Rolls Family Liberty Park SLC

One of the greatest parts of photographing people and their life events is seeing their forward progression of life from the first time you met! I was fortunate enough to cover Eric and Jo Rolls' wedding several years back in Steamboat Springs Colorado where we all lived at the time. Jump ahead more then 5 years later in Salt Lake City (we live 2 miles apart now) and I got to meet their first edition to the family. At 12 months, Evelyn already has this beautiful adventurous spirit and seems to enjoy being in front of a strangers camera like a walk in the park.

Yes, Patagonia may be calling soon for a sponsorship.

Heather and Kevin's engagement hike on Mt. Olympus

It has been a while since my last engagement session but I really like when we get to use a location that doesn't see a lot of action. If you know Utah then you know that Alta's Albion basin, Memory Grove park, Big and Little Cottonwoods can get really congested with family photo shoots in the height of wild flower and Fall foliage seasons. My friends Heather and Kevin also have two dogs, which makes shooting outdoors even trickier in the Wasatch. Today's session was more PJ (photo journalistic) then "stage and rage" which fit them just perfectly. I wanted to shoot light and fast so I kept it real simple, Sony A 6000, 16-70 F4, 10-18 F4 and 70-200 F4 all in my favorite action shooting back pack the Mindshiftgear 34L Panorama.

The trail to the summit of Mt. Olympus starts right at the edge of the valley and is an amazing place to enjoy sunset and watch the whole valley come alive.

There are several rock outcroppings that make for some great viewing spots in just the first 5 minutes of hiking.

That is Thunder mountain in the back drop, some 5000+ feet above the valley floor.

A little privacy for the happy couple.

Their two dogs were real troopers and would have kept going if it weren't for the dang photo shoot.

Not a bad spot for a break.

Happy happy.

Looking forward to a real cool Wedding in September at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City with a finale down the bob sled course!

Zulims Family Portrait | Steamboat Springs Portrait Photographer

The Zulims had an amazing location for their White Christmas family get together, their Steamboat Springs home! The house was professionally decorated by my liaison Shelley whom contacted me weeks prior for a scout of the site. We had numerous spots inside for different groupings and then headed out on the back patio for another big grouping where the snow was falling like a Hollywood set! We ended with the kids in their PJ's by the presents around the tree. Knowing this ahead of time they wrapped all of their presents in boxes so they could put them back together just for the photo shoot. Nice!

Ziegler Family Portrait | Steamboat Springs Portrait Photographer

The Zieglers couldn't have planned a more perfect time for their Fall foliage visit to Steamboat Springs Colorado. They had the time to hit a few spots, so we started down near Howelsen Hill for some diffused backlit goodness. Then it was off to the Yampa river right next to the Bud Werner Library for some rocks and strong rim lighting. I had scouted our last spot two days prior (shooting landscapes) and knew it was prime for the taking, so we made our way to Buffalo Pass. The six boys were all amazing to work with, but their mother (Tina) is one awesome lady!

Lindsey family portrait | Steamboat Springs Portrait Photography

The Lindseys were very fun to shoot with, after all Heidi started working with me the summer before as an assistant and second shooter for my weddings and had a little behind the scenes knowledge for being photographed. As for the guys, it only took about fifteen minutes to relax and really have fun with the whole process. And process it is. Sometimes people can think too much about being photographed when it should really be about enjoying each other in a scenic scenario with a happy stranger and his camera. We chose the classic "Steamboat Barn" with it's great later day light and scenic back drop of the ski area.

Self Portraits

Devils Causeway Yampa Colorado
These days anybody can hold out their camy in their right hand and point it back home. It's a novel documentary tool but not very inspiring to a veteran shooter. I will never claim to be the most creative photographer that ever walked but I am the only one that looks, feels, talks and sees at my particular location like me. Your p.o.v. (point of view) is yours so be expressive. I often incorporate drama from a unique perspective in my self-portraits with the plan of selling these in the commercial market down the road. Nothing like getting paid to shoot yourself!

Three Amigos or Corey cubed in Sayulita Mexico
There are certainly times when I use a tripod and pose for the shot like the waterfall photo and then there's the monopod versions that give more of a "been there wish I could do that appearance". There are times I just want to goof off for the camera like the self looking at self doing a handstand photo. A little bit of Photoshop necessary for a stunt like that. Team Corey is another example of fun lifestyle self portraiture. Don't be afraid to place yourself in multiple areas of the image.

Action self-portraits in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Sometimes a tripod just won't do, and I have found the need to fabricate a mount for my camera in order to capture action shots like the skiing and biking self portraits. PW's (pocket wizards) are my mainstay for triggering most of my images these days. Sure there are other triggering devices but these are the pro standards and work flawlessly from up to 1600 feet away. Even your standard self-timer mode on your camera can be a viable solution to self-portraits. So don't be shy and don't forget to shoot yourself the next time you go on a photo safari.