Small Business Owner Tips Wedding Photography
Running A Business With Your Significant-Other | Husband and Wife Photographers | Destination Weddings Lifestyle Blog | Apollo Fields
I woke to the sound of a sweeping rain over Montauk Lake, spraying the French doors of our friend’s guest bedroom like the ocean smashing against a cluster of coastal rocks. White caps shifted about the marina like tiny crowns of the sea as the wind buoyed the boats with a sort of smooth violence. Emerging from beneath the clean and warm white sheets of the bed posed a difficult task as Heather and I have been traveling up and down the eastern seaboard the past few days, but such is the hustle of the life of wedding photographers.
Since this past Friday, Heather and I have spent over 20 hours in the car together. As much as I love her, anyone who’s traveled that much with their significant other can imagine the frustrations that might arise. Now imagine that your significant other is also your business partner. Those 20 hours now sound like they could be that much more tense—and they absolutely can be. Yet as tired and frustrated as I have been (and still am) I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The sounds in our car during a road trip vary from Kendrick to talk radio, from laughter to earnestness, and business to barking dogs. The mood shifts from conversation-to-conversation, state-to-state, and from day to night. Long road trips with a significant other are common litmus tests to see if the relationship is the real deal; but a long road trip for a professional and romantic partnership is an endless loop of perfecting the way you communicate. Heather and I’s flare-ups range from disagreeing on something as trivial as choosing where to eat or when to stop, and something as serious as our next big business move. But the most important thing is to keep the conversation going.
Ironically, sometimes the best way to do that is to embrace a silence. So often we are quick to fill a void in time with mindless chatter, a podcast, or background tunes and we forget that our seemingly restless minds just wants us and our senses to shut the fuck up. Silence can be a great teacher, and giving the space for the tensions of our relationships to dissipate into the air can prove to be much more productive than spewing whatever our egos or inner selves are dying to say. Sometimes in a disagreement—no one person is right—and sometimes you both are. Taking the time to share a few moments of silence together has helped us more times than I can count.
This morning was one of those mornings when you wake up after you’ve traveled so much that you forget where you are. The constant waves of rain gently splashing against the doors gave me a sense of ease amidst the chaos, reminding me that there’s always beauty to be found in any given situation. Sometimes we don’t realize how fast we’re moving until we stop for a moment to look at how far we’ve come; then after we wipe the sweat from our brow, rest a little, and take a deep breath, we can go back to bouncing up and down in the tide, moving naturally with the wind through time with a sort of smooth violence.
– Terrence
Horse Farm Engagement Session Ideas
Anet and Ian’s engagement photos | hunterdon county wedding photographers | apollo fields | New York wedding photography | farm wedding photographers | wedding writer
There’s something about looking out into a field from the wooden porch of a farm that makes you want to take a deep, full breath. Maybe it’s the way that twilight seems to color the evening sky a little longer than it does in the city. Maybe it’s the smell of dinner from the stove that sweeps through the house and makes the screen door squeak. Or maybe—it’s just the company that we find ourselves in.
Heather and I plan to create such a life on a farm together one day...but it looks like Anet and Ian are going to beat us to the punch! We can’t wait to photograph their wedding next May at The Farmhouse at the Grand Colonial in Hunterdon County, New Jersey because we love being on farms with wandering animals, freshly cut grass, and seasonal vegetables. And if it’s up to Heather, we’ll being feeding our horse, Limbo, through the kitchen window from the palms of our hands one day.
Funny enough, Heather met Anet over 10 years ago in the—you guessed it—horse world. As an equestrian novice, I’ve learned that the bond between a rider and their horse should never be underestimated; and apparently neither can the social ties between horse people. It’s one of the everybody seems to know everybody kind of communities; a blast to be a part of and an absolute mystery to the rest of us. In the years to come I hope to be integrated into the community through meeting people like Anet and Ian, who is also apparently a pretty deft hand at polo. (I, on the other hand used to think that the players hit the ball with the small end of the mallet. facepalm.)
