we met in wintery breckenridge just in time to see the final day of the international snow sculpture championships last sunday. talk about a fun time! we enjoyed exploring the sights and color of breckenridge, a quintessential colorado mountain ski town. if you've never seen a 20-foot snow sculpture of a giant lemonade stand, then carve out your schedule to see these sculptures at least once in your life! we'll be shooting their july wedding and look forward to being apart of their special day. karina grew up in brazil and most of her family lives there, so their wedding will be a true fusion of culture and religion. we started things off in a romantic horse-drawn carriage.

then explored the town in search of fine textured backgrounds...








then paid a visit to the courthouse.


i love the cross-processing effect of this simple image with brian's button and the stairs.


using an ultra-wide nikon 12-24mm lens to capture a quick candid with an alley perspective.


karina has huge, beautiful eyes that brian claims were the same size when she was little!


a real moment.


and some relaxed kern-photo style portraits :)


here's the huge ice sculture of a lemonade stand (with a blue gel filter in my sb-800 flash).


shooting through one of the ice sculptures:


this is my favorite image of the entire shoot, which has a mushy-gushy romantic comedy feel (in a good way, of course:)

no, we're not talking about the nfl team that didn't make it to the super bowl. we're talking about the real mccoy's....a real piece of americana: bucking broncos. featured here are legendary national western stock show & rodeo broncos worthy of attention. this is also our first experiment in texture overlay processing of photographs in photoshop. the textured overlay were snaps taken the week prior in sante fe of adobe walls at sunset. jesh de rox served as the wonderful inspiration for these textured techniques. we'd love to see these blown up to 20" x 30" canvas gallery wraps for an upcoming art show.

we woke up saturday morning with an urge to sleuth out one of the final days of the national western rodeo & stock show. here are a few of our favorite shots from our mini-escape in denver. we love rodeo clowns...


... almost as good as mutton bustin' (no kids or animals were hurt:)


so the kiddo was actual fine, and got to kiss one of the rodeo cowgirls to make him smile :)


buckin' broncos:


one major annoyed bull.... i wonder why?


comic relief:


four generations of buckin' broncos:


kkk sheep:

here's what's on tap for 2008:

march 29: elyse & cory
april 12: carolyn & adam
may 25: stephanie & jeff
may 31: alisha & bryce
june 7: liz & ryan
june 13: megan & jeff
june 21: lisa & jason
june 27: julie & jru
july 12: karina & brian
aug 9: leila & ben
sept 20: danielle & chris
oct 11: jess & josh
oct 18: katie & shawn

if we're booked, do not despair. contact us and we'll put you in good hands :)

anna kuperberg's slobberspace is a must see for canine photo aficionados. anna recently came out with a new book, designer dogs, which deserves a good look. if you like a good dog-lovin' laugh, check out her pooch, slidell featured here:


anna inspired this iphone snap of dash sniffing in sante fe last weekend:

we had 7 photographers participate in our first 'coffee-shop class' and it was a hit. after hitting some of the technical basics (and networking:), we headed out for some mini-assignments. one of the more challenging ones was a self-group portrait using one light. gino siller set this shot up on his mini-assignment, facilitated by "r2-d2," featured in the lower-right:


each photographer pulled from a hat a mini-assigment. while we didn't get to perform all of them, at least we got the creative brains thinking reading them out-loud. just case you were curious at what some of the assignments were, they are posted below. we each pulled assignments from a bag (think folded fortune-cookie paper). the next step was to prove our mettle (or at least try) and then get our learning on. here's a smattering of some of the 'coffee-shop class' assignments:

1. Self-portrait.
The scenario: It’s time to update your OSP profile photo (or match.com) and you have to get it done, like, now! Using your newly acquired skills, one off-camera flash, create a self-portrait with your camera destined to be different! You are welcome to use a lighting effect of your choosing! And don’t forget to set your timer!

2. Group self-portrait.
This assignment, should you choose to accept it, will be to produce a group photo for the class on the kern-photo blog using a lighting effect of your choosing. Make it fun. Keep it fresh. Have fun!

