Fellow Shutterfly extraordinare Tim Benko shoots for the University of Colorado. Earlier this season I volunteered my services to shoot with him if he ever needed an extra hand at a game. Of course being the consummate nice guy he told me to take my pick, and of course I picked the Alma Mater, Oklahoma State! Saturday night November 15th, 2008 at Folsom Field in Boulder, CO. Temps in the 40's and no wind to speak of. A packed house cheered for a Buff upset over #13 BCS ranked OSU; unfortunately for those in attendance it was not to be. Being on the field as a professional I did not show my exuberance, but truth be told I'm really impartial now that I live in Boulder and I fully expect my 4 year old son to be Quarterback for CU 14 years from this writing! I can honestly say that CU Football at Folsom Field ranks up there for good times. The stadium, the natural grass, the Flatirons and the enormous student section that never sits and sings the fight song countless times throughout the game make for an electric experience not to be missed. Maybe if you were tuned in to the game on ABC you might have caught a glimpse of me a couple of times. You know... I looked like every other photographer on the field with a large lens sticking out of my face. However I did place myself on the strong sides near the end zone pylons hoping to get plowed over by 3 or 4 200+ pounders running 4.2 forties grasping for the little pigskin which brings them such gratification. Close on three accounts but no cigar, I am alive, well and walking today thank you very much.

Earlier I posted some images of some exterior shots I did for ABRA Auto Body & Glass. ABRA has 14 locations in Colorado alone and additional locations in several states. Like most of my commercial clients they are in the process of updating their website with new, polished professional images. Currently I am shooting the interior of their brand new Colorado Springs location. On a personal note I couldn't speak highly enough of ABRA. They are a preferred collision center for all of the major insurance companies; they have state of the art facilities with the highest quality and trained personnel from top to bottom.

'Tis the season for the Fall Family Portraits and what a great Christmas gift or in the least images for the Christmas card...

I am a bit of a gear head and when I was a boy my Dad use to take us to the big races at Laguna Seca in Monterey California. At a few of those races Mr. Paul Newman and his teams were there and was always available and personable in the pits. Throughout the years I've had a couple of opportunities to shake his hand and talk about racing. In 2005 Denver hosted its last Denver Grand Prix for the Champ Car Series and I had the opportunity to shoot the race and mingle backstage if you will. I'm not a Star crazy kind of person but my experiences with Mr. Newman were always warm and friendly, I never asked for an autograph and respected his time and space with his business at hand. I will say that I am glad for what he has done for motor sports and more importantly charities throughout the years. In my opinion simply he was a good guy. Thanks and RIP Mr. Newman.

In May of 2008 I paired up with Mark Johnson and conducted a single one-day Botanical Dreaming Workshop here at my home in Boulder, CO. Needless to say with Mark's following and our enthusiasm we had a splendid and successful workshop. Do to demand and feedback this year Mark and I have decided to offer two two-day workshops! Both will be held in May. 

By now the dust has settled and endorsements have been signed. No doubt many of you have seen the Rosetta Stone commercial with Michael Phelps and we can all assume he's going to Disneyland and will be on a Wheaties box, right? And of course who didn't see the Sports Illustrated cover where as they pose him like Mark Spitz?! Well that issue hit the stands almost immediately and when they shoot those covers sometimes they release a few versions but usually they print just one and the honorable mentions stay just that, honorable mentions. With all the genetic engineering, voodoo and what not that goes on behind the scenes in sports today I was none to shocked to learn the secret behind one of the honorable mentions.

One of the areas of my business I thoroughly enjoy doing that I don't advertise much is the Family Portraits. I usually exclude this work for referrals and who I know. As a family guy I know the kind of emotion and joy that a timely portrait evokes. As these are usually for private audiences I don't often showcase my work but here are a few recent images from a four year old portrait, senior portrait and maternity portrait shoots.

So Steve Z sent me a link for a little 'workshop' on the Pearl Street Mall here in Boulder. We both figured what the hey, we're always on the lookout for new morsels & tips and what better way than to participate in a workshop with a bunch of your peers? We had at our disposal a number of Brides & Grooms to photograph up, down & all around Pearl Street Mall. Take 3 or 4 wedding parties, 25 or so photographers with their gear and plop them down in the epicenter of the Republic and you will get some heads to turn. To me this seemed kind of obvious but it still didn't deter a number of Einsteins from asking "Is there some kind of wedding or something going on here?"

This past weekend was The Boulder Triathlon Long Course. Of course I was more excited about the kids race on Saturday morning than I was for the Big Dogs racing on Sunday...

So a Blog is suppose to be about what one has been up to lately I guess. As of late I've been doing a few things I enjoy as far as shooting and personal activities. I've had the opportunity to shoot a couple of beautiful women in the studio, Senior Portraits, knock off a few 14ers here in Colorado and have just wrapped up a Commercial Project with ABRA Auto Body & Glass that has been a tremendously fun assignment. I've always appreciated Architecture and my friend Angela Moore put the good word in for me and I procured a contract to shoot all their locations in Colorado. Thanks Angela