For us, one of the most alluring aspects of the living on a farm is learning to utilize fresh produce all-year round. Whether you’re storing, preserving, pickling or crunching into a spear of asparagus fresh out of the soil, there ain’t nothing quite like biting into some really fresh, homemade food. Despite the fact that both Anet and Ian are afraid of birds, they’re also excited to start a farm and get some chickens—and we’re excited for them! (We miss our little Colorado flock!) Anet and Ian’s plan after their wedding is to begin their family farm in the hills of Ireland and we couldn’t be happier for them. As long as they share their vegetables.
Shooting weddings on farms feels like we’re part of a family or something. Like we can hear the dinner bell and remember to hide the grass stains on our knees. It’s the comfort of a shared table, the waves of chatter, and the clanking of glasses and silverware. It’s the raucous bursts of laughter. There’s so much warmth in my thoughts when I think of farm life that it makes photographing weddings on farms one of my favorite things to do. It may be because of the fresh food and long summer evenings—or maybe—it’s just the company we find ourselves in.
AS SEEN IN THE POPPED! MAGAZINE
How To Run A Wedding Photography Business
Happiness in the Workplace: The Life of a Wedding Photographer
Apollo fields | Denver wedding photographer | New York wedding photographer | Wedding photos | Engagement photos | wedding writer
Most people don’t enjoy their jobs. Whether it’s the fluorescent lighting or the no windows casino approach to work environments, the tired early morning commute or the death by a thousand cliches like “happy wife, happy life,” working in the 21st century is at best and worst a dull sort of suffering. The intermittent good days make the job not quite bad enough to quit, and the benefits of a stable job outweigh childish millennial pursuits like happiness in the workplace. Lucky for us, we don’t have that problem.
Heather called me yesterday after her 4th wedding of the weekend (!!), and I could hear her smiling through the phone. She was beaming about being in the center of a 30-minute horah (Jewish wedding dance celebration) and reflecting upon how grateful she is to have an occupation that lands her in the middle of these powerful cultural traditions. Despite having no ties to any sort of religion ourselves, more often than not, we are educated on and included into these intimate spiritual circles rather than being forced to the perimeters and relegated to the role of outsiders. Take that “multicultural day” at the office!
This wedding season, Heather has already shot weddings in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Colorado, soon to be Maine, and at the tail end of the season, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Travel is part of our jobs and we’ve learned that there is love to be photographed everywhere! In the past, we’ve photographed weddings from the Dominican Republic to Quebec City, Canada, and we’re excited to the places our jobs will bring us in the future. Our ever-changing workspace keeps our eyes fresh and the hundreds of miles of open road keep our hearts for adventure well-fed.
That being said, the life of wedding photographers can be stressful and inconsistent. We don’t have work until we book it ourselves, making security and stability in our profession an autonomous responsibility of discipline and dedication. We don’t have windows in our office either, but that’s because the sun is on our shoulders; and we can’t hear cliches because we’re too busy dancing to the live band. Sure, it can be hard to keep the energy level high as the season wanes on, but every time it begins to fade there is a tear-jerking moment to bring us right back into the fold. I would trade the dynamic difficulties of our job for the static grinding of the human will that permeates office culture a hundred times over—because at the end of our workday—we’re growing towards love rather than withering towards retirement.
Golden Hour Photography Tips
Why It Is Important To Shoot Romantics During Golden Hour
Michael & Kia's Wedding | Hudson Gardens Event Center Wedding | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
Kia and Mike had a beautiful summer wedding at Hudson Gardens in Littleton, CO. I’ve shot a few weddings at this venue and it gets a great golden hour in the back of the property as the sun begins to set. I wanted to show off their romantics because I think these pics are a great example of why it is so important to build in couple’s portraits during golden hour away from your wedding guests.
Why Do These Need To Be Private?
I feel so strongly about taking time WITHOUT any guests, family, friends, wedding party, etc during golden hour to do photos. Why? Because the rest of your whole day can be a blur of people swarming around you. Vendors prepping, planners circling around you, guests hugging you, your weird uncle who won’t stop talking to you, your bestie who can’t be denied the selfie, etc. These can all be fun parts of the day and honestly, most of the socializing is great and a reason to opt for having a bigger wedding celebration.