3. Rim light Special.
To add a little ‘pop’ and give your subject some depth, create a dynamic portrait featuring a subtle ‘rim light’ on your subject. Just remember, don’t blow it… ahem… your highlights, that is (pardon the cheese)!

4. Lighting someone with eye glasses.
You’ve been given two minutes to photograph a Nobel laureate who has just discovered the cure for cancer. You are in his office and have little natural light to work with. You want to show off the seriousness of his eyes, but do not want glare noticeable on his bifocals. What do you do? Now make it happen!!!

5. Stop action (jump).
“Aw, that’s cool,” is what you want to hear from your clients. You are on an engagement session, got some safe shots out of the way, but now it is time to use your lighting skills and take some chances. Using your uber cool camera skills, see if you can capture a couple jumping mid-air (without blurring) using your flash. He thinks he can jump. She thinks she can jump higher. See if your best shot can show the difference and reveal the winner! Brownie points given for fun expression, textured background, and wild hair.

6. How far can you go?
Nikon has tapped you on the shoulder to test the triggering capabilities of their wireless flash. This assignment is to see how far away you can trigger a light and have the light noticeable in your photograph. 50 feet? 100 feet? 150 feet?

7. Low-ceiling.
‘Bride-zilla’ is getting ready in small, dimly lit hotel room on a rainy day. She is totally bummed because this is HER day and she has always dreamed of a bright and airy feeling for her getting ready photos, but doesn’t want to look light a deer-in-the-headlights. What can you do to help? Now make it happen!!

8. Around a Corner.
Britney Spears just signed an endorsement with Starbucks (not really). People magazine wants YOUR photo for their cover. You’re on location and see her inside. You have a visual…. She is just about to walk out the door with her “2% Venti 2-pump chocolate mint de-caf Frappacino with sprinkles.” But wait, with all the paparazzi, there is no way you can get the line-o-site you need to fire your Speedlight. Your PocketWizards are at home. You have one assistant that can help. Now make it happen!!

9. Lightpaint a Car!
The batmobile just drove up and your little cousin would love a cool shot. However, it is at night and the car is black. There’s your challenge. You know you’ll need several flashes to pull off the trick and evenly light the car. However, you only have one. What can you do? Now make it happen!!

10. Just for the flare of it!
The sun has set, but you still want to capture flare. While you may not be able to create that beautiful natural light, you can get close using your Speedlight off-camera. What can you do to increase your chances of nailing the shot? Now make it happen!!!

ps- if any of these topics tickle your fancy (okay, i love that phrase), and you missed this class, please do not fret. there is another *free* class scheduled to appear feb 21 at 4pm at the the press coffee company in belmar, lakewood. we'll be talking about using gels on lights. get the gritty details here. RSVP on the comments section below. class size limited to 10. first come, first served :)

we're tickled that pictage has finished their 100% re-design of their e-commerce site. what does this mean for you? good looks + easy to use + simple registrations + easier event sharing + simpler navigation + bigger images + album preview + faster checkout + more. yeah. check it:

ps- safari browsers are not fully supported, so you may be redirected to the old website. pc users, this doesn't affect you. if you are a mac user, we recommend firefox.

in all of its two-megapixel glory, here are a few our favorite images taken with our iphone camera during some rest & relaxation in sante fe & taos, new mexico. we purposely left our digital slr cameras at home to take a creative break and do more with less. so first thing yesterday we visited bandeleir national monument, which is a sight to see. however, we didn't display our pass on 'our dash' this time, but we did get a good laugh :)


peering out of almost a 1,000 year-old cliff dwelling.


now featuring super national park model, nicole.



and me being me.


experiencing our ancestor's abodes gave us great appreciation for the simple things in life, the true necessities of life: food, faith, water, sun, and shelter.


then we made our way to our favorite rancho de taos church, the st. francis of assisi.


then over to the taos pueblo for some fresh fry-bread. nicole was inside getting the goods while this little pooch wanted in sooo bad.


nicole with the holga and our permit tag hanging, which allowed us to snap photos. in the background is a 'reservation mutt,' who befriended us quickly when he learned we had food.


gotta love funky doors....


and big blue skies...


our favorite taos eatery, the apple tree, was closed for a bit of a winter sabbatical :(


it seems dash finds a girlfriend in every city we visit. his favorite taos husky chases him below.

