Wedlake Studios, Inc.

a new blog!

2008-12-22T12:20:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-12T08:57:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-08T19:38:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-02T09:34:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-15T10:32:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-14T13:50:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-11T13:27:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-04T15:58:00.001-08:00

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

2008-10-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-11T13:08:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-10T15:50:00.000-07:00

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!

Ian's Senior Portraits

2008-10-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

Ian is a family friend so we've known him a long time and love that we got to photograph his senior portrait! Paul took him around Olde Towne Arvada - I think they turned out pretty cool!

second shooter

2008-10-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

I am a member of a photography group called Wedding Photographers of Colorado and one of the photographers needed a second shooter for a wedding this past weekend so I agreed to do it. Bill, It was great working with you!

Nicole & Matt

2008-09-30T21:29:00.000-07:00

We photographed this beautiful wedding on Sunday, September 28th at the Lakewood Country Club. Matt proposed to Nicole at the 17th hole on the golf course so that is where they had their wedding ceremony. It was just beautiful but a little weather blew in - you can see in one of the images the groomsmen holding down the tent. This is a lesson in attitude though because Nicole and Matt didn't seemed phased by it. After a few minutes the sun broke though and a rainbow appeared over them. We had a great time photographing their portraits and their reception was lovely. We photographed Matt's sisters wedding and also his cousin's wedding so we were very honored to be invited back a third time in one family! Thanks Nicole & Matt - you were wonderful to work with!

running

2008-09-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been awhile since I posted! We have been very busy with work and life has been a bit crazy. Paul has been wrapping up a big assignment, both of us have been working on our new websites (mine will probably launch this week!) and our 3 year old son had surgery ( he did great).

I got a call late last week from one of my friends in my Mom's group wondering if I could take her place in a four person relay in the Denver Marathon since she is taking an unexpected trip to Greece.I said "yes" and am really looking forward to it. So now I am training and my family is being very supportive. This is just the kick in the pants I need to step away from the camera and computer and mothering a little bit every day and go do something I love. Race day is October 19th. Only 20 days to go from being a person who normally runs 1.25 mi to running 4 mi..

Jacob & Nathan

2008-09-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun photographing Jacob & Nathan this afternoon! We did some portraits in the studio and then went to a lake that is a special place for their family. My friend Betsey told me tonight that she is passionate about relationships ( she is!) and I think that I must be a bit, too, at least in my photogrpahy. My favorite images of siblings is usually of them looking at each other, laughing together, or some special captured moment.... true of my wedding and family portrait work also. The one of Jacob & Nathan with their arms around each other I just love, it's a classic brothers pose. I photograph men on their wedding day and they have a picture taken with their brother and this is what they do! Anyway, I had a lot of favorites from tonight's session and am posting a few here. Thanks, Jeannine & Dan for allowing me to photograph your boys again, they are wonderful!

Darcey & Brian

2008-08-21T21:26:00.000-07:00

We photographed this wedding at The Historic Crags Lodge in Estes Park on August 16th. This was the weekend of the rain here in Colorado so Darcey and Brian moved the ceremony inside. It was the kind of day that makes you want to curl up with a hot cup of coffee .... or marry your best friend! The Crags Lodge has a nice cozy feel to it, there were fires in the fireplaces and the ceremony was lovely - the couple even wrote their own vows! An awesome Bluegrass band called Oakhurst was the highlight of the reception! It was really fun for us because we are friends with Brain and now Darcey, too. Thank you both for allowing us to be part of your wedding day! And speaking of friends ... can't post this without a "shout out" to Boogie & Mickie, our friends who introduced us to Brian. Sometimes I feel like we wouldn't have a wedding business without you! Let's see we did your wedding, Boogies brother's, Mickie's sister's, Boogie's best friend from growing up, now Brian's... one every year for the past 5 or 6 years I think. Thanks for always recommending us!

"Scoop"

2008-08-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

We photographed Dave & Karen's wedding about four years ago - actually just Paul photographed it as I was on maternity leave with our son Luke - but today we got to meet their one year old son Ian. What a cutie patootie! I asked if he had a nickname and they said "Scoop", I love it!

