Mt. Yale, trip report! You can trust me over 14,000 feet.
The verdict on Mt. Yale: a perfect 14′er in the Collegiate Range. This was a really great day trip. We started not too crazy early, 6:00 AM. We actually got up at 3:30 AM but by the time we ate and drove from Lenny’s cabin to the trail head, 2 hours had gone by.
The hike was really nice. A little steep in parts, but Lenny and I busted up the mountain, passing several people on the Ascent. We both felt to be in great shape. Lenny and I both ride our bikes instead of driving cars and they say that you use the same muscles in your legs riding and hiking upward. This was also my first 14er since losing that 25 lbs of fat so I could totally tell a difference!
At the summit ridge, there were a few Class II+ moves as we decided to leave the trail and go straight over the top. Nothing death-defying, but enough to give us a good sense of adventure. You can stay on the right or left of the ridge for an easier route to the summit.
Here are the photos!
This is Lenny, who is a great friend of mine from College. We are also business partners, as he’s the one responsible for building www.ganderproofs.com. I admire his commitment to the minimalist lifestyle that he and his family live each day. Lenny has not driven to work in over 7 weeks, prefers to ride for the fun and exercise like myself. He’s huge into gardening and you should see his backyard, they hardly ever have to go grocery shopping for food, it’s really amazing. They even have chickens for pets/eggs, which live happily in their huge backyard. Talk about living within your means! The 4 chickens cost them $2.00 each and they will be popping 8 eggs each day. So when our economy takes the toll and gas prices are freaking everyone out, Lenny and his family will be enjoying a nice quiche, or maybe some deviled eggs, perhaps a fluffy omelette, yada yada yada.
At the summit, he was striking a few poses for the camera. Somebody get him on America’s Top Model! I love the extra grainy sepia!!!
I love being so high, you can totally feel the thin air at 14,000 feet. I love being right there in the clouds. That’s about 2.5 miles above sea level! Awesome!
Next week is the biggie: I’m meeting Terence at the base of Challenger Point and Kit Carson Peak for my second attempt at those. Get ready for an AWESOME post!!!! Ta-Ta For Now!!!
July 21, 2008 | 
(1) |
Dan & Angie, Lewiston, ID!
I’m a little behind on my blogging! Sorry guys!
Anyway, sometimes I get to photograph weddings of friends! Well, Dan is my friend from college. I often get inquiries from friends and family so I put together my famous “Friends and Family” discount. Dan just barely qualified. Luckily Angie is super sweet and so I reconsidered.
Seriously this was a lot of fun. Angie is from this teeny tiny little town in Northern Idaho called Lewiston. It’s a charming little town, which features a river and they look at you funny when you order dry toast and an egg-white omelet. And when I went to the country store I asked for a protein bar, and they had NO idea what I was talking about! It was sort of funny!
The trip was quick. I got into Lewiston just in time to shoot the rehearsal dinner, and I worked a good 14.5 hours on the day of the wedding and then drove straight from the reception to the airport in Spokane, WA. I picked the 5:50 AM flight though because I wanted to be home for SPLURGE DAY!!! The splurgin’ looked great in ID, but I have been traveling a lot lately and it seems like forever since I have been to some of my fav places in CO. So it was the longest short trip ever!
I loved shooting this wedding because Angie is totally laid back, and I love her personality. She reminds me of my little sister, Katherine. Dan was a fraternity brother of mine (Sigma Chi) from college, so I felt really comfortable with him and had fun goofing around with him and the other guys from my fraternity who came. On top of that, I think I counted 7, that’s right SEVEN couples at the wedding, who I photographed, so that was REALLY cool!
Are you ready for some photos? I sure am!
Getting ready at the salon…
Someone is excited!
Dress details
There’s that creepy guy with the camera again!
Dan and Angie had a private moment before the wedding. Private, except for the creepy photographer, spying on them!