... those were the fine words of the late dr. martin luther king, jr. if you haven't seen his 'i have a dream speech,' view it below. it is a mini-history lesson worth reviewing.

happy martin luther king day :)


______

ps- we are enjoying some "r &r" " in santa fe, new mexico. each time we visit this photographer's mecca, we return creativity invigorated. as part of goals #34 and #84 of my 101 goals in 1,001 days, i chose not to bring any digital slr cameras and brought a holga, a medium format film camer. they are a wonderful, plastic camera which you can purchase here for $24.99. we took 3 rolls of ilford sfx film and a red filter which are capable of obtaining a pseudo-infrared look. we giggled when we heard the little holga shutter go "click," which sounds toyish compared to what we're used to in our digital slr cameras. however, we expect the results to be creatively different. stay tuned to some of the developed printed results from a few of the pearls of the american southwest: bandelier national monument, the taos pueblo, and some southwestern santa fe architecture.

'real world' learning outside the classroom is what we love best in getting our 'learning on.' r. j. is super excited to attend the image x 08 workshop for some "hands on" learning with the grandfather of the 'trash-the-dress', john michael cooper, (aka 'alt-f') and the sharp & saaaaaaavy jessica claire. in addition, there'll be gene higa, cherie steinberg cote, jeffrey & julia woods, julia bailey, victor sizemore, chenin boutwell, parker pfister, & joe photo. the only bad news: the workshop isn't until october :(

but here's a preview of what to expect:

brian of piano man music and i got together recently to shoot him and his instrument, the grand piano. brian is an awesome pianist and awesme dj. he's got some awesome original stuff brewing up in his soul! while i was shooting, he was playing song after song off the top of his head. talk creative inspiration! fine music and photography go hand and hand and we enjoy working with him during weddings! here are a few of our favorite portraits using just two off-camera strobes for the creative lighting:


can you FEEL the music?


we had only short time at the church, so afterwards we heading to mcdonald's for their dollar menu. i grabbed these inside with my favorite nikon 85mm f/1.4 lens.:

our christmas present this year from my brother was two tickets to the denver pro rodeo held at the denver coliseum on wednesday. nicole has been to the national western stock show & rodeo over two dozen times, but neither of us have witnessed the pro bull riding rodeo event, which is a quintessential piece of americana, right next to apple pie, democracy, and the super bowl. here's the opening show featuring all of the riders:


a comedic hit of the show was this rodeo clown, a cross between brian boitano and an european soccer star :)


these guys are huge. i mean huge. and mean.


about to get tossed:


and another.



the gear and behind the scenes effort that goes into these events is amazing.


about to release the bull...


and the toy version.


our favorite rodeo clown discovered four nuns enjoying the bull riding.

this month's topic: the nikon speedlight, demystified. want to learn some tips and tricks to using nikon's speedlight system? spicing things up with simple lighting (think "the strobist") can sometimes make the difference between "blah" to "wow." this 'coffee-shop class' will focus on learning how to use your Nikon camera's built-in flash to trigger a speedlight.

who: "starving student" photographers (we are all students)

what: friendly-approach learning the technical basics in using nikon's wireless speedlights. we will focus quick and easy lighting techniques for portrait / wedding photographers.

when: thursday, January 24, 2008 from 4:00 - 5:00 pm (we'll do 30 minutes inside, 30 minutes outside)

where: higher grounds coffee, 803 14th st, golden, 80401 (near intersection of 14th St & washington ave). happy hour afterwards until 6pm next door at the table mountain inn, 1310 washington ave, golden.

cost: *free*

what to bring: warm clothes, a SB-600 or SB-800 Speedlight(s), and one of the following cameras: Nikon D-70(s), D-80, D-200, D-300, or D-3. canon shooters: come learn more about 'the dark side.'

