taking some time away from the computer from editing two awesome weddings from friday & saturday, dashalicous and i headed to the local high school football field for kicks. i forgot his toy, so we played the imaginary toss game that goes something like this:

rj: 'dash, sit. stay. good boy' (holding up an invisible toy :)
dash: shweet! ok
rj: gives the release command, "OK!" (and makes a fake toss gesture)
dash: is off running and running and running... 'perhaps thinking, " oh, boy, oh boy, oh, boy..... uhhhhh, waitaminute.'
rj: 'dash come! (dash, stops, turns, and runs back :)... good boy!!!'
dash: 'oh, ok.... perhaps this time i'll get a treat....'

and the story goes and goes for about 20 minutes until panting begins.

meanwhile, there's some mysterious radiopopper flash action while field testing take place (consistency is best at about 40 yards or less :(

here are a few favs from our mini-shoot:

here are a few more favorite shots from a road trip back in april, i just got these back from the lab. if you haven't done so already, you check out holga series of southwestern colorado landscapes round 1 if you'd like to see more.

a roadside pit stop near the top of red mountain pass, colorado, shot with a holga:


canyon of the ancients national monument are well preserved by tax payer's dollars:


wildfires in 1996, 2000, and 2002 burned much of the park. for the first 20 or so miles of driving in, the not-so-green-table looked very much like this, as shot from the fire lookout at park point overlook:


the spruce tree house, among the best-preserved cliff dwelling at mesa verde:


to avoid harsh shadows, i chose to shoot the largest cliff dwelling, cliff palace, at dusk using a tripod and my 70-200 f/2.8 lens zoomed to 200mm for 1/4 sec, f/11, iso 200. sorry, my holga just didn't have the low-light capability that the nikon d300 has. it boggles my mind to think ansel adams pulled some great stuff back in 1941 that still rival what a 100 megapixel camera could shoot today. if you scanned in one of his large format negatives at 300dpi, you'd get the about equivalent of about 100MP image. it just goes to show you megapixels don't matter.


and a 4 second exposure after sunset (f/6.7 and iso 800) was needed for this panoramic perspective using the nikon 12-24 f/4lens. it was super peaceful, quiet, and had the place all to myself for the better half of two hours. now, that is a luxury!


the balcony house, built some 1,400 years ago and 'found' in 1884, is an intriguing place to explore. my imagination had fun thinking about what it was like to live a thousand years ago, without the internet, global commerce, and reality-tv. while i was walking around, the rangers were so patiently answering visitor's questions. i overheard one of the small kids ask the rangers, "why did they built their houses so far from the road" :)

i probably would have asked the same question if i was 5 years old!


while many the the areas have been excavated and restored, there are many reminders of the ancestral puebloans of mesa verde like rock drawings, pottery shards. i enjoyed seeing the tiny foot holds cut into the rock and spaced apart like a grade 5.7 or so at the rock climbing gym! and to think kids ran up and down this rocks all day long carrying water, food, and toys!

ah... the excitement of getting back film :)

it seems those days are long gone for mainstream professional portrait & wedding photographers. however, the giddy landscape photographer hobbist in me still loves to shoot medium format film. perhaps it is a step back to simpler shooting, the greater dynamic range, the "happy light leak mistakes," or just the thrill of not-so-instant gratification of seeing photograph captured months ago.

for a few extra bucks, pictage scans in the images at a decent resolution and allows me to quickly download them directly from their servers via ftp. sure, the whole process of buying film, mailing it in, paying for the cost of developing may cost a bit more than shooting digital. but i will say that the entire process of shooting film medium format film on a low tech camera forces me to think different. creatively different.

talk to experienced film photojournalists: they shoot very differently at the beginning of a roll of 36 than they do at the end of the roll.... especially when they haven't captured a 'worthwhile' moment.

similarly, when shooting with a roll of 12, i find myself thinking long and hard before pressing the shutter. the funny thing i'm discovering, is the "keepers worth printing" are almost at a 90% rate.... waaaaaay higher than the percentage from shooting digital. for personal work, i actually print maybe 2% of what i shot digital. gulp.

chromatic aberations, light leaks, double exposures, and soft vignetting: these are among the hallmarks of the $30 plastic holga. here are a few from my latest 3 rolls of fujifilm fujicolor pro 400h (120mm). you have the option to get 16 images in a 5x6 format, or 12 square images larger in size (my preference).

shot months ago, but posted for the first time below, here's the black canyon of the gunnison national park in colorado, as seen through my holga:



a shooting range just outside the park entrance... gotta love the dynamic range straight out of the camera:


view of montrose from a short hike in black canyon of the gunnison national park


palm trees in avalon, california


love the grain in this photo of nicole, taken after enjoying a bottle of riesling and chocolate cake on a hot day in avalon, catalina island:


nicole gets a "free hug" at balboa park in san diego, california. behind me, the museum of photographic arts, showcases some awesome photographic art and has a killer artsy bookstore and cool photobooth inside. it is a must see if you are in the area!