My favorite shot of Angie
Dan requested a special photo with no double chin. He looks quite dapper.
The girls!
Excuse me ma’am, you are right in my picture! (Lucky she’s so cute or I would have called security!)
Don’t worry, there’s a toddler.
Dan and his guys had to chill out in the church nursery for some reason. I think he requested it. Dan is a cat owner and he loves stuffed animals. See?
Then he found some macaroni salad. Don’t spoil your appetite for the buffet, Dan! I hear it’s all-you-can eat!
Dan’s brother was also enjoying the nursery.
Wedding time! Angie has gone to this church since she was a little girl!
…then they do a little smoochy schmoo…
It’s official!
Someone’s excited again!
These are out of order. Instead of correcting it, I instead choose to type about it and point out my flaw.
The sun was out full force which made things totally hard, but I found a little nook with this awesome, silky fresh light! Love this shot!
Check out the getaway car.
Angie was running because her cell phone in her purse was ringing, TRIPPED, and fell backwards onto the hood of the car and I actually caught this amazing candid moment!
And how about THIS candid moment! So “photojournalistic”! (I LOVE CHEESECAKE!!!)
i love this shot of Vince (who was also in my fraternity) as Dan gave the maid of honor a hug, almost spilling her wine everywhere. Vince is very expressive.
Dan’s brother crossed some sort of line with his bride, I think.
I had to be in just one photo. 11 Sigma Chi fraternity brothers. I photographed most of their weddings, too! For all you photographers getting ready to start your own business. I suggest you join a fraternity.
Hey Congratulations, Dan and Angie, that was a lot of fun!!!!! See you when you get back from your honeymoon! Thanks again for having me!!
July 21, 2008 | (2) |
NYC Bike Messengers
One of the reasons I was psyched to be in NYC was the opportunity to get some photos for my personal project, the photo-documentary I’m working on, Bike Messengers.
I finally had a chance to edit some shots from NY. Thanks again to Squid (check out his WEB SITE) and Kennedy for their help. I never got to meet Squid, I just talked to him on the phone and emailed him. I will be coming back to NY if not just to get some shots of him! And I just ran in to Kennedy at City Bike near Time Square who was super helpful, too.
Now for some photos. I got lucky, as there was a race among the messengers on July 4. They have these races often. It’s a race of more than just speed - there are about 15-20 checkpoints that the messengers must find, before they can head to the finish. At each checkpoint, there’s a person waiting who signs their paper, and off they go again. I was shooting the hot dog comp in the AM so I missed the start, but I made it to the finish.
We’ll start with some bike detail shots
In NYC, you might need more than just a cable lock to protect from thievery!
Sometimes you might see a bike with all these cards in the spokes. They get these from the races they enter. It’s sort of a pride thing, sort of a camaraderie thing. A conversation piece.
Here’s how you lock your bike in NYC.
Let me tell you about the bikes these guys ride. Most of the time they ride fixies, which are often old road or pista (track) frames. They often don’t have brakes. Their gear is fixed (you can’t coast; as long as the rear wheel is moving, your crank is moving). So they stop by adding resistance to their pedal stroke, or they can skid or hop to a stop. A huge part of this project for me is getting great detail shots of the bikes, because they often are an extension of their personal style. I personally own a Gios Pista that’s been decked out with a Campagnolo crank, Mavic Ellipse wheels, cowhorns, and a nice Fi’zi:k saddle. It’s clean, quiet, smooth, simple and fast!
The crumpled up paper that has been signed at each check point.
Everyone knows I love a good puddle shot!
in NYC, maps might be a good thing.
Stretching after the race. The race lasts 1-2 hours! The guy in the front is the winner.
How about some portraits. This is a great American subculture, consisting of a melting pot of old, young, guys, girls, and every race imaginable.
After the race, everyone went to the Rockstar Bar, which is kind of away from the mainstram NYC clubs. It was seedy, gaudy, and totally awesome!
