his August Meagan and Stephen are getting married out in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Needless to say, I've been looking forward to their wedding and the anticipation grew even more after spending an evening with them running around Denver and taking some photos to celebrate their engagement and their upcoming wedding.
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We started off at Commons/Riverside Park. They live right near there and it's one of the most beautiful areas in the city.
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And then they got all 'fancied up' and we headed over to the Denver Art Museum area for a bit more of that 'downtown' feel.
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Things got a little steamy - and then a little silly...
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This is one of my personal favorites of the evening.
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And I had such a great time! If the days in Jackson Hole are as much fun with them and the crew - it's going to be a fabulous occasion! But we already knew that... :)
've been using the straps that came with my cameras ever since I purchased them. They're nothing fancy, they say 'Canon' on one side (I flipped mine over to be as 'all black' as possible), and they don't offer much in the way of comfort. I've shopped for a new strap before, tried a few in the store, but most everything I tried just didn't seem that much better than the default straps, or they were too 'grippy' for me (more on that in a minute).
Well last week I was reading the new issue of PDN Magazine and came across a brief review of the Skooba Superbungee Camera Strap. I made a note of it on a scrap piece of paper I found in my wallet and when I returned home I did a bit more research. After reading two more glowing reviews I went for it - site unseen - thinking to myself "If I don't like them they're only $16 each and I can probably sell them on eBay or something..."
On Monday I got my two new Skooba straps.
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And last night while I was doing an Engagement Session with Meagan and Stephen (more on that in the next few days!) I gave it it's first audition. And my report? Amazing!
The secret to these straps comes in the 'floating' bungee cord. Each end of the strap that comes from the camera is attached to the bungee which is sheathed inside the slightly thicker strap that sits upon your shoulder. The bungee is in there in such a way that it kinda floats and gives the bungee room to 'bounce'.
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Your first thought, like mine, is probably "I don't want a bouncy strap!" But the bungee has just the right amount of tension that it really works perfectly. And here is my experience:
I wore this for 2 hours last night, and not just two hours of standing but two hours of walking around downtown Denver. On my other shoulder I had my Shootsac . When standing still the Skooba-side-shoulder (with 1D Mk II n and 70-200 IS attached - 6 lbs. total) felt slightly lighter than my Shootsac-side-shoulder (with 20, 50, & 85 inside along with a flash and a couple other smaller items). But when I started walking the difference was extraordinary! Normally both shoulders seem to balance out in those circumstances (and it's just heavy on both sides) but with the Skooba strap the seemingly 'lighter' weight stayed constant on the camera because the bungee absorbed the bounce of me walking. The Shootsac shoulder was left to just dig in to my shoulder with every step - and that's what my camera used to do to. But last night it really began to feel as if there was hardly any camera there at all - especially compared with the weight of the Shootsac that seemed to increase as the night went on.
I can't recommend the Skooba strap enough - and at the price they sell it for it's a no brainer! I bought two, one for each camera, but since I rarely use both cameras at the same time my new idea - after last night's experience - is this: I plan to seek out a seamstress or upholstery professional or someone along those lines and modify my Shootsac with a new Skooba strap of its own!
Now, I mentioned being 'grippy'. If there is any downside to the Skooba strap it would be with its underside. It is filled with these air cells which help even more with the comfort level. They are just slightly 'grippy' but not to such a degree that it's a deal breaker for me. I like my straps to be able to slide nice and easy around my shoulder and/or neck without it grabbing my shirt and pulling it in all sorts of uncomfortable ways. The Skooba strap has a minor amount of grip that I can easily work with and not have it be an issue.
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Count me in as a Skooba Superbungee fan! And Bye Bye Canon default straps. Maybe I'll autograph them and put them on eBay and get my $16 dollars back. Hah! :)
o the folks over at Photographik asked me to contribute an article to their site about Senior Portraits. I'm not sure if it's because no one else wanted to do it (a lot of Photographers view Senior Portraits as kinda Cheesy), or because they just knew how much I LOVE Senior Portraits! :)
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If you want to read the rest of the article you can check it out HERE.
And just an FYI to all the photographers out there. I've spent a lot of advertising dollars in a number of places in the past few years and from what I can tell based on jobs I've booked and from what Google Analytics has to say, Photographik has been my best investment, dollar for dollar, BY FAR! And besides that, they're just a great looking site and very user friendly, and not overloaded with junk.
Sign up now - you won't regret it, I promise. And tell 'em I sent ya...
ou know, it would seem that on your wedding day your heart is so full of love that you just could never know any greater love.
But that's not true.
The moment your child takes her first breath, the moment you see him for the first time - you can just feel your heart grow and grow (kinda like the Grinches does at the end of the cartoon) and NOW you're beginning to understand the depths of the human heart.
I love my kids. Rose recently lost a front tooth! (I love spidey over her shoulder)
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We took her out to get a Webkinz outfit for kindof like a treat for her losing her tooth. Philip can't be left out and so we let him pick out a pack of stickers. And where would you put your sticker?
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This is the dress Nana got Rose for Easter. She absolutely loves it!
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Who says he needs a haircut?!
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Last night I got to playing around with a new photography technique that I learned at the Anti-Workshop. It was my first attempt at 'Painting with Light' and it was pretty fun. These are 30 second exposures!! And I'm running all around in these photos - you just can't see me. :)
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I think this one turned out the best.
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Aren't they so cute!
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Even when they're trying to be ugly they're adorable. I'm so blessed!
'm an excitable photographer. I mean - I absolutely LOVE what I do. I could shoot, and shoot, and shoot some more. And so it's hard to explain (even to myself) why it just seemed as if I was "feeling it" when I met up with Nisha and Akshay this past Saturday. I mean I was really, really lovin' it!