RSVP below in the comments section of the blog.

your homework: peruse ken rockwell's how to use the new nikon strobes as wireless slaves. bring questions.

extra credit: if you don't know about flash flavor or the strobist, check 'em out! they are great sources of lighting information & inspiration.

can't make it? our next 'coffee-shop class' will be held on february 21 at 4:00 pm at the press coffee company in belmar. topic: creative lighting with gels

we love to share what we've learned in photography with other photographers. several photographers have asked us to share a little about how we do what we do. we do not pretend, even for a minute, to have all the answers!. however, we look at this as a wonderful opportunity to learn & share with other like-minded photographers. we wanted to create an 'in-person' forum to share lessons learned to supplement the great wonderful resources on the web. we feel nothing takes the place of getting out of the house/studio to shoot & share with others. in our mind, that is where it matters most.

the 'coffee-shop class' is about real learning for real photographers in the real world. we will meet about for one hour every month or so in/around the denver metro area at a local coffee shop. the mini-classes will be an informal 30 minutes of coffee & theory followed by 30 minutes of practice. cost is free to attend. each class will focus on a new topic emphasizing "hands-on" learning and sharing "light-bulb" moments. we take a low-key approach to learning in a friendly, supportive atmosphere. mean people are NOT welcome :)

classes are geared towards osp-minded portrait / wedding photographers, but we welcome photographers of any kind. and here's the great part: there's no such thing as a stupid question in our 'coffee-shop class'! in addition, we also hope to have various guest photographer's present various topics near & dear.

announcements will be made on our blog and also under the 'coffee-shop class' category. bookmark us and check back for the latest announcements.

we hope to see you soon!

our little two-megapixel iphone camera isn't shabby. we love it because it makes us be spontaneous with our camera and, to be frank, comes with us on many urban adventures. we've created a brand spankin' new blog category (called 'two megapixels or less') to display our iphone shots. beauty can be made with less than the top-of the line camera. less is ALWAYS more in our book when it comes to composition, color, isolation of subject, and simplicity of *gear* (sorry, photo gearheads, but we favor one or two prime lenses over the mix-and-mash zooms). spot our camera, if you can...

we had an awesome friday lunch on-the-cheap at swing thai at 9th & colorado and got this fun shot of the 'old-skool' writing desks-turned-waiting area:


then we spent two days skiing at our favorite winter park, as seen out the window of our car:


when in doubt, order up a 24oz "cl smooth".... colorado's best light beer (sorry bud drinkers :). too bad we just look at them, for their $7 cost at 11,000 ft is a bit much for us :)


soaking up the sun on eagle wind lift at winter park, gateway to some kick a** black diamond glade skiing.


then i turned around and shot this looking back towards the sunspot lodge (seen in the far distant upper left corner):


a lunch at sunspot


last run of the day through nicole's fancy goggulators.

if you love the discovery channel, buy this: planet earth the dvd series.

we are only 23 minutes into it and i can safely say, UN-FRICKEN-BELEEEIVABLE. top favs so far: high-speed cameras documenting great white sharks eating a fur seal.... completely out of the water! time-lapse of seasons changing from space. you have to watch it to believe it. you'll laugh. you'll cry. you'll be amazed.

second favorite: the six plume bird of paradise, cleans the forest floor before dances for his prospective mate.

my wife's comment: "wish men did that."

___

we love our denver zoo pass. today, my mom flew in for a bit of skiing. we hit up destination #1: the denver zoo.

here are two of my favorite images today that are pitiful in comparison to the videography of the aforementioned dvd.

the calm sadness to the reality of a zoo:


this lioness could kill me in a millasecond:

our buddy chris humphreys mentioned a reference to this wired.com article on his blog: "the untold story of the iPhone." it's an insightful article detaining the behind-the-scenes story of the iphone.