Sorry my commentary was weak on this post, I have 14 hours of wedding to photograph tomorrow, so I am anxious to go to bed!
Have a great weekend!!
July 12, 2008 | (3) |
Mt. Yale, Warm-up for Challenger/Kit Carson
I’m Idaho right now. The sun shines a little brighter in Idaho!
I just planned a cool climb up Mt. Yale, another Colorado 14,000 ft peak in the Collegiate range for this coming Fri, which should get my legs ready for my double-banger, Challenger/Kit Carson, the following week! Here’s a nice photo I found on the Internet:
The NYC Messenger photos are coming up next, within 24 hours. Come back.
Adios!
July 11, 2008 | (1) |
Personal Documentary Project, Bike Messengers, Day in the Life
Ill be traveling the country, trying to get into this interesting subculture; a personal photography project that I declared last summer. I got to hang with a few messengers in NYC last week. I’m thinking about escaping to do the same in San Francisco next month.
Imagine riding the crowded streets of NYC on a bike with no brakes, one gear, a package in your mess bag, a destination, and a deadline. I plan on capturing the bikes, the city, the scars, tattoos, and even some stuff outside of work. It will be a lot of fun!
I have LOTS of cool shots coming your way!
Stay tuned!
July 9, 2008 | (0) |
Engagement: Kerri & Billy, New York
I know you all think I went to NYC just to photograph hot dog eaters. Actually the MAIN reason I was there was to photograph photos of Kerri and Billy who live in NYC but will be getting married in Aspen.
I was so excited to meet them and they are a LOT of fun to work with. Very easy couple to photograph. They have a BEAUTIFUL place right in NYC. Living among the stars, like Jennifer Anniston, but I was really excited to see that famous celebrity fine-art photographer Annie Leibovitz has a place in the same building. How cool is that.
We tried to get some shots that show off a little bit of NYC.
These first two were taken on the roof of their apartment building. It was a really cool place!
July 9, 2008 | (0) |
Engagement Photos, Jamie and Peter!
These two wanted photos at the Denver Botanic Gardens. We did this on a lovely summer evening. I am totally looking forward to their wedding. They are very fun to photograph, Jamie loves to smile and both were up to ham it up a little.
Tragically, in one of our more “advanced” poses, Jamie suffered a deep splinter in her finger. But she went on with the shoot with nothing but smiles!
July 9, 2008 | (0) |
Julia & Jason, Engagement Photos
Julia and Jason wanted to do AM photos and so I told them, “OK let’s meet at 5:30 AM”. It was the summer solstice so the sun rises EARLY and too late means bad light! Ideally, PM, around 6:00 is good, but if you want AM, RISE AND SHINE!
They resisted (like any normal person would!) and we settled for 7 AM, and it was almost perfect! 
We had a lot of fun, shooting these in Boulder, CO by the Kayak Park. Jason here has performed the phoenominal achievement of climbing all of Colorado’s 54 14ers, to which I say, “DANNNNG!”. Strong work on that! He climbed many on his own, which can be a little sketchy!
I hate it when my subjects smile for engagement photos. Therefore this one is the best.
July 9, 2008 | (0) |
Erin & Jason, Boulder CO!
A couple weekends ago I photographed Erin and Jason after a nice long trail run in Boulder. It worked out perfect and the weather was a little more bright than what I’d consider ideal, but we had a blast just the same!
Erin and Jason are going to have a really cool wedding in Boulder with this chef who apparently is amazing, and even an artist who will be doing some fine art, just for the entertainment of it! It’s going to be awesome!
July 9, 2008 | (0) |
What happens when a wedding photographer gets a media pass to…
NATHAN’S INTERNATIONAL HOT DOG EATING CHAMPIONSHIPS IN CONEY ISLAND, BROOKLYN, NY!!!
That’s right.
