J. Nelson Photography’s Photolife

It isn’t usual for me to write a themed post, or rather, the theme is usually WEDDING.  I wouldn’t start now, except that it is America’s 232nd birthday today, and I am editing a wedding that just oozes Americana.

Randy and Kelly’s mountain wedding was a photographers dream.  I couldn’t help but be blown away by how friggin unbelievable Avalanche Creek Ranch was.  When viewed through the lens of this post, Randy and Kelly’s wedding featured prominently, and in no particular order…dogs, mountains, the Boston Red Sox, beer, dancing, horseshoes, trucks, hammocks, flip-flops, barns, bears, kids, classic American paintings, porches, livestock, flags, fishing, and a TON of fun.

It was simply incredible.  The details were great, the crowd was energetic, and Randy and Kelly (and Cooper) were a complete pleasure to work with.

Congratulations to the couple, and happy 4th of July.  I know Randy and Kelly are probably seeking out a good old American microbrew to celebrate the day…on their Croatian honeymoon!

Avalanche Creek Ranch is right at the base of stunning Mt. Sopris,  outside Aspen.

Cooper just hanging out.

Kelly looks amazing.

What’s more American the French Kissing?

Not a perfect American Gothic, but pretty good.  That is Kelly’s serious face.

American guys love hammocks.

And the Boston Red Sox.

I think this song was Tom Petty’s American Girl…or maybe I just want it to be that.

Sarah and Brad found us after we shot John and Lisbet’s wedding last summer and we’re so glad they did!  We love shooting at new locations, so their ceremony and reception at the beautiful Raccoon Creek Golf Club in Littleton was an absolute pleasure.

We like to think that we can make great images at every event, but it  doesn’t hurt when you get perfect weather and a happy, gorgeous couple!  Sarah and Brad were so smiley and fun, and everyone had an amazing time.  Thanks so much to them for letting us be part of their day!

The ladies were absolutely beautiful.

The best man has a wide range responsibilities.

As beautiful as Bolder is in the summer, it can get wicked hot.  Yesterday was one of those days.  With the temps around 90,  Jenny, my brother Ben and I decided to get out of town and go camping in the Indian Peaks Wilderness west of Boulder.

It’s definitely nice to be able to drive a half an hour and have it be 20 degrees cooler. We found a great spot after some rough road driving and had an amazing night.  The highlight of my night was that I got to  try and do some star trails on my D3.  They were my first tries but they are still pretty cool.

Setting up in the tall trees.

4gunner is majestic.

Long exposure of the creek at our campsite.

Ben Agnini, my broham.

Miss Jenny

Mr. Ugly

The first star trail try. 15 minute exposure. The campfire really lit up the trees.

The second try, 25 minute exposure. We light painted Ben in with a flashlight and he spun a lighter around his face. Really cool that Polaris is centered in the sky.

We met Gina a few summers ago at Jess and Mike’s wedding, and she always told us that whenever she got married she would find us. With her strong, bubbly personality, we were really excited when she did give us a call! Gina and Drew have known each other for a long time, and their wedding was both a celebration of their love for each other and their love for family.

The couple held their ceremony and reception at the Black Bear Golf Club in Parker, which was great because it has such a different feel from the venues we shoot in the mountains. Just southeast of Denver, Parker is much more about the grasslands of Eastern Colorado than it is the mountains of the West. Amazing wildflowers and giant blue sky helped accentuate what was an already beautiful summer day.

Gina and her family have toughed it out and supported each other  through some trying times lately, so we’re glad to see them so happy and wish the whole clan nothing but the best in the future!

Like all guys, practicing their short game at every chance.

Gina gets a peak.

This really was her first put.

The fact that Gina and Drew wanted their Sunday afternoon wedding to comfortable for adults and children alike is just a testament to how much their families mean to them. With all the little kids running around and having blast, it is easy to see why!

They got such an amazing day.

Gina and Drew, we wish you the best and thanks so much!

We met Kendra and Jason at the East Vail trailhead, just down the road from where we used to live. Like so many of our clients, their dogs are a part of the family and no portrait session would be right without them. Timber and Avy are HUGE!  Shoots with dogs usually have to be pretty free flowing, and Jason and Kendra are really relaxed, so rather than something more structured we just took a stroll.

