Get the Job Done: Shooting the first annual Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference

It's confirmed! I will be shooting the first ever Rocky Mountain Early Childhood conference
running April 15, 2011. I'm crazy excited about this opportunity because it's so much fun to be involved in the kinetic energy attached to a new event. But this is also the first time I put in a bid for a photography contract, competed against other photographers and won the gig!

The conference is a two-day session featuring events on Friday and Saturday including receptions, lunches, general workshop shots, and a vendor/exhibitor hall. Specifically the preschool program has requested that I be creative about my shots and use some depth of field and other photographic techniques so the imagery doesn't look like snapshots. I'm more than happy that I've been given a little more freedom to try some unconventional shots as well as shoot the necessary posed shots the organization needs as well. Thanks to my four years of consecutive coverage of the National Brotherhood of Skiers annual summits, the Council on Foundations event as well as numerous other smaller dinners and receptions I've shot locally, I have no doubt I can give the preschool program what they want in just about any lighting situation I might encounter.

It's purely coincidence, by the early childhood conference's featured speaker is Geoffrey Canada, CEO of Harlem Children’s Zone -- a guest speaker that I shot last year during the Council on Foundations annual conference held in Denver. Out of all the esteemed foundation guests (including Former Vice President Al Gore), I remember feeling more connected to Canada because a good education has been the basics for why I've been successful.

Here's one of my shots of Canada that appeared on the Council on Foundations 2010 event wrap-up page:



I'm beginning to think that I should try to specialize in special event coverage since they have been the bulk of my assignments recently. I would never give up shooting portraits because I love focusing on people, but maybe it's time I start to consider a specialization. I'll chew on this and get back with you later! :)

Get the Job Done: My 5280 Ad Campaign for Ignite Matchmatching Services

My first ad campaign photography will be appearing in 5280 Magazine in May!

Last month I shot photos of several of Ignite Matchmaking Service's real clients so they could appear in the company's new advertisements. I worked along side Ignite's executive director Sheryl Williams and ad director Chris Faria of Ad Genie Creative.

Chris took this photo I shot of Mary:


and used it to create this great ad:


Chris specifically said he wanted it to look like the sun was shining down on Mary' right side, hence I would need some strong specular highlights to simulate sun rays. So I used two Alien Bees, one for the main light and one for the "sunlight," only that one was set several stops higher than the main light. Chris had a great idea in mind, and I simply had to follow his direction to achieve the shot he wanted for the ad, and I think it worked out well.

More advertisements will appear in 5280 issues throughout the year!

Get the Job Done: Lead Photographer for the National Brotherhood of Skiers Summit 2011

I'm blogging to you live today from Steamboat Springs, Colorado where the opening ceremonies for the National Brotherhood of Skiers Black Ski Summit 2011 will kick-off in about two hours. The NBS contracted me to serve as their event's lead photographer for the fourth consecutive year, and I'm looking forward to working for them and visiting a new city.

More than 800 registered NBS participants are in Steamboat for social events, parties, skiing activities, and races all geared toward raising funds to support the NBS Olympic Scholarship Fund designed to provide financial support for exceptional athletes of color who excel in winter sports. The intent is to propel these young athletes to Olympic and international competition. In addition, funds from this event support the operation of the National Brotherhood of Skiers. In past years, I've photographed NBS summits held in Breckenridge, Aspen/Snowmass and Winter Park.

This year, officials have asked me to focus on capturing more members engaged in skiing, snowboarding, racing and other activities and less on the social/party scene so the organization can use those images for gaining more advertisers and sponsorships.

Check out some highlights from last year's summit in Winter Park:



Here are some of my favorite action shots from previous years:













Check in for some daily blogs about the doings here in Steamboat and wish me luck!

Breaking News: Facebook pages disabled because of nude maternity photos!

Both my personal and business studio Facebook pages have been disabled after I posted several artistic nude maternity photos of model Cellista. I apologize in advanced for this inconvenience, but I hope it's only a temporary set-back, as I have contacted Facebook to re-enable the pages after I delete the images. With more than 1,000 friends and nearly 500 studio fans, my Facebook pages are of great importance to me and have been instrumental in my personal and professional life, as I often post about features articles I write for the Denver Post as well as promote my studio.

The photos in this blog post had been on both pages for nearly two days. I received numerous accolades for the beauty of these images, however Facebook sent me two warning emails earlier this evening letting me know two of the images had been deleted (although I don't know which ones were). But because I was shooting a wedding at the time, I could not delete the rest of the images before the account was disabled. Facebook's policy says it prohibits sexually explicit photos showcasing nudity. However, I do not see Cellista's images as explicit in nature, especially given the fact that I have bee able to successfully post numerous boudoir images that would be considered far more salacious than those showcasing a mother-to-be. But Facebook apparently has a no tolerance policy for nudity of any kind, and I would adhere to those rules from now on if my account is re-opened to public access.