in sum, the iphone has revolutionized the way i can get things done. i can sort through quick emails while waiting in lines, check for important flight times, delete spam, file away important emails, etc... thereby freeing up time rather than sitting in front of the computer checking email later in the evening. i can share portfolio images with clients without opening a computer. i can inspired by looking at favorite images. try out some new poses or textured backgrounds. google maps has already saved me on more than one occasion. the 2.0 megapixel camera rocks. listening to photo podcasts while doing mundane tasks has opened up a new world of learning (favorite podcasts include: lightsource studio photography, lenswork, f-stop beyond, and the nikonian's image doctors). the calculator is spiffy. sharing dash with the world and then seeing the weather forecast in two clicks is grand. checking updates of other photographer's blogs are a cinch with safari. and the list goes on.

i'm always giddy to know what apple will announce on tuesday's macworld expo. we already know apple came out with the fastest mac pro ever two days ago. what's next? new hd monitor? iphone update? smaller mac mini?

molly & sean wed on december 29, 2007 in grand bahama island. being the best man, my speech highlighted the fact that i always wanted a sister. when my parents brought sean home from the hospital, i simply stated, "bring it back. i want a sister." now i finally have a sister! congrats to sean & molly!

sean & molly met in medical school in bethesda, maryland. molly graduated from west point and sean from the air force academy. my father, who is a retired navy 06, was super proud to have the military legacy continue. before i end up in the doghouse, i will say nicole was the primary photographer on this wedding, so she can take full credit for most of the best shots.

molly's maid of honor couldn't make it because of her military responsibilities, so this blog entry goes out to her.

their wedding day was super chill with with sunny blue skies the entire day :)



here's beautiful molly relaxed during some casual beach portraits.


i can safely say of all the bouquets i've ever seen in my whole life, this one has to be the most recent (family joke). okay, so it is also the biggest and most colorful, too!


donkey-feet sean on-time as usual. not! our father was always very good at lighting the grenade under his a$$. i didn't drop the pressure too much, being the best man and all....


dressed in less than 10 minutes, from start to finish. military guys know how to get dressed in a hurry.


molly and the girls.


the real sean.

(above: admittedly taken the day after, note the ring).

how would you like this face in charge of an intensive surgery?


the shutter for this image was actually pressed by my mom, after a few pointers. way to go, mom!


a tender moment of bob walking molly down the aisle.



a beautiful catholic ceremony.


to fully understand this image...


you have to understand the effort that went into this image. too bad the white-out didn't last. this image was taken moments before sean stepped into the room to get dress. he never suspected a thing.


a real moment, a favorite from the whole day. i am proud of nicole for nailing this shot! i love the simple composition, emotion, and simple color.


the first kiss.


bro, don't get used to it!


a candid cake-feeding moment :)


i adore this shot... so much emotion and beautiful, clean light.


sean played the stud role quite well on his wedding night. i trained you well, young grasshopper!


molly gets down.


two rings shots only because i know he sweated some major cahones to get that *bling* rock! "crazy love" seems very appropriate.


on the final day of our stay, I grabbed sean's passport for this detail shot. he has always been very keen on passport stamps.

the wedding project of a lifetime for us came on december 29, 2007, when my brother, sean, wed molly. with only one brother (and nicole's only sister is already married), this was a one shot deal to photograph a family member's wedding. mixing business with pleasure has it's unique challenges, especially when i was the best man. fortunately, nicole was supremely capable to do a stellar job. this will be a two part blog series, the first documenting the events leading up to the big day.

we arrived at grand bahama island a few days earlier to relax and spend quality time with family.


and explored the beach....


then came the "official" meet the parents. i hid in the bushes during this covert operation to capture the right moment...

until i was spotted and my mom, of all people, flipped me the bird!!! i couldn't believe it. :) i guess she figured it would elicit a candid reaction.


the party grew later in the evening and we grabbed a snap of us in beach garb.


the following day, i caught this candid of eddie enjoying his thinking time on the bus en route to the rehearsal.


the little catholic church was beautifully lit. the interior details will be shared tomorrow :)


here's molly.


sean really wanted a "chill" guy photo of his fellas in their classy j. crew garb.

my parents hosted a sunset champagne toast on the beach complete with tiki torches.



i got a little crazy with some creative nikon speedlight lighting on this 4 second exposure (see my clone?). perhaps it was the champagne.