Elaina & Kyra

2008-08-05T15:17:00.000-07:00

We have been photographing Elaina since she was a baby and today we got to meet her new sister Kyra, too! The girls did great! Elaina is the same age as our son Luke and I can't believe how fast they've grown. Thanks for bringing in your beautiful daughters, Laura - we always love to see you!

Lindsay & Ben

2008-08-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

Paul had a lot of fun photographing this couple's engagement photos over the weekend! He knows Lindsay from his gigs at Johnson & Wales University when she was a culinary arts student. Lindsay & Ben were up for some fun shots and I think they look great!

kayaking

2008-07-28T13:46:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture of Paul and Sophia kayaking on Turquoise Lake this weekend. The kids both loved it. Thanks to Oma and Papa loaning us their inflatable kayak we were able to all get on the water as a family. Wonderful! The kids weren't so sure about tent camping only because it got cold at night. Luke told me this morning he wants to go again where there is warm water ( for swimming) and warm camping ( :

Family Portraits

2008-07-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

Paul and I met the Sherr Family on Saturday morning at Red Rocks for their family portraits. It was a beautiful morning and this kind of shoot always makes me so thankful for my job - I get to go to beautiful Colorado locations and photograph great people! Thanks Sherr Family for making this so easy - you guys were great!

newborn baby

2008-07-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to photograph a newborn baby this weekend - she's still counting her age in days instead of weeks! A beautiful girl with a beautiful name - Savoya. Can you believe she is already smiling? And so little, only 6 lbs.! I love to photograph babies when they are this little. You can't really see it on these images because I have to size them down to post online but on the full size images you can see she still has that baby fuzz on her arms and legs. Precious. I can tell her parents just love her! The only snafu was I'm always on time for a session but I had written the address down wrong and so my map quest directions were totally off. Luckily, I called from my cell phone and my clients gave me great directions from the crazy place I ended up so all worked out. That was a good lesson to me to confirm directions even in this day of GPS and the Internet. Savoya did so great! I am always amazed at these newborn babies!

Design News Assignment

2008-07-10T15:25:00.000-07:00

Paul shot this series of images for Design News Magazine for their monthly "Gadget Freak" article. Zach, the model/stuntman/inventor, built this vehicle. It's an air-suspension setup (for a car, but he built a test bed for it for demonstration) that will set its height to a specified value of your choice. There was less than ten minutes to shoot because Paul found the best location right on top of a dam but when the authorities showed up they chased them away. Apparently, Paul and his subject were in violation of new Homeland Security rules. Thankfully, they gave Paul an extra two minutes to finish up the shoot.

MadiSol & Jason

2008-07-07T10:35:00.000-07:00

We photographed MadiSol & Jason's wedding on July 5th at the lovely home of the bride's parents. This was a fun couple and a fun wedding to shoot! They held off the ceremony start time a bit to wait for some weather to clear and it did - it turned out to be a perfect evening. We loved the Southwestern architecture and used it as a backdrop for portraits, then during dinner we were treated to a beautiful Colorado sunset. A Mariachi band played music for part of the reception and for a traditional La Marcha where the bride and groom, the wedding party, parents and guests were led around in a dance. Thank you, MadiSol & Jason for allowing us to be your wedding photographers!

Lilly & Doug

2008-07-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

Lilly & Doug got married on June 29th at one of the most beautiful Colorado locations we've seen! Their guests met at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek and were shuttled 45 minutes up to the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse -only a short 4 wheel drive trip from the shuttle drop off to a sweeping vista and a yurt! Their ceremony was a lovely mix of Jewish and Christian customs. Lilly and Doug were so relaxed and easy going -we could tell they really wanted to enjoy the day with their family and friends. Thanks for allowing us to be part of this special event!