Nisha and Akshay showed up ready to go - not just "Hey, let's do this and be done with it." Or, "Hey, this will be kinda fun..." Or anything along those lines. They were R-E-A-D-Y, ready! And I LOVED that! They showed up with so much enthusiasm and desire to get some rockin' photos that it totally just multiplied what I was already feeling inside.
Another MAJOR multiplier was that I discovered, even after having done probably 5 engagement sessions there previously, that the Denver Botanic Gardens is now enforcing some new"ish" policy that if you're with a professional photographer it's going to cost you $350 to take photos inside! :(
This is one of my absolute favorite places in all of the Denver Metro area (I go there with my family as often as I can!) and I just love taking photos here, so I was very sad inside - but just briefly. The woman who talked to us was kind enough to let us go in for "one last time". So, now I was really determined to just make some kinda magic happen here.
...and I think it happened.
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I think these next couple photos might almost suggest that it would be worth the $350 to take some photos here.
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I was also loving how "snuggly" Nisha and Akshay were/are. So sweet!
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I was also totally loving the breeze that provided a little "drama" for our photos.
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Here was our last shot at Botanic Gardens - I pray it won't be my last ever there. (Oh, yeah, another exciting thing. A brand new exhibit started at the Gardens that very day! That's part of it in the background. And, tomorrow - Tuesday - is a 'Free Day' if you want to go check it all out for yourself!)
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Oh man - and after the Botanic Gardens closed - were we ready to stop? NO WAY! We then met down at Union Station, they had a little wardrobe change, and we were off again! Oh, I was so happy! :)
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Nisha said that her sister was going to gag when she saw all these images of her and Akshay being so - "cuddly". I don't know, I think it's totally hot!
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Wow - what a blast! I've been looking forward to their wedding day for months - and we've still got a few months to go... I think I'm going to love their Indian Wedding - which I must say, is not my normal thing. But the way I see it? Out of the Ordinary = excitement multiplier
And that's a good thing!
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Congrats Nisha and Akshay! (And thanks Veronica for helping out - I'd LOVE to shoot your wedding, whenever that might be... :)
o I shot a couple weddings recently with some friends and can you believe what kinds of photos they took? Totally Awesome photos - that's what!
First, my friend Shanelle caught these images of me being awesome!
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I love how there's at least 13 people in this photo wanting their picture taken and there I am taking pictures of two hands and a ford logo. Too awesome!
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Down the aisle for the kiss...
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And moments later there I am front and center trying to steal the show. Ha! (Actually, this was a request by the Bride and Groom, not just me trying to be awesome)
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And then my friend Kevin caught me being awesome - no matter how much I tried to hide it.
Sometimes I feel as if I'm like part Bat and part Man, able to lurk in the shadows and high places for that perfect shot... Awesome!
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It must be the ceremony - about the only time I use my 70-200 for some reason (really it's because I prefer primes...)
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"Hey, Jared!"
"Hey, what!?"
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So - how you likin' that texture now??
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I warned you this post was too awesome!
Note: I want to apologize before hand to my lovely wife Emily who always warns me when I sound somewhat arrogant on this blog. Both she and I know that it's hilarious that anyone would think this about me, but still - sometimes it does sound that way. And so, I know that in this case, even before she reads it, she'll probably say something to me about it and I want to apologize right here and now for this awesome post, and for coming across as so awesome, and really for being so awesome. So, I'm sorry my dear awesome wife.
his weekend I spent a lot of time hangin' with my family - well, Friday and Sunday anyway...
First off, on Friday, my daughter had a Birthday party at Splitz in Westminster. Splitz is a great bowling alley that's totally smoke free and fun for the entire family.
Her birthday was actually March 19th, the same day as the WPPI print competition awards ceremony, and the same day I left Vegas for Mexico. Fortunately my girl didn't mind spreading it out a bit and having a party in April as well! (And I did leave her a present to open on her actual birthday - a Furberry - something she had been requesting for a while since being bombarded with commercials for it during Saturday morning cartoons.)
Right when we got there, my kids helped set up by decorating the Princess cake. (By the way, could someone please invent a new standard icing for cakes besides Buttercream. Please!)
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Awaiting friends...
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This is one of my daughter's longtime buddies. If you go to www.jaredwilsonphotography.com - that's her brother with the Toilet Paper in the 'portraits' photo.
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Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you...
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Make a wish!
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Opening presents, at Birthdays or Christmas, is always an overload of excitement at this age!
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Splitz provided a real bowling pin for all the kids to sign. Now, where do we put this thing...
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On Sunday, after church, we made our way over to the Flatirons Mall because KidsPages was having their annual bash. It was fun - but the best part was the face painting. As we waited in line, every little girl was getting a Butterfly, and of course Rose wanted one too. I think it was starting to bug our face artist (no pun intended), but she did a really great job with Butterflies.
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She did an AWESOME job with Pirates! When I put our son in the chair I was pretty sure he was getting a 'Tiger' but she must've talked him into this! I love his beard - just like his daddy!
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At one point she asked him, "Do you want an eyepatch?" To which he responded, "No." Then she asked, "Well, what do you want?" "Whatever you want to do to make me be a Pirate!"
She gave him an eyepatch...
ARRGGHH.
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Oh, he also got his first Whooppee Cushion at the little fair. He thought it was hilarious! I'm not sure what happened to it because I didn't see it happen, but he told me that Mommy broke it. I think she was going for 'A Big One' and it burst its seams...
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My Sweetie Pie Cutie Girl, Princess, Babes, Generous One, Artist, Dancer Girl, Honey Buns.