an extra cool 'happy mistake' resulting from an accidental sideways double exposure:


stay tuned in a few days for a series of landcapes of mesa verde national park, among other colorado locales also shot with the holga-nator.

dogs elicit a sense of humor only humans can appreciate. here's dash, asleep and dreaming of who knows what:

i just don't get how this can be even a remotely comfy nap position. go figure. (taken with iPhone camera)

best friends for more than 8 years, lisa & jason celebrated their big day at the denver botanic gardens on saturday, june 21, 2008. while it was super hot, we relished the breeze and the beautiful surroundings of the gardens. while the botanic gardens remains a popular oasis from the hectic urban surroundings (and is very popular place to get married), it is still easy to get away from it all and find a place for reflection & solitude surrounded by lush vegetation, which is exactly what we did and loved it :) to view more images from their wedding, check out their slideshow by clicking HERE and sign their pictage guestbook to see more HERE.

timeless beauty... this picture could have been taken 60 years ago :)

the one-shoe shot for variety & spice:

shaking it up for the anti-bouquet shot:


moments before the ceremony:


jason's first look:




a single nikon sb-800 triggered wirelessly provided some impact for this shot:


all the girls:


lisa's tear captured at the right moment at maggiano's little italy in denver.


party on!

nick's steady persistence finally paid off when carrie said "yes," 'cause for the longest time, she didn't know what to do with him :)

august 23, 2008 will be a duezy of a day for carrie & nick when they take over her parents' backyard, "father of the bride" style.

they warmed up to the camera super quick on their engagement session in boulder this week. we all had a giddy ol' time in search of texture, color, and romantic spots. one special thing i enjoyed about this particular shoot was all the wonderful, colorful places in boulder we found with little effort that made for great backdrops. it's kinda like we take for granted so much of our surroundings, but then when hunting for something to boost the creative energies, quite often we have what we need around us (if we open our eyes and hearts to see it :)

to view more favorite images, click HERE to see a slideshow and sign-up to view more images on pictage HERE.


they hammed it up in front of this cool wall:

we found a field chock full of the world's biggest dandelions and had a mini-contest to see if they could blow them off... it is waaay harder than you'd think.

chasing the light up chautauqua trail in boulder proved to be an exhilarating way to connect and enjoy the scenery:

the right spot for a denim ad:

and a fun moment being kids again:

of course, some pg-13 time was needed:

and a gentle moment to say goodnight, the last shot of the evening:

jayme otto's stellar writing and saavy marketing has made her an up and coming freelance writer in boulder, colorado specializing in cycling, nutrition, travel, and wellness. her most recent work has been published in velonews and rocky mountain sports. in her free time, jayme serves as a captain for a local cycling team and races frequently. talk about growth! i vividly remember her first few wobbly rides with clipless pedals. ah, but we won't tell those stories :)

she's a wonderful friend and i'm excited to see her grow creatively. she studied english in college years ago, and is just now starting to put the writing energies on the front-burner.

her husband, ryan, has the model look enough to walk the catwalk. this time, however, it was jayme's turn in front of the camera. here are a few portraits for her first pulitzer prize winning book just waiting to be written.

she's sassy:

smart:

and sincere:

thank you for your friendship over the years. we wish all the very best in your creative pursuits :)

friday the 13th of june was lucky day for megan & jeff. warding off all superstition, they embraced their day carefree of black cats stepping on a crack under a ladder. i've never been superstitious, as my alma mater, colgate university, was founded by 13 men with 13 prayers, 13 dollars & 13 articles.

i consider the number 13 a good omen i wish to pass along to them. congrats x 13 !!

having dated through high school and danced at more than just a few proms together, megan & jeff now join the '2% club,' exclusive to those who dated through high school/college then tie the knot together :)

both are talented musicians at csu. but on friday, jeff put down his trumpet and megan put down her trombone and marching shoes at the stonebrook manor and let friends & family enjoy their wedding music.

view their slideshow HERE and sign their pictage guestbook to see more HERE.



dapper details:




three sisters, dolling each other up:


jeff grinned from ear to ear almost the entire day. he seemed to embrace every moment, including his groomal portrait :)


the stonebook manor wasn't enough for guys being just guys, so we headed across the street to grab this shot:

ah, but rewind to watch the process and make sure you see the full effect on the slideshow here:

the guys enjoyed the 'mini-bonding teamwork game.' thanks again, guys, for your trust :)

megan radiated with timeless beauty with some creative processing:


megan's father diffuses tension with his soft humor:


moments before the ceremony ( i love the juxtaposition between the organic foreground/background vs. the parallel lines created by the sidewalk and her blowing veil):


the wind made it a tad difficult to light the unity candle, but jeff was packing a bic lighter, which did the job right :)


jeff's mom was so sweet the entire day. at the end of the evening, she gave me a huge hug which made me all warm and fuzzy inside.