But it is important not to lose sight of WHY you’re getting married. You are committing your life to your partner and this is a beautiful thing! This is what it is all about and you should absolutely take some time to be alone together. As your photographer in this moment, I’d rather be able to set this moment with you guys and then throw on a long lens and let you have your privacy. Talk together. Hug. Dance. Kiss, make out, or just be. It’s all fair game and I promise to be more of a person holding space with you than an awkward third wheel.
Why Golden Hour?
Well, first of all… what the heck is this “golden hour” you speak of so much? Let’s backtrack a bit. Golden hour is that time before sunset when the sun gets closer to the horizon. The light becomes more dynamic first, then if the weather and clouds cooperate, you’ll get a “fire hour”. This is that gorgeous, warm, amazing gold light that floods through the leaves and across water. This is the stuff of photographer’s dreams. It’s my catnip.
After the sun tucks itself behind the horizon line, the light will get very soft and flattering. Everything seems to calm for a moment (yet another reason for a private moment) and it is such great light for portraits. After this, “blue hour” will begin to creep in. The temperature of the light ‘cools’ off, which means it shifts from the warmer yellows and golds towards more blues and icy tones. Blue hour is also great to shoot in, and can be a fun opportunity to push creative boundaries a bit.
As a photographer and synesthetic, I am super — super — light sensitive. It’s really easy for me to understand that light has a temperature, a shape, an energy, and a tangible quality to it. Some lights to me feel like the ocean, some feel like flannel, some feel like strawberry short cake. It’s weird and I don’t expect my couples to totally understand this, but the good news is that you don’t HAVE to understand it! That’s what I’m hired to do, let me do my light thing and you’ll get beautiful photos my friends.
Why Is The Light So Important?
All of this is to say that the TIMING of your couple’s portraits is extremely important to achieve that beautiful, epic dreamy lighting. Golden hour is rapidly changing, and the good stuff only lasts a few minutes so this is why it is important to have a photographer who really knows light. For me, it’s THE most important technical part of getting amazing shots (I think the number one most important part is making sure you and your partner feel comfortable, are having fun, and walk away with an amazing experience).
The good news is, we can take as much or as little time to do these portraits as you would like. In a perfect world, we’ll have some time set aside in the timeline of the day that works around whenever the sun is setting in your location and date of your wedding and we can go out for 20 minutes to really enjoy the landscape and you can really connect with your partner before the energy of the reception really revs up.
How Do I Build This Into My Timeline?
The easiest answer is: Let’s take a look at what your timeline is looking like and when/where the sun will be setting for your wedding. I like to work backwards here and have just a little bit of flexibility. Remember, sunset is LATE in the summer, so you might already be into your special dances and everything when golden hour happens. On the contrary, winter weddings are often dark by the ceremony. Let’s figure out together how to carve this into your day without it becoming a hassle.
So we’ll figure out when sunset is and then think about the direction of the light and the layout of the venue. Oftentimes, I’ll have one eye on shooting the wedding and my other eye on the light. When it is “just right” I’ll come and snag you guys! It’s the one time during the wedding that when I say “GO”, we really need to go! Haha, but it is without a doubt one of my favorite parts of shooting weddings and oftentimes, my favorite pictures of the whole day. (Think album covers, people) Yes, yes!!!
Colorado Wedding Photography: Heather Huie with Apollo Fields
Littleton Wedding Venue: Hudson Gardens
LGBTQ Wedding Planning in Colorado Springs
Jenny & Tara's Colorado Springs Wedding | LGBTQ Weddings | CO Wedding Photographer | Same Sex Weddings | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
Jenny and Tara are an adventurous, loving Colorado couple who are so much fun to work with! I just have a blast with this dynamic couple and their awesome kiddos and super-cute pup. They first got in front of my camera at their epic engagement session at Pikes Peak and I was so excited to shoot their wedding!
I met this cool couple after Jenny reached out when she saw her friend, Lindsey’s wedding pics. They went to nursing school together and she got in contact with me when she was looking for a wedding photographer. We immediately clicked and after a fun coffee date with the two of them, I knew we’d have a blast. My favorite part about their relationship is how Tara is straightforward and witty and Jenny is upbeat and warm, it’s a great combination! When we first met up, I remember saying to them, “So tell me a little about your relationship!” And Tara squarely replied, “How do we book you?” Haha! It was great.