I somehow got a media pass to the Hot Dog eating Championships on the 4th of July. I found myself standing amongst ESPN (who covered the event live), CNN, FOX, ABC, NBS, CBS, etc… and a cheering crowd of 35,000 spectators.
All I have to say is WOW!
….and “NASTY!” It was NASTY, like good nasty, you know? Like when people used to say, “That’s Bad”, well I am coining the phrase, “That’s NASTY!”.
Anyway, I have a ton of photos, so here goes. This was quite an event. Oh, random note: My dad was born in Coney Island! Coney Island Hospital. I had no idea. I don’t know if I should be proud or… hmmm
OK.
It started out like any great event. An old, OLD guy, singing songs about hot dogs and soda pop.
And then, of course, a little rap by one of the competitors.
Did I mention 35,000 spectators?
Who knew.
There’s my friend from the previous post. I love the sign.
Was that ESPN 8, THE OCHO??? NO. It was the real ESPN.
Of course there were trampoline teams during the pre-show.
The Master of Ceremony was awesome.
Time to meet the competitors. This guy goes by “Crazy Legs”. He is INTENSE. A fine-tuned athlete, I tell ya’s.
Not sure of his name but he is fierce as well.
Joey Chestnut is the returning champion.
One of the competitors was a body builder. So kids, if you want to grow up big and strong, eat plenty of hot dogs.
A female competitor! She is actually kind of pretty, right? Wait until you see another shot I got of her. You might think twice.
Meet Sonya, the BLACK WIDOW!!! Can you believe she can hang in this competition? I have no idea where 50 hot dogs and buns go.
Kobeashi! I know I misspelled that. This guy is like, HUGE in Asia. He won this contest 6 years in a row until last year where he got beat by the American. Thank God! I mean, this is obviously an AMERICAN sport! We own this!
Someone got proposed to. Talk about romantic!
This is my patriotic shot
One of my favorites of the day for no real reason.
She’s still pretty!
Not a competitor. It’s actually Santa! Now you know what he does on his off-season. Is that some sort of hot-dog “product” in your hair? A lot of the competitors coats had that nice, “I eat lots of hot dogs” sheen to them. You know where hot dogs really come from? You might want to ask this guy. He makes hot dogs himself, hand-shaping the meat that goes into each and every hot dog. He’s a dedicated craftsman.
Classy. I love the hot dog in the martini. Extra dirty means “add a little hot dog water”.
Another true American Athlete gets pumped up with music… and a little acne, which compliments his hot dog product in the hair.
A little pre-competition prayer. “Dear God, please let me win this competition founded upon gluttany at its worst”…?
“Dear God, Me too”.
This guy was actually going through the movements. He is focused like Tiger Woods!
THE FIRST BITE! KOBE GOES IN STRONG! Look at those jaws of THUNDER!
DON’T LOOK AT THE SIGN!!!!
Still think she’s pretty?? I’m thinking, “advertisement for Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses”
I am so proud of our American Culture. These are some of our most talented athletes. Very attractive. I wonder what he’s listening to?
Uh ma’am, you have something on your mouth”
Kobe was two hot dogs behind Chestnut. He was getting MAD.
He can’t take it anymore!!! GRAB A HOLD OF YOURSELF!
EASY….!
Gone from focused, to mad, to delirious.
Amazing. They tied. Time for a 5 dog shovedown between Kobe and Chestnut. Chestnut pushes the hot dog mush deeper into his bowels. These athletes subject themselves to pain, but it’s all for the victory!
The American Wins!
So that’s where they all went?
Second place is still not bad.
This represents about 50 hot dogs. These guys ate over 60 I think…. in just 10 minutes.
Since I had a media pass, I was allowed to get one-on-one’s with the competitors.
Crazy Legs:
The MC:
Hmmm, is he having a second wind? “Maybe I’ll have just one more!”
He didn’t win, but he looked like he did. He’s a champion in my eyes.
This guy got third place.