during the lighting of the unity candle, jeff's uncle sang & played an original song on his guitar:

so crisp and excited, introducing the newly minted mr. & mrs:


christina did a wonderful job second-shooting. she brought out the big guns for formals... a 7 foot octabank supplied with a 1.21 gigawatt plutonium-powered nuclear elinchrome setup which was a blast to shoot with. she created some stunning images including these next four shots:


flare in focus with a soft subjects in the background: a kern-photo treat :)


a new favorite-most action out of the brand-spakin' new totally rad actions 2 toolkit, ("grandma's tap shoes @ 50% with some "snap" and "yin/yang"):


a beautiful moment in a summer colorado sunset:


letting go of it all:


the whole bridal gang in our 'fresh. modern. fun' style:


and a quick shot of the girls:


tossin' fun:


a favorite shot with taken with an ultra-wide view of some yummy lingering rays:

... well, not really.

however, lens flare can be one of those 'happy misteaks' that can add drama and impact to your photography. while getting good images with natural sun flare isn't rocket science, did you know you can still get a similar effect after sunset or even indoors (like a wedding reception)? seriously.

in the next coffee-shop class, we'll discuss some good/bad ways of dealing with lens flare including: how get it the natural way and then how to create your own flare using a single off-camera flash (sans photoshop, of course :)

does removing your hood or filter increase or reduce your chances of getting flare? the answer may not be what you'd expect! we'll talk about the theory before putting it to practice using various lighting scenarios.

who: those wanting to learn more and play with lens flare created by both natural and artificial light sources

when: wednesday, june 25, 2008 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm (we'll do about 45 minutes inside, and the rest outside shooting and experimenting). plan on staying as long as you can to shoot in the "magic hour of light."

where: paris on the platte, 1553 platte street #102, denver, CO 80202, MAP. the coffee shop serves a variety of food & drinks and is located one block east of the denver rei downtown and walking distance from the 16th mall and rtd lightrail. on-street parking available, so bring quarters. we'll continue to explore the neighborhood after sunset.

why: to teach and learn and have fun, plus an opportunity to network with other denver photographers

cost: *free*

what to bring: camera and an assortment of lenses and a single off-camera flash/strobe

RSVP: in the comments section of the blog below. class size limited to 10.

homework: bring some samples of your own work using flare to share with the group (either digital or prints).
____

to learn more about the kern-photo 'coffee-shop class,' click HERE.
if you are lost, call r. j. kern of kern-photo at 303.474.0983.

now that both of billy's sister's are hitched, we didn't want him to feel lonely, so we shot him with his wonderful girlfriend, jessica.

after marathon backyard games of ladder ball, (similar to horseshoes, this game originated in an american campground), we made a dash to a nearby grazing pasture in south dakota for a fun mini-portrait session.

jessica & billy are good friends surrounded by the contagious bliss called love.





billy is a 100% pure goofball.


south dakotan bugs are hungry. very hungry. billy laughed it off.

a destination wedding in brookings, south dakota created a lifetime of memories for liz & ryan on 06.07.08. after two years of planning, seeing it all come together was super fab.

liz had an understated *moment* when ryan broke the news that all her wedding invitations incorrectly announced their day as, "saturday, the sixth of june two thousand and eight." we're all human :)

i gave liz the advice my mother gave me during our wedding planning process: "you are planning for a marriage, not just a wedding." so true.

family, bridal party, photographers, and guests still showed up and witnessed a beautiful exchange of vows, then partook in some crazy celebrations that lasted well past midnight.

the only downside to such a fun night: nicole broke her first bone, a broken middle toe resulting from a run-in with a chair :(

view slideshow HERE and sign their guestbook on pictage to view the rest by clicking HERE.



exquisite details:



nervous moments before the First Look:


the First Look:


glad to see i'm not the only one who gets a bubble up the nose :)


napa auto parts provided the wonderful backdrop... highlights direct from overhead sun.


some relaxed kern-photo portraits (spot nicole, the bridesmaid seated):

yes, it is always fun to shoot photograph your wife at a wedding :)

cute:


a heart-felt toast:


dancing queen:


penny-the-viszla turned three-years-old on the wedding day and had a cake with her name on it, so it was fitting to have a viszla inspired rock-shot:

we're in brookings, south dakota this weekend for liz & ryan's destination wedding. they have two four-legged children vizslas, penny & maggie, which happen to be dash's distant cousins. and here are a few snaps from this morning:

while danielle relishes the first few days of summer away from the the kids as a school teacher, chris is a kid-at-heart who loves to get his hands dirty during at work (his landscaping biz) and at play (skating, snowboarding, climbing, fishing, you name it). we all had a blasteroni of a time during last night's engagement shoot right here in good ol' lakewood.

