Finding your true love is a beautiful thing! That is exactly what Allen and Jodi’s wedding day was all about. It was a morning wedding held at Mount Vernon Country Club. It was a beautiful ceremony filled with Native American traditions and customs. This was really interesting as it was my first Native American wedding. Ravens flew overhead as key parts of the ceremony were performed. Then a very nice brunch and reception followed.
I have wanted to photograph a wedding in Moab, Utah for quite some time. I have photographed many families, engagement couples and even post wedding trash the dress sessions in the desert but never a real wedding in one of my favorite environments. Mark is a fiend that I climbed with many years ago. He in fact taught me kayaking and I in return taught him about rock climbing. He has been living in Hawaii which is a good thing as he met Shannon there. They planned their wedding in the Utah desert as it was one of there first trips as a couple. Mark and I share the same love for the canyons and I was really pleased when they asked if I would be there photographer for their wedding at Red Cliffs Lodge just outside of Moab near Castle Valley. I really love their drive for life. As an example Shannon being a cyclist went for a long ride in the desert and Mark BASE jumped off two 250 foot rock formations the morning of their wedding day. It was no surprise that they weren’t nervous about the wedding day but just very much looking forward to having a great time with all their friends and family that had come from all over to share in the celebration. This is a place I could have photographed with them for a week or more and still have tons of creative ideas but this just means that I will be very much looking forward to the next chance I have to photograph a wedding in the Utah desert.
I love me some Moab! Great job capturing a beautiful wedding in an awesome setting. I love the shot in front of the river. Very nice!
Wonderfully done. Those stars in the Black & White don’t surprise me. I wonder how many will notice their brilliance? Hard to do with such an amazing couple and your fine photography.
[...] to Peter Holcombe for putting together another Red Cliff Lodge wedding album utilizing YouTube. Ceremony by the River; Reception in the Moab [...]
[...] to Peter Holcombe for putting together another Red Cliff Lodge wedding album utilizing [...]
Here is a quick sneak peak of a few photographs from Chris & Leslie’s fall wedding in Vail. I had such an AMAZING time with them yesterday. Much more to come soon!
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Leslie says: Loving them!
Felix & JoAnn Longo says: Can’t wait to see all the photos, we know they will be wonderful!
Debi and Vaughn Dawson says: That’s our girl and our new son!! Can’t wait to see all the pics!!
Photographers are notorious for never having images of themselves. I go through phases where the thought of creating a self portrait of my own family makes me want to have a dental appointment just to get out of it. Don’t get me wrong, I love photographing my daughter and wife. But when I have to leave the safety of being behind the camera I get a whole new perspective on the portrait process. I see a very important need to put myself through this process because it lets me see how my clients feel and allows me to be more understanding of their perspective. It also lets me practice what I preach in that you can’t get the past back and that photography is forever. Capture these moments now or they will be lost forever.
These images are of the family of my good photography friend Brian Zierlein from Lightwriting Photography. We have become good friends since he took one of our Business of Photography Workshops that we taught in Denver a number of years ago. He is one of the special photographers that really sees the light and can create any light that is missing. We share a strong desire for quality lighting on location. Brian has done our family portrait for the last few years giving me the perspective I wrote about above. We have really enjoyed the images he has created for us and given us something I could have never done for myself. This fall it was time to return the favor and I set out to create a fun, natural, fall family portrait with a uniquely Boulder feel. We were on the tail end of the fall color but I had a great location that still had colorful leaves on the branches of the giant cottonwood trees. Shooting with friends is nice as it is a little more laid back, but it is also a lot of pressure to create something great as they are familiar with my work and I have to take it up a notch. I am very happy with the end result for the Zierlein Family. I am also looking forward to our next shoot where I will be in front of Brain’s Camera.
I really love shooting in the mountains in the fall. Everything seems to come together, nice weather but interesting clouds, the trees are all dressed up with warm tones and there is an urgency to create photographs. This wonderful color is a fleeting transformation to the cold dull tones of winter. I am afraid as I write this that all of the fall color and warm days even down here in Boulder are soon to retire for another year.
Chris and Leslie got the best of my fall days photographing this year. One of those days that will have me eagerly waiting for next summer to end so I can do it all over again trying to push myself to a higher level of experience for myself and my clients, creating meaningful portraits and art in the process. Working with Chris and Leslie was so natural and relaxed although it was my first time to photograph ether of them. They have that zeal for life and each other that makes my job so easy. When I can just focus on the art of capturing emotion and let my clients be natural and relaxed as it all comes together.
Next September I will photograph Chris and Leslie’s wedding. Hopefully we will have more amazing fall color. I am already excited for the opportunity to work with them again as now I have had a glimpse at what Chris, Leslie and myself are capable of creating together.
We created the image below as a 60 inch canvas. Kathy just took it to deliver it to them in Denver. I already feel like I have lost a best friend. I’ll have to create another one just for me to enjoy. I have had this vision for this image for quite a while even making similar attempts but I feel like this is the image where it really came together and happened just as I envisioned.
Leslie and Chris says: Thank you so much Peter! We had so much fun that day and we love our pictures sooooooo much!!! You did a wonderful job and made us feel at ease during the session! We cannot wait for our wedding day!
Felix & JoAnn Longo says: The photos are wonderful and the large canvas looks perfect in their home. We understand why they chose Peter to capture their love for each other and the outdoors.
Renae says: Beautiful guys! My favs are the smooching one and the one where Chris is holding Leslie in her purple shirt -hugs!!
Peter Holcombe is a Denver - Boulder, Colorado wedding, portrait and commercial photographer. Specializing in portrait photography in dramatic locations. Available globally!
Beautiful work, and lighting.