Anyone hungry? I was planning on having a famous Nathan’s Hot Dog after the event, but the line was incredibly long. Somehow, I already felt stuffed.
I went straight back to Manhattan where I then followed around some real crazy NYC bike messengers. Stay tuned for that!
July 8, 2008 | (4) |
A REAL American 4th of July (HAPPY 4th!)
I just got back from NYC. It was an amazing trip. I have so many great photos to post. Yesterday, I was up early for my first photo op, and spent the rest of the day photographing some NYC bike messengers. Stay tuned for that.
It’s beautiful out right now, so I’m going to go outside and play, but here are a couple hints of what I did on the 4th of July in New York:
and this also just happens to be my favorite photo of 2008, and one of my new all-time favorites!
I’ll post more tomorrow or Monday so check back! 
July 5, 2008 | (2) |
NYC tiny post
I just have 30 minutes until I leave to shoot engagement photos. Here’s what I have done today so far:
Breakfast: There’s a hamburger place around the corner called “5 Guys Burgers and Fries”. Today is not splurge day, but Ordinance 5B07, section 14A (Splurge Exceptions) of Commando diet, AKA the “When in Rome Clause” states, “When traveling to other states or countries, Mark is allowed to lightly splurge on non-splurge-day when presented with a food, type of food, or brand of food of which represents the place of visit, or is a signature item.”
So I heard that the burgers are top notch here. (a girl walked by, pointed at 5 Guys and exclaimed, “Oh the burgers there at 5 Guys are the BEST in the WORLD!!!”). So I exercised my When in Rome exception. I didn’t get the BIG burger though. I also got a small fry.
Take a look. I felt like this deserved a shot for my sixpeeps. The small fry is a perfect size, but the guy also put an entire second scoop of fries in the bag, which I didn’t quite understand. Anyway, if you are ever in NYC near Greenwich, Find 5 Guys! You won’t be disappointed.
Then I made my way to City Bike a shop near Time Square. This is where Squid told me to go. I got there and a couple messengers were hanging out. I asked them if they new Squid. They replied, “Of course we know Squid.” Duh! Of course they know Squid!
I asked whats up with Squid and one guy with a mohawk and tatts everywhere took the phone away from his face and said, “He’s like the guy who represents all of the NYC messengers.” OK. I guess that’s all I need to know. I am going to make a point to find Squid tomorrow and get photos of him. I already have his name in my cell phone contacts. I must say it’s fun having “Squid” in my contacts.
So here’s a sticker on a bike:
I looked up and guess who:
His name is Kennedy and he owns that bike. A real nice guy who gave me a flier for the Race tomorrow. So I have a lot more of this comin your way:
Until then…
July 3, 2008 | (3) |
Love, Bikes and ???: Viva NYC
That’s right, I’m in NYC right now. I got in yesterday morning. I spent yesterday tooling around but didn’t take a single photo. But TODAY… and TOMORROW, I have lots of fun stuff to photograph. The main reason I’m here is to photograph some engagement photos (Love). That happens this afternoon, and I can’t wait!.
In addition to that, I’m working on my photo documentary project that I started last summer, Bike Messenger (bikes). So I got in touch with this guy, “Squid” who is apparently the top dogg messenger in Manhattan. I talked to him yesterday, and he told me where the messengers hang out. And if I tell them that Squid sent me, then they are supposed to be nice to me. We’ll see! Tomorrow there is a big NYC bike messenger race starting at Madison Square Gardens, so I will be there for sure.
And a touch of randomness that I love so much, I got a media pass to cover a very very huge event in NYC on the forth of July. I will leave that a surprise for my peeps (???!). So check back!
July 3, 2008 | (1) |
Its that time again
So in ‘05 I blogged a 14,000 foot peak-bagging experience on, (sniff sniff), Mt. Sneffels.
In ‘06, we bagged Snowmass Mountain
Last year, I treated you to two peaks in one trip, Mt. Shavano and Tabaguache (pronounced “tabawash”).
