we let dash pick out his halloween costume this year.

the candidates: santa dog, pimp dog, rastafarian dog.



the winner :)


he didn’t want his picture taken :(


dash didn’t want to give it back.

i just found out our wasa floor hockey team (don’t laugh) made it to the playoffs along with all of the other teams (again, don’t laugh). our tuesday night co-ed rec league games have been fun way to meet others. as a kid in second grade, i loved going to the local ymca and playing floor hockey. two dozen years later, not much as changed. violence is minimized to the occasional scuffed chin and there are more laughs than tears. the award for winning? bragging rights with the other team over beer and burgers.

our team name? the one, the only: “one drink minimum.”

wish us luck in post-season.

the big day - 10.18.08
wedding - littleton united methodist church
reception - the riverfront

well-decorated uniforms have drawn admiration from me. as a kid seeing my father leave for work each morning in his military uniform, i knew his day had not only a purpose, but a mission. and i loved it when he was picked me up after school, all the kids would ask “wow, that’s your dad?” gleaming from ear to ear i’d say, “yup, he’s in the navy!” as a young boy when i looked at my parent’s wedding pictures, i saw one ribbon on my father’s uniform. as the years progressed, i noticed more stripes and ribbons on his uniform and was sure to point it out to him.

i wish to shawn & katie that hopefully one day they will experience their own story of a little one recognizing the addition of new stripes and ribbons :)

katie did a wonderful job with coordination of all the details super far in advance, making the day go super smooth and low stress. in fact, when i met her over a year ago, she had assembled all of the final wedding details into a tidy binder. and that was over a year in advance!

a perfect colorado fall day to get married.


the First Look took place at a nearby park with yellow aspens in the background, which juxtaposed nicely against shawn’s army mess dress (military lingo for the uniform worn at formal occasions).


shawn got in a fender bender en route to the wedding ceremony. he arrived safe and sound, so the bumper made for a memorable background for the bouquet. the camouflage background was a donation gift box for overseas troops displayed in the church.


ranks, ribbons & medals speak of the duty, sacrafice, and service to one’s country. ensuring that he met army uniform regulations, shawn made precise measurements in the placement of his “jump wings” or parachute badge (photograph by kevin von qualen).


the First Look:


a soldier in the woods finds his bride for the first time on their wedding day (photo by kevin):


kevin layed on shutter to capture the sequence of shawn “marching” towards her during their First Look. like a soldier after completing a mission, he gave her a solid kiss right on the lips!


shawn loved admiring his bride in her wedding dress:


a favorite shot with timeless appeal:



beautiful light for a beautiful bride:


when it comes to the size of the wedding party, what counts is quality, not quantity. and we love the simplicity of small wedding parties!


a more vogue look:


katie hugging her brother moments before he walked her down the aisle:


displaying the new bling:


the happy couple:


shawn planned a surprise honeymoon location wouldn’t tell katie until later in evening. he enjoyed teasing her about his plans of traveling to guam, idaho, and locations of that sort. fun-booth props made it out on the dance floor, including this jamaican hat with dreadlocks worn by shawn’s best man and brother, tyler (excitement captured by kevin).


and the suprise honeymoon destination?.... drumroll, please: jamaica!

after the reception, katie & shawn allowed us to explore more creative ideas with lightpainting.


our rock-shot inspired by crayons, the paper tablecloth at the kids’s table, some bling, and an important date.


check out the reception fun-booth. sign the guestbook & view more images HERE. view their slideshow HERE.

a distant cousin of dash, mr. wile e. coyote’s tracks were a pleasant surprise at sunrise this morning in denali national park. i was a bit bummed i didn’t see one...



... until about 20 minutes down the road, off in the distant, RUNNING towards me (no photoshop re-toucing, actions, or textures were used on this image.. simply shot through a dirty windshield directly into the sun :)


i watched him carefully, as did he, as he came closer.


after giving him a dog biscuit and a scratch around the ears, we both went our separate ways.

(just kidding, people!)

i lucked out with super clear weather, so i took a short hike from the lower troublesome creek trailhead and spotted these cool hibernating plants:


at 20,320 feet, mount mckinley (denali) represents the highest peak in north america. my goal was to represent it in the context of approaching winter.


switching lenses for a close-up:

i had no idea when i woke up this morning what the day would bring... like most days, i did the normal shower, brush teeth, eat breakfast and that sort. i left the b&b around 8:30 am.... and it was still dark. i anticipated it getting light soon, so i headed out to shoot landscapes of the sunrise on the mountains, which if you are landscape photographer in alaska shooting mountains is what you’d normally do.

little did i know that one of the greatest joys of the day would come from the next photo:


being a dog-inspired wedding photographer, photographing dogs is what i do for fun. our dash is almost world-famous and has inspired more than just the name of our company (kern “dash” photo).