being a best man for my brother, sean, meant that i was responsible for the bachelor party, a time honored tradition for which i took very seriously:) held just before christmas to allow for ample recovery time, we decided to hold it in lawton, oklahoma (our most recent "family" home). not all the groomsman were able to make it at the same time, so we filled a family friend (eric, far right pictured below) as an honorable groomsman. we had a blast!


a self-portrait of the best kind, with mom and dad kern hosting the "bachelor bed & breakfast":


here was one class act project done with some serious intent, our annual gingerbread house:


there were lots of guy shenanigans. in addition, boondock saints, the untouchables, reservoir dogs, and superbad made a special appearance in dvd form.


good food, sponsored by "mom."


lots of beer consumed in the "healing waters."

the REST of the images have been censored, because what happens at home, stays at home.

ps- stay tuned for a special TWO part series just for sean & molly starting tomorrow: part 1. the events leading up to the big day (including the out-takes from a real live 'meet the parents') and part 2. the fine details, casual portraits, and real emotions of their wedding day (with slideshow).

so yesterday i figured since dash is now 2 (14 in dog years), I figured we'd sit down and discuss the "birds & the bees." fast forward 5 minutes, we set off on a long afternoon run, and he sees a woman rounding the corner, gets all excited and jumps right up on her, front paws smack dab on her shoulders. she laughed, he continued to lick. i apologized to her, reprimanded dash, and we continued on our run. a mile down the road, the jefferson county animal control officer pulls up, rolls down his window, grins, and says, "your dog has good taste in women."

guilty as charged:

(taken with iPhone)

call us different, but today we celebrated dash's 2nd birthday at the neighborhood playground. while there was no big birthday bash, we did find a goofy birthday hat...


dash pleading, "remove this goofy thing."


we presented some angel food cake and organic berries for our little guy. fyi: everything DOES taste better with dog hair :)


gone in 10 seconds flat.

we met raelean and j. d. at grand bahama island for their engagement shoot on the beach. they got engaged days before the shoot, so they were super excited to share the news with some photos with their loved ones. they both safely arrived back from iraq serving a tour of duty in the army and had some killer behind the scenes intelligence war stories to share. i told them to be prepared to get wet on their pg-13 rated tropical photo shoot, and they were easy going and enjoyable to be around. while their big date is not until october 11, 2008, they'll be sure to enjoy these before the big day.

what a stud!




nothing wrong with a little blurry shot illustrating a candid moment!

happy new year 2008!

looking back at 2007 we have grown so much and have much to be thankful. we are especially grateful for the trust our clients bestow on us to document their wedding day. the following images (listed in chronological order) are our favorites from each of the 13 weddings we witnessed this year. 'emotion in the moment' was the theme in the back of our minds during the selection process. enjoy :)

and an unpublished image from saturday's wedding of my brother, sean, and his wife, molly.

here are our 2008 weddings (and special links documenting the event):

march 29: elyse & corey - BLOG - SLIDESHOW
april 12: carolyn & adam - BLOG - SLIDESHOW
april 26: crystal & tom - BLOG
may 25: stephanie & jeff - BLOG - SLIDESHOW
may 31: alisha & bryce - BLOG - SLIDESHOW
june 7: liz & ryan - BLOG - SLIDESHOW
june 13: megan & jeff - BLOG - SLIDESHOW
june 21: lisa & jason - BLOG - SLIDESHOW
june 27: julie & jru - BLOG - SLIDESHOW
june 28: samantha & chris - BLOG - SLIDESHOW
july 12: karina & brian - BLOG - SLIDESHOW
july 19: shara & asher - BLOG
aug 2: sara & c. r. - BLOG
aug 9: leila & ben - BLOG - SLIDESHOW
aug 23: carrie & nick - BLOG - SLIDESHOW - fun-booth
aug 30: angela & brian - BLOG - SLIDESHOW - fun-booth
sept 20: danielle & chris - BLOG - SLIDESHOW
oct 11: jess & josh - BLOG - SLIDESHOW
oct 18: katie & shawn - BLOG - SLIDESHOW - fun-booth

if your date is not listed, there is a good chance we are still available. contact us and we'll put you in good hands :)