CLICK HERE for somewhat of a review
Welp, it’s time again. July 27, right after my wedding out at Mt. Princeton, I will be meeting up with my 14′er wingman… or maybe I’m HIS wingman… Terence, and heading South to bag two more peaks: Challenger and Kit Carson. Here, take a looky:
We’ll be out there for about 3 or 4 days.
In the past, Terence always picked out our target 14′er. But this year I wanted to choose. It’s personal this time. I attempted these two peaks when I was in my prime, a 20 year-old raft guide. I bonked. The hike out to the base was long and arduous and we started at 11PM and hiked throughout the night, took a short and frigid nap at the waterfall and then proceeded to hit up Challenger. I lost wind. My legs gave out. Terence went ahead and bagged em and I sat on a mountain face feeling really upset.
So now 12 years later, I’m going to go for it again. We’ll hit Challenger first, then take the sketchy ridge over to Kit Carson. I’m 30 lbs lighter than last year, and I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life, so I’m ready to seal the deal on Challenger and Kit Carson. Hopefully the mountain and the weather will be nice to us.
And of course I hope to bring back a story of victory to all my peeps, complete with photos.
Also a quick note, I’ll be out of email and telephone range from July 26 - 30.
July 1, 2008 | (2) |
The sun shines just a little brighter in… ST. LOUIS!
So the other weekend I was shooting a wedding in St. Louis. One of the great things I love about my job is that I get to travel to all sorts of places! Thanks to wedding photography, I have been to:
Tuscany Italy; Playa del Carmen Mexico; Hawaii x3; Portland, Oregon; Laguna Beach, CA; Scottsdale, AZ; Carrol, Iowa (don’t laugh, that place is awesome!); Dallas, TX; Cleveland, OH; Las Vegas, NV; Jersey Shore, NJ x2; NYC; and a few others I just can’t think right now. I’m shooting in Idaho in a couple weeks.
And this place… St. Louis! I got in early that day and decided to explore. Wow, turns out my hotel is right smack dab against the Cardinal stadium and there happened to be a game. So I bought a standing room ticket and went in for a Hot Dog. (these are all taken with my point-and-shoot)
I exercised my “When in Rome” clause to my Commando Diet and had a hot dog. No comparison to the dogs at wrigley field but it was still delightful.
Hey look! There’s that arch of St. Louis in the background. And that leaning tower of St. L… that’s my hotel.
The sunset was freakin’ gorgeous.
That night I cruised around and the arch was looking very cool.
The next morning I got up at 5 AM to go for a jog and I had this to look at from my hotel room window.
I decided to bring my point-and-shoot with me on my jog. I jogged over to the Arch to see a little more of what it’s all about. I’m glad I brought it!
On my way home from the wedding I got stuck in Chicago O’hare due to thunderstorms. It was splurge day, too. I decided that O’Hare is a GREAT place to be stuck at on splurge day. I found a Dunkin’ Donuts!!!
Hey check it out, I caught some lightning.
Speaking of splurge day, All I wanted for my birthday was a GIANT steak. So I went to Whole Foods and bought this beauty. I hope my October Vegan wedding clients are not reading this post!
Oh and that Vanilla Porter is sooooo good!
Here it is, after a little grillin! The side dish is another one of my favorites, Broccoli Rabe, which is popular in Naples, and my family makes it all the time, so good!
I grilled Jenny a much smaller steak. She was not impressed with my huge slab.
Welp I think that is all I have to show right now. I’m going to try to get some more Italy posts up soon, so check back!
June 27, 2008 | (1) |
Erica & Brandon, St. Louis Missoura!
I have some serious blog catching up to do! Things are really busy here these days, seems we are up to our necks with consultations these days. I had 5 yesterday, including two in Arizona. Then 60-something weddings in the books to look forward to between now and April.