the morning got off to an unexpected rough start. i got stuck for about 25 minutes in 6 inches of snow in my two-wheel rental car. i macguyvered my way out using branches from small brush under the tires to give me traction. it worked. all that sweating before i had sipped much of my morning coffee. it was minus-one degree plus wind chill when i snapped this photo of my not-so-alaska worthy rental car:


as i passed over the nenana river bridge, i liked what i saw (nikon d-300 w/ 12-24mm f/4 lens @ 12mm, iso 560, f/6.7, 1/180 shutter, no tripod):


as soon as a i arrived inside the denali national park, i paid my $20 park fee, and searched for the early morning light... which was the only real directional light seen all day :(


when i learned that sled dogs have patrolled denali national park since 1921, my focus switched to the animals i love best... dogs:



because much of denali national park is wilderness, motorized vehicles are prohibited. sled dogs serve as limo engines.

like humans, sled dogs (alaskan huskies) have his/her unique personality:


here’s fin:


tonzona:




inside the kennel building hangs names of retired sled dogs.


the kennel building is the oldest at headquarters still used as originally intended (referenced from my copy of sled dogs of denali national park).


don’t you just want to take one home?


oh, there’s more:


no photoshop on those blue eyes!


all i can say is this place is amazing and i hope to return soon!

en route back through the small summer tourist area outside the park, i couldn’t help but notice all the boarded-up windows. this place must be VERY different in the peak summer season. i like my fall timeframe, thank you very much :)


back again for a relaxing evening with the fire, skillet-fried moose & rice, some port wine, and raven & mc cloud (featured left-to-right).

after driving 4 hours north of anchorage, i stopped to photograph from this colorful ex-gas station (9 degrees):



shortly after i snapped this i saw this truck passing by. palin’s support in alaska is apparent:


a color photo. seriously.


staying this weekend at the denali dome home b & b along with two scotties worthy of an iditarod team (along with perhaps 98 others :)

introducing raven:


and mc cloud:


tomorrow, i hope to watch sunrise in denali national park.

the big day - 10.11.08
wedding - saint elizabeth of hungary catholic church
reception - four mile historic park

jess & josh had a super fab engagement session and we’ve been looking forward to their wedding for many moons.



this was the first time we’ve every walked into the room and the bride had already had the dress hanging, flowers ready, and shoes ready to go just for us!!!


a sweet dress shot by rachel olsen. i dig the warm / cool color juxtaposition along the curves of the dress and the lines of the mirror and walls:


nicole did a fab job of catching quick glimpses of expression from the girls:


FACT: mixing serious business with sports pleasure can still be done during guy wedding prep. PROOF:


taking a mini-crash course on handkerchief folding:


the guys:


walking through the 16th street mall:


a favorite candid of josh leading his groomsmen to the First Look site:


the First Look:



i totally love this shot caught by my honey bunny, nicole:


a colorful shot during their catholic reception (among our favorites style of weddings :)



the first smooch:



candid action captured by rachel:


and another shot by nicole:


the grand dip and kiss from two perspectives:


rachel olsen caught me & my protege in action:


sign the guestbook & view more images by clicking HERE. view slideshow HERE.

mouse --> mice.

goose --> geese.

moose --> meece?

it dawned on me this evening while exploring kinkaid park in anchorage, if i merged a caricature of dash and a steer, i might end up with a meese caricature :)

i wouldn’t want to cross the path of one of these humble, strong creatures in a bad mood. so i kept my distance using the power of the nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 (really an effective focal length of a 300mm f/2.8 on my duezy nikon d-300 thanks for the dx crop factor :) to shoot the images below.



hmmm... sticks taste good.


leaves taste just as good.


while he was finished with his branch snack, he got his antlers caught and snapped a branch off.


but he was able to pull it off and walk away no problem. my moose buddy has some major talent.

a no holds-barred fun-booth featuring stellar performances from saturday’s wedding.

a few good men:


it happens:


there was a minor invasion of weird stuffed creatures (dash not-so-graciously lent to them us... thanks little man!).


dusted off my old cub scout and webelos neckerchiefs... (factoid: nicole worked at a boy scout camp for 5 summers... i made it through 3.)


i had to share some air force spirit with all the army folks around (my bro, sean, graduated from the air force academy, his bride, west point, and my father is a retired navy o-6 captain... yes, we have family feuds).


the pimp hat received much love, as did the jamaican-mon hat (katie & shawn are honeymooning on shawn’s surprise jamaica trip right now!)


i made kevin von qualen cross-eyed from all the shooting.


the golden anniversary VIPs of the evening:


married 53 years.


my favorite candid moment of the cute couple.


back to regular programming:


these boys had bet to see who would get married first. shawn won. the next groom-to-be proudly displays the goods caught mid-air seconds before:


yes, we do family Christmas card portraits in the fun-booth.


