intro-post

Real Photography closed in December 2014 and is no longer accepting clients.

Thank you for your support over the years! Please follow me at my new personal blog: www.needlesandapen.com to keep up with my latest photography, craft, and nursing school adventures.

With Christmas slowly but surely sneaking up on us, we’ve been busy with lots of family portraits!  This sweet family had lots of smiles for me!

modern family portrait photographer colorado springsbest family portrait photographer colorado springsbest colorado springs portrait photographerbest child portrait photographer monument coloradobest baby photographer colorado springsbest couples photographer colorado

Posted in At the StudioBaby PhotographerChild PhotographerFamily PhotographerGrown-upsReal Art

The Lodge at Cathedral Pines in Black Forest just outside Colorado Springs is always one of our favorite wedding venues. Peter and Sarah had a special date–not only was September 10th their new anniversary, but it also both of their birthdays!  How cute is that?!

Check out their wedding cake.  It makes it into the wedding cake hall of fame–the bride and groom on top of a waterfall with their dog at the bottom!

bride getting ready photos at lodge at cathedral pines

Sarah made such a beautiful bride.

bride getting dressed at lodge at cathedral pines colorado springs

Their wedding color was forest green, so she used a forest green ribbon for the lace in her corset-backed dress.  Brilliant!

outdoor ceremony at lodge at cathedral pines colorado springs

A few times a year we get a couple where the groom is just as involved in the wedding day as the bride, and I absolutely love to see that.  It goes against the conventional thought of the wedding as the ‘bride’s day’ and it always endears the groom to me.  Peter is one of those grooms who was 100% present and involved on the wedding day.  Just before Sarah walked down the aisle, Peter bowed his head, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath–really soaking in the moment and centering himself.  If I hadn’t had my camera trained on him, waiting for his expression when they opened those doors, I would have missed it.  It was one of the most special and unique things I’ve seen in my 80+ weddings.

outside wedding ceremony lodge at cathedral pines colorado springsoutdoor wedding ceremony lodge at cathedral pines september fall colorado springs

The pines trees outside the back patio at the Lodge at Cathedral Pines make such a great backdrop for the ceremony.

wedding ceremony photos at lodge at cathedral pines colorado springscasual modern family portrait at wedding

I love catching more relaxed and affectionate moments like this after the official smiley family portrait.

bride and groom portrait lodge at cathedral pines wedding

I admit to having a heart attack for second half of the ceremony, since the sun was getting lower and lower and we were running a little behind and we had yet to take any portraits.  But it made for the most incredible portrait time.  We only had about 30 minutes, but all of our shots of have this incredible golden hour light!

modern wedding party portrait photorapher lodge at cathedral pines

Our signature wedding party shot.  Nic and I refer to it between ourselves as the ‘off to see the wizard’ pose.  (We’ve code named most of our poses.  We should invent hand signals for them, though, to be like baseball players.  That would be awesome.  Or we could assign numbers to them like football players.  I could be all like “red, 47.  blue 13, 26, 84. HIKE!”)

groomsmen portrait lodge at cathedral pines silly photo

Silly groomsmen are fun.

bride and groom at bridge at lodge at cathedral pines

Ahhh–gorgeous sunset light, big pine trees, a sweet moment between bride and groom.

bride bouquet white and green

I love the way the sunlight has hit Sarah’s hair in the top left of this shot.

groom carries bride in sunset wedding outside lodge at cathedral pines

Peter requested a few shots of him carrying Sarah.  (a la ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’)

romantic bride and groom wedding portrait at sunset

I love it when a groom looks at a bride like this.  It makes me hum love songs while I proof.  (Which is good, because usually I just mutter about being hungry.)

best sunset bride and groom wedding portrait

We used up every last inch of light before it slipped behind the mountains.  Lots and lots of fun artsy flare-ish shots.

Their wedding had so many creative details.  Here were the centerpieces–treasure chests with compasses and ‘jewels’–perfect, since Peter is in the Navy.

wedding at lodge at cathedral pines in black forest

Toast time.  The Lodge at Cathedral Pines always has such a cozy atmosphere for the reception.

wedding at lodge at cathedral pines colorado springs

End of the first dance–such a cute moment!

wedding reception photos lodge at cathedral pines colorado springs

Yep.  That’s a ‘cake up the nose’ kind of smash.

wedding at the lodge at cathedral pines

It’s been a while since we’ve had a behind-the-scenes shot!  Here I am with my buddy and tiny assistant.  She LOVED my buttons.  (And bird hair clip.  She got to wear it for a while, too.)

bride and groom dance wedding reception lodge at cathedral pines black forest

And a line dancing shot to finish off the night!

Peter and Sarah, thanks for sharing your chalk-full-of-love wedding day with us!  Your gallery will be up tonight, so you don’t have to wait long for the rest of the images!

Posted in Wedding Photographer

Seasons may change, babies may grow…but his love for her is a constant in our life.

Posted in Family PhotographerPersonal