My recent wedding in St. Louis was so much fun! I was still feeling the jet-lag from Italy, but whatever!
Following this post, I’ll show you that not only did I have fun at this wedding, but I had fun off the clock in St. Louis, too.
This wedding came as interestingly as most out-of-state weddings do. A St. Louis photographer recommended me to this couple. Apparently the first verdict was that I was a little out of their budget for photography, but Don, the photographer in St. Louis promised them I’d be worth it. Talk about pressure! But when I got there, Brandon and Erica were just AWESOME to work with. They trusted me completely and allowed me to get right into my zone and I felt I had their trust the entire day, which is a big thing for me and how I perform.
Meet the dashing couple!
Now let’s rewind and let me tell you how the day went down.
This is the first creature I met when I arrived at the bridal suite. I believe he was an armed guard or bouncer or something.
Erica is an Italian so we had lots to talk about. I like Erica because she laughs a LOT
!
Don’t worry, there’s a toddler
I actually took this shot of the shoes a little later inthe day at the St. Louis Fine Art gallery
Here’s the Brandon, getting ready for the big walk.
One of the groomsmen had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. His wife loves him because he vacuums furiously all day long. I couldn’t believe he brought a rake to clean up the deadfall for the photos. You’re hired!
Time for a wedding. These two totally cracked under pressure! And it was soooo cute.
Brothers
Now I have to run for a meeting but I just wanted to get some shots from this wedding up on the blog.
Thanks again Brandon and Eric for treating me so well out there! And thanks Don for sending me their way, I look forward to seeing you later!
How about one last look of the B&G!
CONGRATS YOU TWO!!!
June 26, 2008 | (0) |
Bike to Work Day!
Today is Bike to Work Day, and I’m proud to say that I ride my bike to work every day (no I don’t work from home, I actually have a real office to go to!). I rode to work all winter long here in CO and some days I had to wear ski goggles because of the snow! Riding to work is great because:
1. You don’t have to deal with sitting in traffic jams!
2. Free parking wherever!
3. You don’t have to look for parking!
4. Fresh Air!
5. Sunshine!
6. Exercise!
7. Panoramic views of the sunset on your way home.
8. Gas savings, CH-CHING! $$$$
9. Exciting adventure!
10. Less pollution.
Oh good I was able to come up with 10 reasons.
June 25, 2008 | (2) |
Lazy Blog Post
Well when NBC writers were on strike, the station pulled out lots of old Conan O’Brien episodes and aired them. Some were really funny.
I’m not on strike but I am very busy right now, so I am going to do the same. Don’t worry, this is one of my favorite blog posts of all time… from June 2006. That’s two years ago!
I met a photographer in St. Louis who told me he had been following my blog since 2005. Wow! I didn’t even know I had been blogging that long… but I have!
Anyway, here’s one of my favorite blog posts to tide you over for a while. Stop being so dang impatient!
June 23, 2008 | (0) |
Hear Ye Hear Ye
…instead of posting “part 2″ of Louise and Oliver, I decided to just complete the thing so scroll down and see how their wedding ended up!
Hmmm I suppose I better post SOMETHING here. OK.
Here’s a shot of myself in Laguna Beach CA when I got stuck in a phone booth. I survived off of red licorice for three days until a 5 year old girl released me. Photo by Jenny on day one.
June 20, 2008 | (0) |
Louise & Oliver, Castello de Modanella, Tuscany (PART 1 & now TWO)
The reason I stayed so long in Italy was because this couple from Australia found that I’d be in the area and asked if I’d be willing to stick around to shoot their wedding at the very same Castello di Modanella. So wow, it all worked out! And I got to meet them just a few days before their wedding and knew I had a great couple to work with.
Let’s get to business here, I have lots of blogging to do!
It started in the Castle, just a few apartments down from mine. I love this shot of the dress with the Father of the Bride in the mirror.
