Chautauqua Park is the quintessential scenic outdoor photo location in Boulder, Colorado, and is located at the base of the iconic Flatirons. Started in 1898, it is one of the few continuously operating Chautauquas, and the only one west of the Mississippi River. It is also the only one that operates year round. One can reserve the lawn for wedding ceremonies with a view of the mountains, and host a reception in the Dining Hall. There are cottages available for rent, so that guests can stay on site as well. Kay and Eric chose this venue, designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006, to host their wedding.

I knew that Kay and Eric possess great style from our engagement shoot in Denver, and that they would be infusing their creative flair into their wedding. They hired Honey from Seize the Day Wedding Planners to ensure that their wedding guests enjoyed an event filled with the finer things in life. And well, they also hired me, which is pretty much like smothering your wedding with a healthly dose of MagicSauce™.

Wedding Vendors

Event Coordinator .:. Seize The Day Event Planners .:. 303-530-3953

Venue .:. Chautauqua Dining Hall .:. 303-442-3282

Florist .:. European Flower Shop .:. 303-442-7802

Cake Artist .:. Kim and Jakes Cakes .:. 303-499-9126

Makeup Artist/Hair Stylist .:. On Broadway .:. 303-444-0330

Musician/DJ .:. Gypsy Swing Revue .:. 303-745-7944

Boulder is somewhat famous for being a home of free thinking individuals. Detractors like to label us weirdos, but I just chalk it up to people mocking what they don’t understand. There are many of us who love doing things that are a little different. Pamela and Aaron embraced this ideal when they decided on an alternative wedding ceremony high above Boulder in a hot air balloon. I of course jumped at the opportunity, since we all know that I love variety and adventure. Pam also received extra bonus points for rocking a hot pink wedding dress.

None of us had ever been in a hot air balloon before. I’ve photographed Boulder from an airplane in the past, but this was another experience entirely. The still beauty of the morning was truly breathtaking, and the views of the Flatirons, the Indian Peaks Wilderness, and Rocky Mountain National Park were picture postcard perfect. This was my second intimate wedding ceremony of the season, although this was certainly the most intimate, due to the close quarters in the basket! Thanks Pam and Aaron for inviting me on a wonderful wedding experience that will always be at the top of my list of small weddings with big excitement.

My non-love affair with Kate began at the Hotel Boulderado in the presidential suite. Things started out normal enough, with some classic getting ready shots with her bridesmaids. But then something shifted. What’s that you say Kate? You have a pair of wedding heels, but you’ve decided to wear your old pink Converse All Stars instead?

That decision was no big deal. You get bonus points with this guy for decisions like that. I was wearing black Chucks after all! We forged ahead with documentation of the day and capturing great moments with friends and family.

The historic Hotel Boulderado is a classic location to begin a wedding day in Boulder. The vintage red velvet curtains and furniture make for an elegant background for wedding details and bridal portraits. The flowers by Boulder Blooms were stunning as usual.

I will say that Kate was a little nervous with the bridal portraits at first. This is despite growing up with a lens constantly pointed in her direction thanks to her photographer father. I like to think that this next moment was the one that officially broke the ice. Bad Ass.

After the getting ready portion was done, we prepared for Kate and Craig’s First Look. Remember Craig? This is a story about Kate and Craig.

Real moments, real memories, right here on Steve Z TV.

The wedding ceremony was to be held at the Sunrise Amphitheater, which overlooks Boulder from high up on Flagstaff mountain. We made a quick photo pit stop at an overlook point for some incredible scenic mountain wedding portraits overlooking the Continental Divide and the Indian Peaks Wilderness. As usual, the clouds were amazing and I used powerful off camera lighting to increase the drama. Kate increased the drama tenfold by looking absolutely fabulous in her gown from Boulder Bridal.