Laura & Matt

2008-07-02T20:39:00.000-07:00

We photographed Laura & Matt's wedding on June 28th at the Moraine Museum Amphitheater in Rocky Mountain National Park. Laura & Matt have known each other since they were kids so they have this great history together -Laura even wore a necklace with her wedding dress that Matt gave her when she was a teenager! This is a couple that seems very much in love and very into each other and I think it shows in their images! We enjoyed driving around RMNP with them for portraits ( I even got to see a wild animal up close that I've never seen before - a badger!) before heading to the historic Crags Lodge for the reception. What a party! Everyone was on the dance floor and having a great time. Thanks, Laura & Matt for allowing us to be your photographers!

Denver Skyline

2008-06-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

Paul was photographing the Denver Skyline for a client's website on Wednesday night and got the nice surprise of a cool evening storm!

Jen & Jay

2008-06-23T16:25:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun photographing Jen & Jay's wedding on June 21 (the summer solstice) at the Wild Basin Lodge in Allenspark, Colorado. We didn't know a lot about this couple as they live out of state and booked us via the internet and phone. When we met we discovered they are raft guides - River People! Yes! And just as you'd expect they were easygoing and fun with great family and friends. All in all a wonderful day. I have to share one of the readings from their ceremony - I know they choose it because it reflects their point of view and I just love it!

The Best Advice

by Edward Abbey

Do not burn yourself out. Be as I am - A reluctant enthusiast... a part-time crusader, a half- hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it is still there. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, encounter the Grizz, climb the mountains, bag the peaks. Run the rivers, breathe deep of that sweet and yet lucid air, sit quietly for a while and comtemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much; I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those deskbound people with their hearts in a safe-deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators, I promise you this: You will outlive the bastards.

Thank you Jen & Jay for allowing us to photograph this very special day!

Rio Chama

2008-06-13T20:25:00.000-07:00

Paul just returned today from a four day river rafting trip on the Rio Chama in New Mexico! He went with a group of good friends that are all river guides or kayakers. Our friend Mad Max introduced us to most of these people and got us on the river early on in our Colorado days ( forever grateful for that, Max!). We haven't been on a river trip since the kids came along so when the opportunity arose I told Paul he just had to make time in his schedule to go! I'm really glad he did although I was not happy to hear that he went out on a rope swing and jumped in the river without knowing how deep or how safe it was. Such a kid at heart! I'm also glad he went because he got to spend a few more days with our dear friends, Mark & Tara before they headed off to France ( we miss you guys already)!

Eva & Nick

2008-06-09T21:17:00.001-07:00

Eva & Nick were married on June 7th at The Pines at Genesee and were such a wonderful couple to work with! You could tell they really put some thought into planning their ceremony with personal readings and music like Dr. Seuss's "Oh the Places You'll Go" and Billy Joel's "She's got a Way About Her". They made sure we had some time in the schedule to head up to a nearby spot afterwords for some pictures of the two of them with the mountains in the background. Paul & I love it when our wedding clients are up for something like this because we always are! Their family and friends toasted them at their reception with moving and funny stories and then it was party time! Just a few minutes before we left, Eva's sister gave me a heads up that the flower girl was asleep in the brides room so I tiptoed in for a shot but I had my "mom" radar on being sure not to wake her. Thanks Eva & Nick for allowing us to share your day!

Fiona & Maeve

2008-06-04T12:59:00.000-07:00

I spent some time this morning on the campus of DU photographing Fiona & Maeve. They did so great! Maeve is actually featured on the children's gallery of my website from a portrait we did of her last year. It's fun to compare and see how much she's grown! Thanks, Becky and Paul for allowing me to photograph your girls again - they are just beautiful!

Sophia

2008-06-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, I can't resist adding one more picture of my girl. This is one Paul took yesterday. A lot of things weren't working - location ( waterfall too loud, all she wants to do is splash, etc.) hair, clothing, running late on time, etc. but I think there is a lot of magic in this image. The wildflower portraits reflect her personality more but this draws me in.

Sophia's two year old portraits

2008-06-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

Our daughter is not really two for another couple of weeks but we wanted to do her portrait in these wildflowers we found on our Memorial Day weekend hike! We also wanted to make sure we got her portraits done because June ( her birthday month) is going to be busy for us. Seems like she was just a baby and I still THINK of her as a baby sometimes but she walks, talks in full sentences and is in full fledged toddler mode! I can't imagine life or our family without her. Sophia we love you SO MUCH!