These boots were made for walkin’, and that’s just what they’ll do, one of these days these boots will walk right down the aisle… to YOU! (Oliver!) Wow! That might have been one of the cheesiest lines I have ever typed into a blog post! Go me!
Oliver was very excited to see his bride (at the Siena town Square)
Here she comes!
You may now…
I really liked this guy. He was a photographer, too so we were able to chat about camera stuff. I showed him my 50 1.2 lens, and he could not believe it. “I bet that’s a fast lens”, he commented. “Very fast, it’s a 1.2″, said I. “1.2?!?!? he exclaimed!”. I like when people ask me about my lens, rather than “megapixels” which is a pretty over-rated camera feature.
Off the go… Hey wait up!
Super cute grandma!
They got the rose petal shower.
There were a few people who enjoyed a chance to throw things at this innocent couple!
It was starting to get personal!
THe weather was so variable in Siena that week. One day it would be super sunny (not ideal for photos), then super duper rainy (great for photos, bad for cameras), and we just happened to get lucky with an hour of the most PERFECT hazy light. PERFECT! So our shoot in the Siena Town Square was awesome.
Some people already know this about me… I LOVE to photograph good lookin food! One of my dreams is to photograph food for restaurants in NYC and SF and all those big cities with the cool food.
Castello di Modanella’s catering is top notch, too. And the cheese in Italy is really cool to photograph.
Don’t worry, there’s a baby.
The wedding party
y
I’m personally big on high fives and I wish that it would replace the typical handshake… even among strangers. That handshake is so old fashioned! I’m glad to see that Oliver is a fan, too.
Love this shot of Louise!
I snuck inside to grab some detail shots… Dining in the Castello di Modanella. Awesome.
Then I went back outside. I took this photo of Louise and her mom exclaimed, “He’s taking a photo of your BUM!” (In her British accent). Then I was embarrassed… but I guess I sort of was! But not in a BAD, way, MUM!
Time to go in for dinner!
OK are you ready for some awesome food shots? The Castello catering was ON IT. I also met an American named Jeff, who was an intern here. He goes to school in Ohio and for his internship he simply lives on the Castle property and cooks with the chefs. Awesome!
Yep it’s dinner time.
The guys at Castello di Modanella treated me so well while I was out there. At weddings, sometimes they arrange a meal for the photographer… sometimes they don’t Sometimes while the guests eat a super nice dinner, the vendors get a box lunch (which is fine!). USUALLY I decline the offer regardless because I’m on my commando diet. But at the Castello, I was served the same 5 course meals, AND some of the Castello di Modanella’s very own wine! “When in Rome! (or Tuscany!)”.
Risotto
Spiral Pasta
Chicken and some sort of potato cake???
Maybe I ought to ask this guy
Something funny happened as they were cutting… no… SAWING through their cake. They were cutting through the base of the cake which was styrofoam. The chef had to stop them. You’d probably have to be there but I was almost crying I was laughing so hard.
I’d like to tell you how good this cake was, but I actually exercised my self control, although it looked delish!
Some shots from the toasts. If anyone knows me, this is one of my favorite three times during the day to photograph the guests who have traveled from all over!
Here’s my man, Fabrizio! I wish I had a good shot of Gabriella, too. They both run the show over there at Castello di Modanella. Very hard workers. He and Gabriella were so incredibly nice. I hope to work with you both again, and it was great meeting you! One night, Jenny and I were going to go into town for dinner, but it was an Italian holiday so we were out of luck. We had some food to cook, but next thing you know there was a knock on our door with a full meal that Gabriella sent us. And Fabrizio would make Jenny and I these amazing Cappucinos almost every morning. Amazing.
Back to the wedding… there was much dancin!
So I will end with that. Thank you Louise and Oliver for having me photograph your wedding, it was an honor and thanks to Castello di Modanella, specifically Fabrizio and Gabriella for taking such great care of us. Piacherre y Molto Complimenti!
June 18, 2008 | (1) |