These guys are so into each other, they were a real pleasure to shoot. We can’t wait for their wedding this July!

I flat out LOVE the mountains. Summer in the Vail Valley is an amazing place to be, and the weddings we are fortunate enough to shoot up there are usually absolutely beautiful. Nick and Teddi Ann’s day was certainly no exception.

We got to meet Nick and Teddi Ann at Nissa and Mike’s wedding in Vail last fall. It’s always super flattering when someone who has seen us shoot at another event is impressed enough by our work to want to have us at their big day. Nick and Teddi Ann knew exactly what they were looking for, and our styles blended perfectly.

Nick and Teddi Ann held their ceremony at the very classy Beaver Creek Chapel and they booked out the Beaver Creek Chop House for their reception. We’d never shot at the Chop House before, but the location at the bottom of Beaver creek was stunning, and the space lent itself to a wedding amazingly well.

Nick and Teddi Ann compliment each other so well and are so in love that I am quite sure they have a lifetime of happiness ahead of them. Thanks to them and their families for letting us be there for such a great…and fun…day.

Apparently getting your hair done can be a lot of fun!

Looking dapper.

And relaxing before go time.

The traditional Catholic ceremony was beautiful.

You can’t separate Aussies from Rugby, even on their wedding day.

Even summer weddings in the mountains can sometimes be all over the place as far as weather goes, but this summer has been very well behaved so far. The weather was absolutely perfect and Teddi Ann looked beautiful. Nick, as well as a solid guy, is Australian. Normally, nationality wouldn’t matter, but anyone who has done any traveling knows that Aussies are 1) Super laid back 2) Good drinkers. Nick had quite a crew in from down under, so suffice it to say that the crowd was ready to go!

Thanks so much to everyone!

Jenny and I were booked to shoot a wedding in Vail this past weekend, and we decided to head up a little early so I could shoot the Teva Mountain Games. In case you don’t know, the Teva Mountain Games are kind of a mini olympics for mountain sport athletes. The worlds best Kayakers, climbers, mountain bikers and overall badasses show up and compete in some pretty unique venues. The talent level there is ridiculous.

I was super stoked because I got to shoot part of the games with photographer and good friend, Shane Macomber. Shane works with us a ton and he’s super talented. He’s got a great skill for getting the shot in every situation. I guess years as a staff photog and then editor for the Vail Daily will do that. On top of crazy photo skills, he actually competed in a kayak event this year. Talk about well rounded! Anyway, Shane has shot this event for the past few years, so it was good to get his take on the venues and angles.

The weather held up super well and the atmosphere was amazing. So many people on hand to celebrate these athletes.

The Gore Range behind the climbing venue.

The women there climbed like 1000x harder than I ever will.

The venue was packed with spectators and photographers.

This is Chris Sharma. He’s a climbing god, and rarely competes, so it was sweet to get to see him.

Daniel Woods is a local Boulder guy…and one of the worlds best.

There was a pretty cool freestyle bike course set up in the village.

With all the snow we got this year, the Eagle River was absolutely raging. The kayakers were in hog heaven with a great hole to play in. The kayak events are probably the most popular every year and I can totally see why. The level of skill is astounding. With no surf for a few thousand miles, I think I need to buy a kayak to fill the water Jones here in Colorado.

Emily Jackson is 18, and she pretty much dominates women’s competition all over the world.

Full flips out of the water. That takes super human core strength.

This is the “8-Ball” competition. Basically, four of five kayakers race down the course, while 4 or 5 other pros try and attack them with their boats. Waiting at the bottom of the run is Brad Ludden. He attended Garret and Kristy’s wedding last year in Rhode Island, and I can tell you that his paddling skills are maybe only matched by those on the dance floor.

We always have an great time in the mountains, and summer is maybe the best time to be up there. We got to see a load of our friends and ended up having a fantastic weekend.

Last weekend was a big one for weddings, and we were lucky enough to shoot two great ones. On Sunday, Jenny and I made the drive up to Beaver Creek to shoot Peter and Kristin’s big day.

The weather in Vail has been a little bit all over the place this spring, so we were preparing ourselves for shooting with the added drama of…dun dun dun…snow. Now, as much as I like a little weather to mix up the photos, I understand that it isn’t usually the couples favorite thing. Fortunately, the storms that were supposed to blow into town held off, and Peter and Kristen got a gorgeous day.

