When Charlotte and Keath first contacted me, I did a double take reading her last name. Where did I know it from? Why was it so familiar?
Then I scrolled down further and read her message. "You shot my brother and sister-in-laws wedding in 2017 (Nic and Amanda) and I loved how the photos turned out!"
Ya'll. Five years ago. First thought? Time has seriously flown. Second thought? I think I remember these two, who were already dating at the time of the wedding. Third thought? How lucky am I? It makes me want to cry, photographing legacies like this. Sometimes it's two siblings from the same family like Charlotte and Nic, or Nicole and Bridget. Sometimes it's a couple who I've seen for engagement photos, wedding photos, anniversary photos, pregnancy announcements, and family portraits (hi, Ashley + Ryan!). The continuity is so wonderful. I have the privilege of watching their growth as a couple as they watch my professional growth as a photographer.
Charlotte and Keath met me at Chautauqua Park on an overcast January day for their engagement photo shoot. After tossing back shots of fireball to stave off the chill of winter, we walked onto the icy trail with their Rhodesian ridgeback Zin. We started early, a few hours before sunset, because at Chautauqua the sun disappears behind the mountains well before 'sunset' actually happens. In this case we met at 3:30pm when sunset wasn't until 5:15pm in Boulder according to Google. By 4:15pm, the sun had disappeared behind the mountains and we wrapped the first part of the shoot.
Our second location was truly unexpected - it's nothing more than a roadside pullout on highway 93. You've probably driven by it dozens of times if you live in Boulder. For us, we wanted epic views without too much of a hike and with a short amount of time to get it done. Hence, this secret spot! As we arrived the sun came out and was still well above mountains, as you can see from their photos. Chasing sunlight is a big part of photography, and we totally lucked out with the warmth and golden glow of the sun at location #2.
This August at the Lyons Farmette I will get to photograph Charlotte, Keath, and their dog Zin walking down the aisle... as well as Nic and Amanda's beautiful baby flower girl! I cannot wait to reconnect with a wedding couple of mine, and capture all of the memorable moments for Charlotte and Keath. Life is pretty sweet. :)