Michigan Trip

2008-05-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

We spent last week in Michigan visiting family and attending our niece and god daughters confirmation. We really had a wonderful time! I had the opportunity to go to Mackinaw Island with my mom and her friend Mary for a couple of days. Paul and I are both from Michigan so I've been to Mackinaw but it's been probably 15 years. It was soooo wonderful! We stayed at Grand Hotel and got the royal treatment. I really enjoyed the ferry ride over, hikes around the town and island, spending time with my Mom and sitting on the worlds longest front porch with my Starbucks coffee! Meanwhile, Paul and the kids visited Aunt Mary, Uncle Roy, Ian & Sam. They had some great adventures including a hilarious "emergency" sheep herding at the MSU farms. Then we reunited at my parents home and attended Katie's confirmation and open house. My niece is an amazing young woman. I remember being that age and feeling so awkward but she seems to have it all together. We spent the remaining time showing the kids around Mommy's hometown, visiting and letting the kids get to know their ten cousins in Michigan and all the Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents. The flight home was the only slightly epic part of the trip. Both flights were delayed, Luke was sick and the airline lost our luggage. We finally got our airport weary kids home at 2 a.m.. Thanks Birschings, Henleys, Deys and Doans for the great memories!

bridal photos

2008-05-08T21:37:00.000-07:00

I worked with a great model and stylist this evening on some shots to update my portfolio. It was lots of fun to get to know these women and also for me to "get outside the box" a bit in my work. There are tons of great images so it will be hard to narrow it down but I'll post just a few of my favorites here. Thanks Verity & Brie - you are both pros!

ER visit

2008-05-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

I took our 22 month old daughter to The Children's Hospital ER last night. She is fine but she had a 105 temp and was shaking with the chills for a half hour. They couldn't determine the cause of the high temp even after doing blood work. Bless her little heart - she was a real trooper! This is actually her 4th ER visit ( plus one 911 call for choking) and she isn't even two yet! After a late bedtime and getting up several times during the night the fever broke this morning, thank goodness! We all just need to catch up on our sleep now.

favorites from this week

2008-05-02T14:53:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my favorite images from this week's shoots!

spring

2008-04-25T14:38:00.001-07:00

I have been contemplating doing a floral fine art series and inspiration is everywhere including my own backyard where our peach trees are blossoming. Yay Spring!

earth day

2008-04-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

I have been inspired by what some of the larger companies are doing for the environment such as Whole Foods not handing out anymore plastic bags after today! I am challenging myself to find a "green" wedding album company. It will be interesting to see what's out there... perhaps bamboo paper? I'll let you know what I uncover.

little picasso's

2008-04-08T20:36:00.000-07:00

I had lots of fun letting the kids loose on an art project this afternoon! Our neighbors got some new patio furniture and I asked them for the big cardboard box it came in ( Thanks, Tinkers!). We cut a door and windows and this afternoon we got out the paints and went to town. Luke& Sophia were so into it. The clean up was epic but it's all good!

Johnson & Wales University

2008-04-06T20:49:00.000-07:00

Paul spent four days with a video crew ( and video lighting!) photographing images for Johnson & Wales University to use on their new website. While photographing with a video crew held a few challenges, overall it was great! Johnson & Wales is one of our favorite clients - we feel like we are part of one big family there!

Pablo - my hero!

2008-04-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

Whoo boy, what a week. Our 21 month old had the flu and so did I so the night before this shoot Paul was up four times with the baby and had to get up at 5 a.m. . He helped me with the kids until I could peel myself off the floor ( literally) and then ran around town picking up props and prepping for two shoots at CSU for the Design News "Gadget Freak" winners. I knew Paul was in bad shape because he actually called in an assistant last minute - his friend and super pro stylist Kari Kisch ( thanks Kari!). Paul never does that kind of thing but he wanted some good help and basically someone to keep him awake. Well, he totally pulled it off! The first image is of the inventors of a jukebox that actually reads the mood of the room and plays appropriate music (the three inventors in front in costumes styled to their musical preferences). The second image is of a robot that can be mobile on extreme surfaces, the inventors are shown directing a movie and the props are our three year olds dinosaur toys. Paul came up with both concepts and pulled off these shoots completely sleep deprived. Some days I don't know how he does it.