Their wedding was a perfect combination of their personalities— lots of fun, goofing around, being silly, but also some serious heartfelt moments and a few tears. I love this about weddings, we can have fun and still honor the gravity of what it means to commit your life to your partner. Good stuff :)
La Floret is a great venue with SO MUCH GOOD LIGHT! The dramatic trees make such a great forest setting and it really does feel like a retreat. There is some cool architecture including an old Santa Fe styled chapel that is almost hidden in the back of the property. It was a total dream to photograph in because it was a great chance to get some quality private moments with Jenny and Tara without all of the hussle of cocktail hour. They were even down to do a little off roading through this valley in the back when the sun was beginning to set.
I’m so stoked about this wedding and this awesome couple! I love how much fun they had celebrating their relationship and balancing having their kids being a part of the day. One of my favorite parts was when their daughter began to tear up in the ceremony, it was such a heartfelt moment as she watched the union of her mothers become official. Gosh, I could tear up now thinking about it! Anyway, big hugs to this epic couple and thanks for having us there to capture your love.
As seen in Love Inc Magazine
Colorado Wedding Photography: Heather Huie for Apollo Fields
CO Springs Wedding Venue: La Floret Conference & Retreat
Food Truck: Rocky Mountain BBQ and Catering
Danish Wedding Tradition Ideas
Don & Aliyah | Danish Wedding Traditions | Denver, Colorado Wedding Photographer | Wedgewood Brittany Hill | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers
Don and Aliyah have such a great vibe with one another and their wedding day was such a perfect representation of them! I met Don a few years ago at School House in Arvada and when they got engaged, we immediately began chatting about doing engagement and wedding photos. I’m so glad that I got to work with these guys because we just had the best time shooting their wedding.
It was our last wedding before hitting the road (the next day!) for the east coast and our own wedding so we were both giddy with excitement already! We arrived at Wedgwood Brittany Hill and the guys and gals were already halfway ready for the big day. The energy was so good that I immediately fell into my routine. Don and Aliyah wanted to do a first look (which I love) so we had picked out a great outdoor spot where they would be out of sight of arriving guests. Their first look was so sweet that I rolled with their energy and got lots of great shots out back.
They decided to do the ceremony on the patio out back which boasts great views of both the rocky mountains as well as the Denver city skylines. It’s the best of both worlds! One fun thing that they did in their ceremony was the officiant told them to turn their backs together as a representation of the last time that they would turn their backs on one another. It was such a sentimental ceremony against the setting sun. I knew we wouldn’t have too much more sunlight left so we immediately jumped into cocktail hour and when golden hour hit, I brought them back out behind the venue to do some awesome romantics.
I just loved the energy that they brought to the whole day! They both have Danish backgrounds and it was really fun to see how their traditions were incorporated into their wedding reception. They had a little song/poem that Don’s mother did with a fun little paper mâché home and everyone sang it out together and clapped and laughed! Another fun tradition that they have is when they clink their glass, not only does the couple have to kiss, they have to stand on top of their chairs to do it! If the guests stop their feet, the bride and groom have to climb underneath the table to kiss. Such a fun and quirky tradition!
Another great Danish tradition is during the dancing, the groomsmen surprise-attack the groom, rip his shoe off and cut the tip off of his sock! I was happy that someone tipped me off on this one because I would have had NO idea otherwise what was going on. It is a fun old tradition that represents how now the groom can’t run away anymore ;)
The whole day was full of sentimental touches and fun traditions! I loved being a part of this day and just think the world of this great couple.
Photography: Apollo Fields
Wedding Venue: Wedgewood Brittany Hill, Thornton Colorado
Flowers: Flintwood Floral & Design
Vail Colorado Wedding Photography
Hailee & Mark's Donovan Pavilion Wedding in Vail, CO | Colorado Wedding Photography | Autumn Wedding Inspiration | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers
I am such a sucker for fun and adventurous couples + autumn weddings + mountains! The Jackson’s had it all going on. I actually got to meet Hailee for the first time the morning of Julie and Marty’s wedding since her mom, Pennie, was a wedding guest and had my name passed along. We didn’t have a lot of time since it was a busy day, but we were able to sit down with some coffee and chat about their wedding plans and I knew immediately that we would be a great fit!
