a new blog!

We have a new blog!  We've loved blogger but our new one allows the user to easily share images via facebook, my space, Linkedin and many other social networks as well as e-mailing posts to friends. You'll also find twitter updates and other features! Check back here for a few personal updates from time to time but visit us at our main blog to get the full scoop!

new wedlake blog

....... see you there!

newborn baby - 6 days old

Our friends Sam & Susan had their baby on December 5th and when I called to congratulate them and offer to bring a meal Susan said, "why don't you bring your camera, instead.". Of course! I LOVE to photograph new babies! They are just so special. When I saw baby Ryan I said, "Oh, he's so little." and Susan said, "Really?" because he was 8lbs. 13oz. at birth but he still looked little to me. We photographed him in a cute little Christmas outfit and then I said we should do some naked baby pictures so they undressed Ryan and laid him down and all of the sudden he was peeing on me! My camera was in the direct line of fire so the lens took the brunt of it but it was okay, we just wiped it off quickly - after we picked ourselves off the floor from laughing so hard. Ryan is really sweet and Sam & Susan are amazing parents. The feeling at their home is so happy and peaceful. Can you believe that? With a 6 day old? But it's true. Congratulations, you guys - you have a beautiful family!

Weekend in Winter Park

We had the BEST weekend in Winter Park! Thanks to our friends Scott and Heidi for inviting us up to their condo which gave us the kick in the pants we needed to get our ski passes and get our son on skis for the first time. He loved it! Kept asking to ski every time we took a break. Paul and I had some great runs, also and Sophia didn't mind riding around in the sled and hanging out in the lodge. The condo was so relaxing and the kids slept the next day on the ride down so Paul and I got to talk uninterrupted for an hour and a half! Then we cut down our Christmas tree and came home and decorated it. We couldn't have asked for a better time!

Roadtrip

Things I learned last week ...

-A roadtrip with a two year old and a four year old is hard no matter how many treats, surprises and stops there are.
- Pulll off and get a hotel when it's three in the morning and you can't go faster than 35 mph on the interstate and for every mile you travel there are at least two vehicles in the ditch. Pay whatever they say and be thankful you are not the college kid sleeping in the lobby.
- It's really nice to be with family on Thanksgiving and good for kids to know their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
- When you live out of state, the best gift you can give your mom on her birthday is your presence.
- Super 8 hotels let 100 lb dogs in the room for a small fee.

We had a great time reconnecting with family and friends over the Thanksgiving holiday!

The Ragain's

brrrrr .... it was a little chilly this morning for a shoot in Golden near clear creek but the Ragain family were real troopers! Baby Adam is just 3 months old but I barely heard him cry and the older boys were such good big brothers. Happy Birthday to Bradley! You all did great!  I'm going to go make myself a big ole cup of coffee to warm up. Thanks for letting me photograph your family!

Amanda & Heather

This was such a fun session!  Amanda & Heather are sisters and wanted to give their Dad a portrait for his birthday. Both are really creative and had great ideas. Paul shot them in some cool urban locations and I photographed the studio portion. There are so many great shots I had a hard time deciding what to post but here are a few of my favorites. Thanks, ladies - this session ( along with an early morning run in the snow) made my day!

chalk art

If you come to our home office this week you will see some great chalk art! Here is a picture of some people my four year old son, Luke drew. I couldn't fit it all in one image ( even with my widest lens) but he drew their arms and legs so long that they wrapped around the mini van and garage!  The circles inside their bodies are their stomachs. Luke has been fascinated with the digestive system and human body in general. We have been getting him library books on anatomy. Before you jump to the conclusion that this kid is going to be a doctor let me tell you that after I took this picture of his art work he confiscated my camera ( valued at approximately $4000) and started taking pictures of his sister, his art, our living room, etc. Santa Claus - be advised that Luke would like his own camera!

Jackie & John

We photographed Jackie & John's wedding Saturday, November 8th at Eisenhower Chapel in Lowry. Their wedding ceremony was beautiful. Jackie and John wrote their own vows and I know I wasn't the only one crying, they were both so eloquent and heartfelt in what they said and promised to each other. We did some fun shots outside and even though it was dark, Paul grabbed a lumydyne and umbrella to light up the front of the chapel. Then it was on to the reception at one of our favorite places - Johnson & Wales University. After a wonderful dinner the couples family and friends toasted them. I think you can really know someones character by what people say about them and everyone said the most lovely things. Thank you John & Jackie for choosing us as your wedding photographers!

photographik

We are very excited to have been accepted into photographik - the elite photographers network! Membership is exclusive and granted only to those photographers who demonstrate excellence in the fields of wedding and portrait photography. I've been meaning to submit our site for awhile and since I am in "marketing mode" right now, I finally did it! If you are getting married soon check out their$ 1500 wedding photography give away!

Luke's four year old portraits

Our little boy turned four years old on October 18th. I remember going into the hospital to have him on 10/16 and saying, " October 16th is a great day to have a baby!", Then when we were still there on the  17th... "October 17th is a great day to have a baby!", Well, as it turned out October 18th was a great day to have a baby ( it's also my sister Joni's birthday!) Four seems to be a fun age already and I certainly noticed how much more Luke understood what we wanted him to do for the portraits than when he was three. I know we will do a couple more photo sessions in the next couple of weeks with Luke( Paul has an awesome idea he wants to try by a river) but here are a few from our "fall leaves" session. We love you Lukey, Lukes!

Berend

We've been photographing Berend since he was a baby. Now he is seven years old and I can't believe how much he's grown ( I say that to his mom every year)! This time he wanted to use his skateboard as a prop which was fun. Berend is a very cool kid and we love doing his portraits every year! 

Denver Marathon

We did it!  I was so happy to be a part of the "Mom's on the Run" relay team in the Denver Marathon. It was a great experience and something I'd definitely do again. I think the best part for me was the support from people who didn't even know me. Spectators would call out words of encouragement, some played music for us, some had signs - all of it was great. Of course my team and family were huge supporters too. I've never really had that experience with running, it's always been a very solo endeavor for me and I found that I liked the camaraderie and the energy that running a race provides! I met my mom's group (my teammates plus a few other moms) through Paul. He was in a park one day after a shoot and noticed some women walking with babies about the same age as our firstborn, Luke who was 3 months old at the time. He just walked up to them and asked about their kids and if I could join their group.  I've gotten so much from this group since then and here is one more thing - being part of the Denver Marathon!

four mile run

Well, the Denver Marathon is next weekend so this morning I ran the same distance as my leg in the relay. It felt great! This could have something to do with the slight drizzle  ( I love running in the rain) or the time of year ( fall is my favorite). I really hope to keep this up after the race. I think I fell into a rut of not exercising after I had my kids because it was just too hard to find the time. Now that they aren't babies anymore it's really not that difficult and I think it makes me a better mom not to mention a healthier person .. and as a bonus, it gets me in shape for snowboarding season!

Fall Family Portraits

Arvada is beautiful right now for fall color! We photographed the Davison Family at a location in Arvada that is near their home and has some sentimental value - always a plus when choosing a location for a family portrait! Shawn ( Dad) did a lot of planning for this session. He scouted locations and sent us pictures, rented tuxes and checked weather. We always appreciate clients put that much thought into their portrait sessions - it makes a big difference!