Arizona

2008-03-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a trip to Arizona to visit Paul's parents and grandma. It was the first time our kids met their great grandma! It's funny because of course they loved the usual suspects of swimming pools, cactus and model airplanes but also LOVED a trailer dinette table that folds down into a bed, escalators at the airport, and Great Grandmas house with her collection of ceramic mice and frogs. Just goes to show you it doesn't have to be a trip to Disney world to impress the little ones. Paul and I got to enjoy a seven hour trip into the desert on ATVs with Dad while Mom watched the kiddos. Thanks everyone for all the memories! We love you guys!

Not sure how the kids ended up falling asleep in the car holding hands but it was very sweet!

newborn baby portrait

2008-03-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

I was so honored to photograph a beautiful three week old baby girl this weekend! What a sweetie! She never cried once and even gave me some smiles. I LOVE LOVE LOVE new babies!

portraits on location

2008-03-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

Paul specializes in portraits on location. In this recent assignment he only had a half hour with each subject to do four different looks. That means he must have his lighting portable enough to work quickly and he needs to find locations on the fly. I always think he makes everyone look like a model!

wedding anniversary

2008-02-29T18:42:00.000-08:00

It was our 9th wedding anniversary on Feb. 27th! Unfortunately, that day was taken up in a very strange way ( I won't go into it here) and we weren't able to celebrate. Things have been kindof a whirlwind since but hopefully we can squeeze a dinner date in soon. I still love Paul so much and I am so happy I married him! Life has certainly changed in nine years ( and the fifteen we've actually been together). We've gone from college 'kids" to a husband and wife with a mortgage, two kids, a dog and a small business. We've traveled, taken up hobbies, gone through medical issues, moved( several times), and so much more that makes up life and a more specifically a life together. I can't think of anyone else I'd want to go through this journey with!

digital enhancements

2008-02-22T08:56:00.000-08:00

As professional photographers in the digital age we have the tools to do almost anything with an image after we've created it. I've certainly done my fair share of alternative processes ( cyanotype, polaroid transfers, infrared, etc) but I am enough of a "purist" to want to see a really nice unaltered image sometimes. Paul and I were talking about this and he reminded me of how in the 70's wedding photographers thought it was so so cool to do a double exposure during the ceremony and make it look like the bride and groom were looking down at themselves. Now that type of image is very dated and I wonder if the same will happen with this current trend of digital enhancements. It's fun and it's so easy, the trick I guess is to use it in moderation. Here is an example of an unaltered image and then an action applied to it called "aged photo". This literally took me two seconds. Crazy!

Valentine's Day

2008-02-15T09:13:00.000-08:00

Paul and I went snowboarding/skiing yesterday at Keystone for Valentine's Day! It was so nice to get away for a day and play. We are back in the office today and working but refreshed from our day on the mountain!

Solar Energy

2008-02-05T14:18:00.001-08:00

Paul had an editorial assignment that had to be shot this morning on solar panels even though it was overcast and snowy. It was a really tight deadline so he had to work with the weather. I think it turned out great! I have been especially interested in renewable energy ever since I saw "An Inconvenient Truth". Paul had a website up on the office computer for Real Goods Solar and I thought he was researching panels for our house! He was just finding the subject's contact info but you never know, it might be in our future. The problem with buying a "fixer upper" is that there is a long list of things to do before you get to the fun or meaningful projects.

my little cameraman

2008-02-04T17:35:00.001-08:00

Luke was playing in the studio today with one of our antique cameras. He loves to point it at us and "say cheese"! He did NOT get that from us, I think his teacher at school sometimes takes pictures of the kids and says that. He loves to play with camera's though! Paul picked up a cool photography book the other day that has very dark, rich black and white photos of zoo animals in it. We both loved it and this image reminded me of that a little -the rich blacks not the zoo animals ( :