whispering...


sweet dirty thoughts before departure:


sign the guestbook & view more images HERE.

two favorites from yesterday’s wedding fun of super loveliness.




katie & shawn: have a blast in idaho, guam, err... JAMAICA! stay tuned for the fun-booth faves

super kudos to kevin von qualen for his sharing his fun spirit, patience, and creative courage!

even though we are primarily wedding photographers, i have never turned down a family for portraits. kids are 100% addictive to be around :)

i know one day there will be little footsteps following behind me, and i know i can never have enough practice to capture those perfect moments.

without further adieu, introducing 1 y.o. masyn, 2.5 m.o. tripp, and 4 y.o. payten:



mom & dad’s turn :)


we braved the cold, a sick child, roller-coaster emotions... and still got a shot of the whole fun family:


jennifer & jerry, thank you again for allowing me to spend time with your beautiful family this week!  i had a wonderful time and totally admire your patience and love you share with your children!

after a week of digesting what was absorbed from image x ’08 workshop, i admit i need another two weeks to continue to digest.

in the french quarter of new orleans, i spent an entire workshop day with john michael cooper and a second day with jessica claire. considered among the best in the wedding photography industry, john and jessica are polar opposites in shooting style and theory. but they have one thing in common: they know how to inspire.

my brain was a sponge of new information for 72 hours, thanks in part to 25 pages of notes, hundreds of photographs, and hours of recorded videos. i savored every bit of the two point five day experience. witnessing first-hand how the industry’s best shoot, do business, and are inspired... i walked away with a confident notion of what i like to shoot, and, more importantly, why.

i also found inspiration of the limitless possibilities afforded by the camera and the creative messages that can be created and the fun in creating images. i relished every opportunity to meet new photographers, which continued the learning into the wee hours of the morning and even the plane ride home (thanks, jeff).

john encouraged us to try something different.... kristen did a wonderful job modeling without superstition.


john gave us an assignment to go out of our comfort zone. he ripped out a page in a magazine and gave it to each student. our project: use the image for inspiration in our own unique style. featured left: a scan of the paper he gave me (it lived in my pocket for a few days), right: the inspiration in the final shot.


brides with mustaches was 100% john’s idea. why? because “know one else will have mustaches today.” be different, says john.


same goes for the obama and mccain masks:


a typical bridal shot:


and a not-so-typical idea of the ‘queen of hearts,’ as modeled by kristen:


four-second exposure with light-painting via video light:


day 2: jessica claire (in foreground) with models, allison & ricky:


this is really 100% a jessica claire set-up shot... but she does a awesome job of helping clients boost confidence in front of the camera. allison & ricky met minutes before this shot was taken!


there’s nothing wrong with chimping, says one of the world’s top 10 wedding photographers:


split in groups of 10, we each had individual mini-assignments. for the next three shots of jen & ken, we were told to shoot in our “eclectic signature style”:


a bit of wide-angle drama with my favorite nikon 12-24 f/4 lens:


LOTS of photographers shooting the same couple can be challenging when attempting to create a new idea/pose/composition:


so i opted for a shift in angle and i ran upstairs to a balcony. i directed the talent to stand on top of the man-hole cover. i liked the simple yellow line and texture of the pavement.


models jamie & rick, with focus on bokeh and simple details:



offering context to a place can serve as a creative ingredient for backgrounds. however, placelessness images can be just as fun, too!


at the end of the shoot, while walking back to the hotel, i engaged in a conversation with jamie. she was interested in trying out an idea inspired by john michael cooper (father of the trash the dress phenomenon) inspired by that shot we all know by henri cartier-bresson (father of the modern photojournalism) of a man jumping over a puddle (“behind the gare saint-lazare”). here’s my set-up:


even in 1932, photographs of puddle jumpers were cliche. in 2008, this was no decision moment... just a lucky, fun, moment.


a portrait of jesh de rox:


jesh’s words will stay with me for a long time. we spoke about the joy & elation of achieving a difficult goal and the process of intentionally creating the exact same feeling of elation to other aspects of life. my next workshop will be with spent him.

on the last night, we marched through the streets in a big easy tradition with a second line brass band parade:


joe photo has as much energy & enthusiasm as a classroom of second-graders and he’s been shooting weddings for over a decade! talk about avoiding burn-out... on a night off, he still parties with a camera in hand!


dixie trannie shot at 3:30am, iso 6400, f/ 1.4. hmmm... creative portrait?


the inaugural photographer hand-wrestling competition took place bourbon street. the rules are simple. winner takes all. who cares about winning... it is all about the fun!

joe photo: 1. kern-photo: 0. and to think he’s got a decade up on me. now that’s inspiration! seriously, people, whatever happened to the testoserone-driven sport of arm wrestling? round II: wppi 2008?

part of the wonderful experience included meeting some awesome people like photographer jan garcia, our cabbie extraordinaire, photographer jeffrey neal.

a few hours ago, a few local denver photographers assembled for this month’s coffee-shop class to explore a bit more about lighting with video lights then creating the resulting photoshop composite. the idea was learning how to do more with less, using a pair of simple $30 video lights. each subject was lit with two lights, each held by a human.

a few things we learned:

- when using video lights, maintain equal distance to subject, otherwise the lighting ratios change. hence, thus, and furthermore, if you are shooting on a series of images in manual mode, subject exposure will vary. note to self.