The service was held at the always beautiful Beaver Creek Chapel, with the reception following at Saddleridge. It’s so easy to make great images in the mountains, particularly when the details in the wedding are as well thought out as Peter and Kristen’s were. Kristen’s Mom Marsha put so much energy into making sure the day was perfect, and she succeeded in every way.

With so many friends and family in from out of town, the fact that everything felt so natural is a testament to this couple’s laid back personalities. Peter and Kristen have known each other for almost all of their lives, and it was amazing to see two people with such history coming together.

The boys

Kristen looked amazing in her dress

The bride and mom, beaming

The Beaver Creek Chapel is such a classic place

Mac is the man…maybe the funniest guy at the wedding

The band was totally rocking and it was a dancing crowd for sure

Jenny and I had the pleasure of shooting a second day of Real Baby moms and kids, and we couldn’t have gotten a better group! In case you missed the first post, Jenny and I have been working with Real Baby on their new advertising campaign and the shots for their Boulder store opening this July. Anyway, just about everything came together for this shoot, and we’re totally excited about all the great shots that came out of it!

Jenny and I cruised over to meet Nicole and Ryder Duke at their great house in Iris Hollow, an awesome little North Boulder neighborhood. Nicole, an ex mountain biker, is one of those fixtures in the Boulder athletic scene that hasn’t let motherhood slow her down at all. With baby number two on the way, Nicole is still crazy fit and looks incredible. She’s been super busy keeping up with Ryder, but she’s still found the time to open a little hair studio at home. I can barely keep this blog together!

It was a little overcast, which we’ll take over that crazy-bright Boulder sun any day…or at least when we have outdoor shoots to do! The Real Baby toys and clothes photoed really well, and Ryder was great, putting up with tons of wardrobe changes while we tried to capture all the cool Real Baby stuff. I think it helped that he got to ride around on some pretty rad bikes!

The first of many clothing changes. After getting used to it all, Ryder was awesome.

The only thing better than pushing Mom around…

…is having her push you around.

After a coffee break over at Vic’s, we headed to Larissa and Jaden’s house. I know I’ve said it, but it really was a great day with two amazing, active Boulder moms. Larissa Ortiz is a yoga instuctor at a few different studios here in town. She’s 9 MONTHS pregnant with her second, and she’s still teaching yoga almost every day! Pretty incredible.

We wanted to get some shots of Larissa and Jaden doing yoga together, and the greenway that runs behind the Ortiz’s house was a perfect setting. Green and lush, everything looked very natural and relaxed. A perfect summer day in Boulder. Jaden is a little stud and he eats up the camera. I could work with kids like him every day.

Jaden has some super cool toys.

Downward dog and upside down Jaden. 9 MONTHS PREGNANT.

The space around the Ortiz’s place is great.

Really cool hand puppets.

Thanks to Nicole, Ryder, Larissa and Jaden. We had a great time and a really productive shoot!

Memorial day has traditionally served as the beginning of summer, and it was certainly the start of our summer wedding season. We had the honor of shooting Elisa and Jarris’ beautiful wedding at the Hudson Gardens in Littleton. May is always a crap shoot as far as weather goes, but Elisa and Jarris hit it just right. If anything, we could have used just a bit of shade! It was amazingly sunny and clear.

Elisa and Jarris live in Kansas, and in what seems to be a theme running through our summer, there was plenty of Jayhawk pride on display. So many of their good friends showed up from every corner of the country, it was great to see them enjoying what was clearly an emotional day. These guys are such a perfect fit for each other, and their personalities really came out with their very creative first dance and in all the music choices for the evening. Seriously, how can it not be a party when everyone is rocking out to Living on a Prayer! Lots of smiles made for an easy day of shooting.

Getting into that dress

When you are this cool, of course the photos are going to be good

Preparing

The ceremony was perfect

Rock Chalk

Jarris and Elisa’s first dance was amazing…you had to see it

Thanks so much to Elisa and Jarris for letting us be part of their day. It was a ton of fun, and we can’t wait to see these two when we head to Kansas to shoot a wedding in August!