Sunrise Amphitheater is one of the most stunning ceremony sites in Boulder,  featuring sweeping views of Boulder, Denver, and Green Mountain. As a photographer, I love this venue for the ability to roam 360 degrees around the couple to capture the best moments and expressions from the couple.

Despite my goofing around about being funky cool favorites and all, these guys are the real deal. They seem like the perfect match, and their touching ceremony showed how truly in love they really are.

Before the ceremony, I noticed that there were no clouds when facing east. I really wanted some clouds in The Kiss shot which would point in that direction. I told my assistant that some clouds needed to fly over that spot. Well, here they are. I am the Cloud Whisperer.

After the ceremony, we headed down the hill and back to the Hotel Boulderado for the reception. I was excited to drive right past Chautauqua in favor of capturing portraits in the infinitely unique locations available in downtown Boulder.

Hard sun is a way of life in the high desert of Colorado. Most people think that overcast skies are desirable for wedding photography, but I couldn’t disagree more. It is true that overcast skies provide even light, and tame harsh shadows. But the light is so flat and boring! Strong direct sun is not something to be feared, but something to be understood and tamed. I will choose the increased contrast and drama of bright sun over washed out cloudy skies any day.

There was even an awesome tandem bicycle bride and groom on top of the wedding case. Infinite Steve Z bonus points achieved.

“Hey Kate, I need a detail shot of the penny-farthing bicycle on Craig’s tie.”

We took a break from the hot dance party action at the reception to cool off in the night air. This couple even indulged me in some gratuitous night portraits on the street in front of the hotel.

Kate and Craig’s wedding had all of the elements which make my job a pleasure. Stunning locations, lots of laughs, wedding cake, and most importantly, a truly inspiring love relationship that can inspire us to believe that dreams really do come true.

Wedding Vendors

Venue .:. Hotel Boulderado .:. 303-440-2894

Gown Boutique .:. Boulder Bridal .:. 303-443-5500

Florist .:. Boulder Blooms .:. 303-494-5678

Cake Artist .:. Nancy’s Best .:. 303-946-9816

Musician/DJ .:. Tip Top Entertainment .:. 303-579-0255

During the college years, Lauren and Michael went their separate ways and moved on to different parts of the country. But Michael became best friends with Lauren’s brother, which kept them connected. Eventually, fate prevailed, and our heroes found themselves back in touch in the same town once again. That inexplicable attraction that drew them together as kids once again pulled them back together.

These are the stories that draw me to wedding photography. I love the concepts of fate and romance, even during times of doubt. I tend to find myself involved in non-linear relationships, and it’s always encouraging to meet couples who have overcome differences, distances, and disputes to connect with their soulmate; that special person with the undeniable pull. Congratulations Lauren and Michael; I’m a sucker for a happy ending.

We managed to steal two hours of perfect weather in an otherwise rainy week. The natural light is often at it’s best when the clouds have parted after a storm, and the shoot was a perfect example. Melissa looked absolutely radiant in the field of yellow wildflowers. After capturing some soft and natural portraits, we moved on to capture the dramatic clouds and Flatirons scenery with some off camera lighting.

I was happy to help two friends create memories of this special time in their lives. In another few weeks I will moving on to another first … newborn photos!

Part of the appeal of being a location portrait photographer is finding new, creative places to shoot. I enjoy the challenge inherent in discovering compelling scenery, interesting buildings, and unusual props to add visual interest to my portraits. Boulder is not a huge town, so I often venture beyond the city limits to achieve this. I’m usually looking for somewhere that I can combine Colorado mountain scenery with unexpected architecture and buildings that allow me to use light as a powerful element in the portrait.

Tracy and Cotton were up for the adventure of having their engagement photos taken in an unknown location, so we headed out to a rustic farm north of town. My two favorite spots were the grain silo and the barn. The radial symmetry of the silo combined with a super wide 14mm lens created a very striking composition. Inside the barn, the sunlight streamed in through cracks in the vertical wood siding, allowing me to play with different light and shadow patterns. The trick was to balance off camera lighting so the couple was illuminated without losing the shadows.

