Oklahoma in a couple weeks for a few horse shoots. (yay!) Until then, the wandering continues. :)

Moose

2009-10-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

I'll be adding more photos and words about Moose tonight or tomorrow, but I couldn't help but post this one right now. You know how puppies are wiggly and loosey-goosey and floppy? And you know how they smell good and don't understand about two objects occupying the same space at the same time? And how they eat horse poo and think leaves are the BEST THING EVER and have the attention span of a gnat with ADD? I love me some puppy, and this one's going to grow up to be a therapy dog.

Anyway, more later ... just wanted to post this one in case I don't get to the rest tonight.

edit: now two are posted! I've got to make myself stop until I'm done processing and have written out a proper post for Steve and Moose.

Om Nom

2009-10-04T21:27:00.001-07:00

Just rolled in from a weekend on the western slope of Colorado--wine country in the Rockies. :)

Here are a couple just for the sake of updating on here ... more (hopefully) this week before I head to California.

You Need Voice Lessons

2009-09-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

And I know where you can get them.

Onion Basket (your preferred chicken and wedding photography team) had Liz Ray (of Elizabeth Ray Voice) in the studio for headshots over the weekend.

Liz recently coached one of her students through American Idol auditions! The video is here.

Outside of the studio, the newOld Nikkor 50 f/1.4 mounted on my 5D is all I've shot with for a couple weeks now. I should mention that I love my 50.

That's my sister on her 22nd birthday. 22. Like, years. Which is weird, because yesterday she was 8, I think.

In case I failed to mention it, I love my 50.

I have a bazillion hours of processing to get through, and am working on a Top Secret project (!!!), so if I'm quiet for a couple weeks, that's why. After that it's a weekend trip to Palisade, CO for winery shooting and the FOLLOWING weekend I'm going to ...

(are you ready?)

Monterey, California to shoot

(are you ready?)

a SAILBOAT.

Her name is Glory. Details to come.

I sure love my 50.

Kian

2009-09-10T18:56:00.000-07:00

I've always believed that I'm one of the luckiest people in the world. Good things--or maybe I should just say things--happen to me and they always make my life richer and more interesting. I didn't graduate from college, but somehow, in the one semester I spent in the dorms at CU, I was lucky enough to live next door to Katie, and I knew from the beginning that she and I would be good friends for a long, long time. We lost touch for about 7 years while I was working in horse barns in Montana and she was building a curriculum at a charter school in Denver, but we've recently reconnected and I'm reminded what it was that drew me to her in the first place.

Katie and her husband, Jay, have little almost-one-year-old Kian, who I want to put in my pocket and bring home with me.

Jay was at work this morning, but we have plans to get the entire family out for photos one of these days.

I can't wait for Kian to be old enough to hear stories about dorm life with his mom. :)

Katie likes black and whites, and I shot with that in mind. Little Kian has the sparkliest blue eyes but something about his expressions and mannerisms felt like color would detract from him. Then again ...

I've only met Kian a few times and he was kind of shy at first, but I think by the end of the session he was pretty ok with my being there. He's a perfect little man and I can't wait to get Jay in on the fun, too. Thanks, Katie, for a lovely morning at your place, and for the wine. :)

(I don't want to forget to mention: My inspiration for these black and white conversions came from this post by Anerino Originals. I love his black and white work. You should go check out his blog.)

flwr

2009-09-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, people. A post. Now you can stop emailing me to ask if I'm still alive. :)

(That is a lie. Please keep the emails coming. I lovelovelove hearing from people who look at my blog, even if most of you share DNA with me.)

Some late-summer flowers that I shot with my new Vintage Glass:

Recent and upcoming shoots:

Wedding last weekend

One-year-old human tomorrow

Headshots this coming weekend

Family session in two weeks

Wine-tasting/grape harvest on the Western Slope in three weeks

(yay!)