After a week in sunny Las Vegas – the family, or at least I am – is recharged! I had a few goals to attain while in Las Vegas and by the 2nd day I told myself to take a vacation and enjoy the time off and goals were out the window. I did want to photograph a wedding couple while there, but my timing was off, but once again… I was on va-ca! But we did get some pictures and my main goal was achieved – to spend family time with hubby Beau and teens Jennifer & Dustin, and that we did.

Now that we are back, and Spring is here (under all the snow – there is green grass wanting some sunlight… really there is!) it’s time to switch into gear for High School Senior Sessions and Family Portraits. Book your session now! And don’t forget to Vote!

View more photos from of “Spring Break ’10 – Las Vegas Style“

a little taste of Mom’s home made Apple Pie –

Where have I been hiding lately? As the flickr story reveals, we’ve been painting in the house. After 4 years and 20 pictures in a theme of Coca-Cola items… I told the family we had to start painting the house!

I was planning on it this coming weekend, but my awesome husband surprised me on Friday night by telling me he was off for the weekend and said ‘how about we paint?’ and I’ve learned not to question a question of his!

I was nipping at his heels by Saturday morning, scared he would back off and not full-fill the quest. After 6 hours of washing baseboards, measuring and taping – we started to paint and we went into the middle of the night with just the brown. Sunday we finished up around 10 pm the upper half of the red just on this wall.. there is 3 more walls that are not quite done yet. Needless to say – our front room still looks like this.

I love the red. Love love love love it! And the brown? Like puddin. Chocolate puddin’. The walls almost look like a tootsie roll!

This weekend? Score! It’s a 3 day weekend, and we’ll be finishing up this room and hopefully start on the living room which will be 2 shades lighter of Revival Mahogany (AKA Puddin’)

A little something personal… my daughter’s 15 birthday. One of the reason’s I started my photography, and now I’ve been blessed… she has the 4th generation photography gene in her too…

Happy Birthday Baby!!

Love Mom -

Yesterday I had a photo session with a family that had this adorable little boy. A year ago – he was my very 1st child session, and his mom and I had trekked out to the pumpkin patch, in cloudy conditions, found some big pumpkins, propped him up and started taking pictures. Then it started raining on us.

We ended up hiding out under a big oak tree where I finished up his session in some what dry conditions – the photo to the right was selected as the best one – it went on to win contests and was printed in local newspapers. Not bad for a 1st time session – ever.

It’s the conditions that I work in that makes my photography so much fun. I think if I had perfect weather, in perfect conditions – it just wouldn’t be as fun. Of course I’m sure it would make it easier – but it’s the story of how I got the perfect shot in un-perfect conditions that makes me love it so much more.

But skip a year – he’s now walking, talking and calling the shots.

His mom wanted pictures of him with Dad, Mom and Ga-Ga (Grandma). So never looking at my instructions of where I am going till I really need to get there – I find myself heading west on I-70 into the mountains. I turn off at the Genesee exit and end up not half a mile from the Sleeper House. Ga-Ga owns a home that faces it every night – and she says when they throw parties up there – you can see the lights flashing (disco ball) all night long from her bedroom window.

I love this house. It is so cool. And every time we drive by it on I-70 – I never get enough looking at it, so when I end up being so close to it, and I stay for dinner with the family, I kid you not, I was starring out the window every few minutes to get a glimpse of the Sleeper House lit up.

But our photo session was awesome. Trying to keep up with a 2 year old without melt downs is a handful. And to listen to him talk and ask questions when I remember him from a year ago when he would just stare at me… he just cracked me up. Pure boy all the way. Picking up rocks and throwing them, sticks, snowballs… what ever his little hands could grasp or get dirty, he was into it. And the bravery of jumping off steps.

It was an awesome session and I’ll have a few more pictures to post soon -

For the past few weeks – I have been posting a photo a day of nothing but Coca Cola items on my flickr account. I’m a huge Cola freak, with lots of collectibles.

But the question is – Just how did I get the name “Colagrl”?

It started back in college (Go LOBO‘s!) My college teachers would sigh when they found out they had me in their class… (Graphic Design degree with all projects focused on Coca-Cola after 1 teacher said it was NOT ART (hello advertising over the decade?)

… anyway – one of my favorite teachers looked at me when I walked into her class and she screamed in delight “I get the Cola Girl!” and they all called me Cola Girl from then on. And its been mine ever since.

So I joined a Crazy Group in Flickr with other local Denver female photographers and the goal is: Take one photo a day for an entire year. There are lots of groups out there, and there is even a group where your post a photo of yourself every day for a year. I tried it once, I photographed myself for 3 months. It became very hard for me to be creative after a long day at work / kid’s activities and come up with a different picture of myself – every single day.

So this group made the rule – any photo, as long as it’s within the day. I decided to make mine a little easier and do monthly themes. Since it’s January, the sun sets before 3pm (I kid! I kid! – 2:49pm) – I thought doing Coca-Cola items that I have collected over the year would be a good start.

It’s been a blast! I feel it has improved my photography so much – each night I take a photo. I spend most of the day (ok – not like every minute of every hour), but along the line of a few minutes, wonder what rare item do I have that will make it to flickr for the night. Then with my new flash that I received for Christmas – I take about 8 different shots of the item with the flash pointed in different directions, (watching for light bouncing off walls), and I position the item in different angles (background, angles, texture, depth of field)… all that in 8 shots or less in 15 to 20 minutes or less.

Then I take the winning photo and tweak it with color. Do I want the red to stand out? Do I want to make the photo vintage? Soft? Details!

And every night – I feel I posted a better shot then the night before.

So to tell you that I’m excited that I’m going out to photograph real, living, breathing people today – I’m beyond excited. Sneak peeks soon -

12/31/08
Sometimes… you are just in the right place at the right time. And at 6:45 am this morning – Parker, Colorado had the most beautiful sunrise peeking in my window… and so I share the warmth…

I love this High School Senior. Oh for so many reasons…

It was cold out – and except for the twinkle in her eye (or tears from coldness)… you would never know. I personally think this photo is hot!!
She was my last session of the 2008 year, but the beginning of my Senior sessions for 2009. She was my ending and beginning… she completed me.
She looked like her mom in so many ways – and that alone is a compliment to her. Her mom is so cool.
She made a cold day look good. But odds are I will shoot her again in the summer – it was so dang freaking cold!!

Wrapping up 2008 – A great thanks to my wonderful friends and clients who let me photograph their family and moments… 2008 was just the beginning… 2009 will be just more amazing!!

This is just one of many photos I took last weekend in my 0 degree’s weather romp in the snow.

Just another great reason as to why I like to photograph teens – they will do about anything, even in cold weather for a great shot.

I’ll have more to post later this week. I’m waiting on 1 order and then I wrap up the Holiday Season of 2008 and then 2 days after Christmas, its back to High School Seniors. Bo-Yah!