In addition to the architecture on the farm,  I also captured some of the beauty of the Front Range mountains in the evening with a scenic landscape image that will look great on the cover of their Guest Signing Album. It’s also important to bring in some humor and unplanned action into a shoot, so I included an image of the goat petting session. What’s an engagement shoot without farm animals anyway?

Happy Monday, and welcome to a standout family portrait shoot from Gunbarrel Colorado. This portrait session was a little different than most, in that the kids were no longer kids. When shooting a group of adults, I do more advanced planning than if I was shooting young children – Nick and Lauren were unlikely to run around playing in the field, after all. I’ve found that props coupled with interesting backdrops provide an engaging blend of extra interest for these types of sessions. In the case of the Stockwells, the fabulous family Fiat was the perfect accessory.

The weather was looking a little marginal in the time leading up to the shoot, which turned out to be a good thing. The rain held out and I got some dramatic clouds over the Continental Divide to work with. The top shot is going to make a fantastic wall portrait for their home. I used high power strobes to light everyone, as well as the 1976 Fiat Spyder in this backlit sunset composition.

After the big scenic shots, we took some natural light portraits of everyone in front of an eclectic old farm building.

The nice thing about shooting at NCAR is there is a blend of nature and urban elements. The green pine trees and yellow field combine for a classic fence shot. After capturing some images that Mom will love, we headed behind the building to shoot some more edgy and funky shots that match this couple’s personality. I fully expect to see more pictures of the giant HVAC and power control structures behind NCAR on the internet in the near future!

An important part of an engagement portrait session is capturing some fun candid moments. There is nothing funnier than seeing a dude getting bitch slapped by his future wife in front of the camera. Well, South Park would probably win a funny shootout, but this comes in a close second.

OK photographers, here’s a lesson for ya. When clients are hoping for scenic Colorado mountain images, washed out overexposed gray skies aren’t going to cut it. You can tint the sky yellow with “actions”, or overlay textures to try and cover it up, but really you’re just putting a Band-Aid on a weak photo. It would have been awesome if we had enjoyed a famous Colorado blue sky and puffy clouds over the Flatirons, but it didn’t work out that way. Part of being a wedding photographer is having the skills to capture images that your clients will love, no matter what the weather and lighting conditions are. We cannot control the weather on the wedding day, so we have to make lemonade, if you know what I mean.

I’m happy the way these landscape images turned out. I composed the image so that the tree branches minimized the gray sky, while still framing the scenic mountain view. Off camera lighting was used create texture and depth in the shadowy areas underneath the trees, as well as to spotlight the happy couple.

I’m a Gemini, so I reserve the right to completely contradict myself. See how awesome this gray sky is? Well, it’s OK if we’re going for a muted punk rock hoodie shot right? Haha, thanks for playin’, see ya next time.

This year I kicked off my senior portrait season in the middle of winter. Sometimes finding a location can be tricky when the landscape is cold and brown; but Aaron knew exactly the type of unique senior portrait photos that he was looking for!

We headed out to the new Broomfield Skate Park for some radtastic action senior portraits. The last time I did some extreme senior portraits was last summer, wakeboarding and wakesurfing at Boulder Reservoir.

As with all my extreme sports senior pictures, we split the session up into two parts. Part of the shoot is spent getting some great shots that the student is looking for. You know, the kind that makes you feel like you’re at a professsional photo shoot for a magazine. The second half of the shoot is focused on getting some headshots and portraits that Mom is going to love!

Even in the Colorado winter, we are fortunate that we always get warm sunny days. So as long as we watch the weather and time it right, we can usually get some pictures without jackets, even when there is still snow on the ground.

I’m going to finish the post with a parting shot that I really love. I like the feel of this shot, and yes, even the fact that I cut Aaron’s head off. It’s ART man!