Future Firefighters

2008-02-02T19:42:00.000-08:00

I had two adorable kids in my studio this morning! Mom is a firefighter so she brought in her gear to use as props. What an amazing woman! She works 48 hours on call, then goes home and takes care of her children. Wow, I feel like an amateur complaining about sleep depravation when I've been up a couple of times in one night. Anyway, both kids sat for individual portraits, portraits together and then finally with the fire gear. Little troopers! The baby even let me hold her for awhile so I could get my baby fix! My own baby is 19 months old and "little miss independent" so I loved it! Thank you Mariott Family for allowing me to photograph your beautiful children!

The new website is up - sortof!

2008-01-30T21:07:00.000-08:00

I had a lot of fun working on my new site but it was a bit hard to upload. I know just enough about all this to be dangerous. Yesterday, there wasn't anything coming up under wedlake.com but an error message. Today there was a site up but with many missing links. Finally, I have my side of the website up and running fairly well except that my "rollovers" aren't working, but at least you can navigate it! Poor Paul, I pretty much wiped out his site from 1999. Actually, I think that is blessing in disguise since he needs a little motivation to work on an updated portfolio. We'll see, maybe I can get it back for him, in the meantime, he has an "under construction" page.

website

2008-01-16T19:31:00.000-08:00

So, I finished painting the bathroom and it looks awesome! We went to Home Depot tonight and got some finishing touches, I think it will make for a much nicer client experience! Now, onto the website. We created our own website back in 1999 and while I have changed at least some of my images every year or so, Paul still has the same site he had in 99. Definitely, time for a complete overhaul! We researched everything from having a very high end company design our site, to working with templates to doing it ourselves from scratch. I am kindof a "control freak" ( not really but a little bit) so I have always liked doing it myself, even though it takes a lot of time. We decided that we would work on the html side ourselves and have an art director/designer friend help us with the flash site. I think it's going to be a great solution. Look for our new site to launch ... oh, I don't know, realistically probably in February, but I'm hoping for sooner.

Painting project

2008-01-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

I am finally painting our studio bathroom! It's something I've wanted to do since we moved in two years ago. January is normally a slow time of year for us and the perfect time to catch up on things. I love how a fun paint color can totally change a room! I am doing the walls in an aqua blue and the trim in a chocolate brown... got the main color up last night and it looks awesome. I should be done with the trim in another day or two. Not that I am procrastinating on building the new website - okay, well maybe a little ( :

When will they build a doggy door for the stout K-9?

2008-01-09T20:17:00.000-08:00

This was Paul's assignment from Design News Magazine for the monthly article on "Gadget Freaks". These three young inventors designed a dog door that will only open for your dog. You can also program the gadget to feed and water your K-9 family member. The inventors didn't have a dog of their own for the photo shoot so we hired a real pro - our own pooch, Rico. He was well paid in dog biscuits and half of a "Big Daddy Burger" from Good Times. It was hard for him to go through the door since it was designed for miniature poodles or smaller, but if we had a dog that small, how could the dog wear protective OSHA eye gear?

Paul & Sophia

2008-01-04T17:33:00.001-08:00

We had a couple of sessions booked for this weekend and they all had to cancel due to sick kids - 'tis the season I guess. I took advantage of having the studio set up to do a fun shot of Paul and Sophia. She is definitely "Daddy's Little Girl"!

We're blogging!

2007-12-28T20:07:00.000-08:00

Finally! I've been meaning to do this for some time, there are so many fun things that happen at our studio that I'd love to share. I've been on the "mommy track" the last couple of years so that is my excuse for not doing this sooner ( : We have a three year old son, Luke and an 18 month old daughter, Sophia... and of course, our fur baby, Rico - a 5 year old lab mix. I am going to try to keep this blog mostly about our photography but forgive me if I wax on about the little ones from time to time, they are a huge part of my life! Looking forward to an awesome 2008!