first off, chris, like most guys, was not super stoked to get his pretty picture taken. and to be honest, i am no different. i'd even pay good money to see him to hug-a-tree, senior-portrait style, and watch his reaction (just kidding:)

however, once we busted out the toys, his nervousness from "this whole picture session thing" wore off right away. and chris whipped up some really good location ideas on his own to make their photos uniquely "them." we're talkin' two different huge tractors, horses in a meadow, downhill skateboarding, and more cool stuff.

they both are dog lovers, and around the time they booked us last october for their september 20, 2008 wedding, chris' best dog buddy, domino, went up to doggie heaven after many faithful years at his side.

this kern-photo blog entry & photo session is dedicated in special memory of a man's best friend, domino. the furry guy is probably looking down on us, drooling with a tennis ball in his mouth :)



chris brought his sweet arbor longboard and let it all hang out:


skating aside, chris is also a horsewisperer. he called this quarter-horse from across a huge grazing field and the horse walked over almost immediately :)




danielle loved this iron gate...



chris shot out of this ditch imaginary canon and landed one piece :)


our very last shot of the evening, we lightpainted one of chris's favorite toys:

alisha & bryce tied the knot on may 31, 2008 in beaver creek, colorado. we felt the joy of God with them during their memorable occasion that will still be remembered 50 years to come.

'the day flew by,' they both said at the end of the night. our thoughts were the same.

in our eyes, the wedding day was flawless. we appreciate being treated like close family. thank you, thank you.

view their slideshow HERE and sign their guestbook on pictage by clicking HERE to view more.





football skills do come in handy for wedding prep (guests got a few laughs at me straddling the aisle runner as i shot this):


alisha & bryce met through their bible study leader, kevin king, who also served as the officiant of their ceremony at the beaver creek chapel.


awesome lens switch-a-roo assistance thanks to ashleigh weber. my wedding present from nicole was the ultra-wide angle nikon 12-24 f/4 used to shoot this image:



interesting to see how the color temperature of light warmed up from the above picture, taken about 2 hours prior.


aspen trees exhibit a brilliant green during the first few weeks of growth... and here they are:


the grand entrance at the pines lodge after their horse drawn carriage ride from the ceremony:


we caught sunset at the perfect time: 8:24 p.m. and not a minute to spare.


nothing is quite like the wrap-around lighting effect of a warm backlit sunset.


because of the rich, warm skies, i decided to swithc my camera settings to expose for the sky (taken 55 seconds after the image above).


fuzzy kern-photos sometimes are better than tack sharp ones:


and the party went on and on, even at 8100 ft.

denver's art district along sante fe avenue provided prime color and atmosphere for angela & brian's engagement session on sunday. after a few drinks at the new santa fe tequila company we wandered the streets talking, exploring nooks & crannies, and following the light with some kern-photo fresh. modern. fun.

view their slideshow here.



as we raced to follow the light, we found this sliver of light peaking through a building. perfecto!


love this one!


angela loves to drag brian around town.... and brian was a good sport to let her.


practicing their dance moves.

side story: angela's father admitted to never being a good dancer, but promised to take lessons before their wedding, just so he could lead her around the dance floor... super sweet.




we ended up at a local high school on the football bleachers to catch sunset and some "sunday night lights." (two off-camera strobes)


some flash flavor added some dynamic punch to the sunset and reflections on the bleachers. me likey :)

desi & ryan have been married for 5 years and still share that first date fresh-in-love. we treated them to a destination portrait session in kona, hawaii. we lucked out hitting the 'good light' once in three attempts, thanks to the notorious vog.

sunset on the kona coast of hawaii, practicing those dancing moves, with God's good light:

ps- God must have known my eyes were strong, as i pretty much went blind for a minute after the shot was taken (think about putting a 300mm telescope up to your eyes and face it directly to the sun :)

desi has beautiful brown german eyes:


golf courses make for vivid backdrops... and it doesn't get much better when the course is on the edge of the hawaii coastline.


beautiful wrap-around lighting thanks to the wonders of Mother Nature!


on the last day ran through the golf course like kids, soaking up every last bit of vacation (with permission, of course :)


here's some real action while trying on a wild idea.... this was a super happy misteak taken with a 2 megapixel camera.


... by braving the waves in high spirits (with our trustry nikon d300 12 megapixel camera)


soaking in the healing waters of champagne pond, featuring mild-heated waters from volcanic steam near the coast of kapoho bay on the big island of hawaii. for those used to bathing in hot springs, you may be used to the putrid sulfur smell. good news: there's no such smell at champagne pond!