Get the Job Done: Alter Ego Sessions 2011

Weren't able to get your Mary Kay Alter Ego Photo Session done last year? No worries! 2011 sessions kickoff today, and more will be made available throughout the year. Here are the details:

BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Limited Seatings AVAILABLE so 1st come, 1st serve!

Choose an Appointment time! 4 to 8 people per session.
Sessions began at 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 2:30pm, 3:00pm, 3:30pm, or 4:00pm

Think of it as a "speed dating" makeup and photo session!! And your Makeup is ready for your Girl's Night/Date Night!!



$20 nonrefundable Sitting Fee MUST BE PAID IN ADVANCE. You will receive 2 photo sessions with a professional photographer, a "BEAUTY" photo from the photographer, a $10 gift Certificate toward your Mary Kay purchases of $50+ ($30.00 Value!!)

Plan to attend the Reveal Party in 2-3 Weeks!!

****You will be featured in the Mary Kay Alter Ego Photo Portfolio*****



To RSVP and ask questions about the next alter ego session, please contact Lisa Young, Mary Kay Personal Beauty Consultant.

Prepare for about 2 hours of FUN and Beauty your Way!!
Learn the basics of skincare, a basic care application and an advanced color application lesson!!

Need help pinpointing your who or what your alter ego is? Check out my gallery to get some ideas.

Studio chosen for a business ad campaign!

A preview of the new Ignite Matchmaking Service February ad campaign using a stock photo.

On Sunday, I will be shooting images for a local matchmaking service's ad campaign. Ignite Matchmaking Service's new February campaign will feature three or four of its own real clients as models rather than hire professional models or use stock photography for their ads. And that's where my expertise comes in!

The company's ad director, Chris Faria of Ad Genie Creative told me that they needed to find a photographer who could direct and pose "everyday" ladies with no modeling experience, helping them feel confident, attractive and at ease in front of the camera. Every once in a while, I have the pleasure of working with lovely, experienced models needing images to build their portfolios. But the bulk of my work is with clients who may not even have sat for a professional family portrait session, much less a boudoir or glamour shoot. I love being able to demonstrate through imagery just how gorgeous my clients are, and I look forward to doing the same with the ladies from Ignite. Very few of the clients in the previously linked galleries were models, just "everyday" people who ended up looking like models when their natural beauty and personality were allowed to shine.

Chris emailed me several images he found to illustrate the kind of look he's going for:







Sheryl Williams, a professional matchmaker for the service, came across photos I posted on Facebook earlier this week, and the images led her to my website. From there, she sent my website to her ad agency to see if my work qualified for their needs. Faria and a makeup artist will be on hand during the shoot as well to make sure the company's vision is maintained. The shoot, expected to last for about two hours, will be the first one I host in my new digs at Xposure Photography Studios.

Here are more of Chris' favorites he hopes we can capture during Sunday's studio session:

This Weekend: Couples Retreat

This weekend is all about couples for Picture Your World Photography!

Tomorrow during the early evening, I will be photographing Donna and her newly web husband Greg during my first ever portrait session held in the snow. My readers may remember that Donna was the winner of a free photo session drawing held in November when I reached 400 Facebook fans. A crazy holiday season caused some cancellations, but Donna and I were finally able to sync our schedules with Mother Nature so we could shoot not far after a fresh new snow. I'm thinking lots of cuddling, snowball fights and laughter! The massive storm that has swept the nation has given us the perfect opportunity for a Winter Wonderland type of setup at one of my favorite locations. Here's a shot of Donna and her blended family another photographer shot in 2009 at another wintry venue:



Then Sunday morning, I will be hosting my first Steamy Couples session -- think boudoir meets engagement! The idea became clearer for me this past week when I photographed two young couples during a Valentine's Day-themed Meetup with the Digital Photography Lighting Basics Workshops. They told me they had been searching for a photographer who was willing to allow them to pose more sensually, and it wasn't long before we had a meeting of the minds and a shared vision. Unfortunately, we only had about five minutes to quickly try out some shots before the studio closed, but I think the results were great and more than enough fodder to get us interested in setting up a private shoot for later:

Shelena and George


Shelbi and Steve:


We've talked about possibly using my two-seater soaking tub to create some sexy shots with bubbles and implied nudity. I would love to be able to start offering this as a regular service, and definitely as a special promotion for V-Day (Valentine's Day).