- pre-visualization is helpful to avoid overlapping subjects that could create more post-processing work (note the left shoulder of kevin featured on the far left... see how it overlapped = more post-production in the end. the goal is to keep it simple and capture as much in camera as possible. in the below shot, kevin was a human bowling pin.... as we set up the shot, it placed small pieces of paper so he knew where to stand (note three white dots near his feet)

- pre-visualize with intent. don’t forget to ask yourself WHY. the possibilities are limitless.

- shoot with a consistent ambient background light. the slightest change will make post-production a pain (see the second image below).

- don’t forget to shoot the background as intended. otherwise, you will be left with fewer options for background layer manipulation.

- a tripod makes the photoshop compositing a breeze.

- a single flashlight does not work as well as two small video lights. the added diffusion and fill from a second light sources helps to remove harsh shadows.

the basic idea is that this is actually SIX photos (5 of kevin and one of the background), then each was pasted as a new layer and then a layer mask was applied on just the area of interest (i.e. the subject in each pose). the resulting layers were merged into one.

kevin von qualen’s band shot:


folks who do not know kevin... he really doesn’t have a band, but if he was able to clone himself four times over, the above shot is what *they* could look like :)

the coffee-shop class photo, featuring trish eberlin, kevin von qualen, vanessa kruse, and moi (leff to right):


one thing we learned from this shot was that the ambient light was changing very quickly, so when we took each of the composite shots, the background changed every so slightly to render the odd-fake look in the sky. if i spent a few more minutes in photoshop, i could have cleaned it up... but then you wouldn’t see what i’m talking about.

“lighting within the frame” opens up a whole new case of flash flavor to photography.

you will not wan to miss this next coffee-shop class! we'll go over the techniques as taught by john michael cooper at the image-x ’08 workshop a few days ago. after spending a day picking his brain, learning some new lighting techniques, i am excited to share them with you.... alt-f has given me the two thumbs permission to teach this special class!

part 1: we'll cover the basics of using a continuous light sources, such as a video light, modeling lights, or even a simple flash light, to light the subject with ease in ANY conditions with minimal equipment. folks, this is the strobist philosophy we totally subscribe to! we’ll start with something simple as i explain the technique employed to create my image of the “queen of hearts” here:


then, we’ll take one step further with a simple technique of light painting (as scene down below) and talk about creative options to lighting different people at different times and paint them into a single composite. my snap shot below was taken aside john while explaining his technique of lightpainting. this is really HIS idea for the shot, but i using it to explain what we’ll be doing.


part 2: we'll explore the post-processing in photoshop to merge the series of photographs into one stellar image in less than 10 minutes. we’ll go over briefly some CS3 creative tools the boutwell's totally rad actions that are paramount to our post-processing “look.”

who: those wanting to step outside the box and light within

when: wednesday, october 15, 2008 from 5:30 - 7:00 pm

where: Ink! Coffee, 1590 little raven street in denver, 80202. for those who like to get lost explore, here's the map.

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

cost: *free,* as always.

what to bring: (optional) camera, tripod, video light, flash light/tissue paper, or small softbox with strobe with a modeling light.

RSVP: in the comments section of the blog below. class size limited to 10 due to the size of the coffee shop & technical nature of the material.

homework: have a look at some of john’s visionary work from new orleans to get an idea of some of the techniques we'll be employing.
____

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.

introducing 2 y.o. frankie...


2 y.o. jack...


and 4 y.o. pyper...


the gang playing:


just before the shoot, i asked them about if they were to have just one image of their family... what would be. the answer: get the ENTIRE family smiling at the camera. wow. not an easy feat, but i was our super challenge to make it happen: and it did!


and our signature fresh. modern. fun. take on the gang:




just before packing up the car, we spotted a black cat on the fence...


...so they made a trip to the field...


which turned out to be a perfect field trip to watch the cat play.

a fall getaway has taken over our free time as of late (thank goodness). here are a few favorites from crested butte, taken earlier this week at sunrise.


dash spots the first peek of dawn:


sunrise in crested butte, colorado with the aspens on fire!


dash spots a female red fox...


no, really, a female red fox.


a self-portrait in vail a few days prior.:


on a side note, we’ve been working on the kern-photo blog v 2.0... about to go live any week now.