We had such a blast shooting Hailee and Mark’s amazing wedding at the Donovan Pavilion in Vail! It’s such an awesome venue right in the mountains with the epic gold aspens and a beautiful river running through the back. The great room has massive windows that make for awesome views everywhere. There were so many personalized touches, including Pennie’s handmade signs. We loved them so much that she actually surprised us by sending us our own sign for our wedding straight to the farm!! Such an amazing, heartfelt, and touching gift (and yes, we have it hanging in our hallway now, it’s one of our favorite gifts).
The wedding was sentimental and upbeat, and we could tell that Hailee and Mark had so much love for their friends and family. There were so many beautiful part of the wedding coupled with so much celebration, another one of our favorite parts of the day was when everyone was dancing and all of a sudden, Mark scooped up Hailee and flipped her on the dance floor. With NO warning and I totally managed to capture it on my camera— it was one of those OMG-did-that-just-happen moments!! I jokingly told them, “the next time you do that give me a heads up” and Mark’s eye got super wide and he goes, “I had no idea we were going to do that!” Too funny.
Enjoy Mark & Hailee’s photos from their beautiful Donovan Pavilion Wedding:
Colorado Wedding Photography: Heather Huie for Apollo Fields
Vail Wedding Venue: Donovan Pavilion
The Jackson’s
17 September 2018
Tiptoeing atop the round stones of Gore Creek
With a white and red bouquet in hand,
Mark and Hailee
Settled into each other’s arms.
A gentle September breeze
Swept over their feet in the creek’s cool draft,
Swirling by Donovan Pavilion and beyond down Vail pass.
Balancing upon a boulder,
They found their bodies and souls most sturdy in concert,
Finding safety amidst exploration
&
Embracing adventure with clasped hands.
The white lace from Hailee’s delicate dress
Ran up her arms like pristine strands of natural ivy,
Gently wrapping them in comfort and class.
A single crimson rose
Splashed a message of love upon the lapel of Mark’s tuxedo,
Appearing in Hailee’s eyes like a vibrant and silent secret.
A marriage at 8,022 feet
Set their hearts to new heights,
But this union has been six years in the making.
From Italian in Grand Junction
To Indian in the Pacific Northwest,
They can stomach almost anything.
Their “Courage to Grow”
Lasted through seminars and endless breadsticks,
Engraving memories upon time like names on the back of a watch.
Hawaii, the Bahamas, and New Zealand,
”Ducking” life upon the seats of mangled mountain bikes.
Life isn’t a “Love Song”,
It is finding a home in the unknown.
It is Courtney’s laugh
&
Jarred’s jokes.
It is flipping on the dance floor
&
Building a house like an altar.
By including your partner,
You nurture your relationship
&
Share a home in the unknown.
Chief Hosa Lodge Wedding in Golden, CO
Surya & Meena’s Wedding | Chief Hosa Lodge Wedding Venue | Genesee, Colorado Weddings | Indian Weddings| Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
One of my favorite things about being a wedding photographer is getting to immerse myself in in different cultures, traditions, languages, and religions. I loved being able to capture Surya and Meena’s Indian Wedding at Chief Hosa Lodge because they did such a beautiful job of incorporating their values with their personalities.
It was a hot summer day on the top of the mountains in Colorado. This is pretty typical, especially for a brunch wedding, to have the sun just blaring down. Yes, it’s a ‘dry heat’ and having lived in both climates, I can attest that a dry heat is much, much more bearable. But at a certain point, hot is hot. This day was hot. The metal rings on my camera lenses felt like they were on fire! But I barely even noticed once the ceremony began, even when we had the fire going in the middle of the mandap. The energy was so strong that everyone became very focused on the rituals of the Indian ceremony.
Chief Hosa Lodge is a great location for weddings, too. It’s tucked away off of I-70 so you feel remote even though there is easy access to the city and easy-to-navigate roads. It’s also easy to get to from DIA without having to go too far into the mountains to still have an authentic, Colorado mountain wedding! The space is rustic and has an open cabin concept, but one of the big plusses is the access to their working kitchen. The food was DIY at Surya and Meena’s wedding so it was really easy for them to load in-and-out, prep, and serve! I was also enthusiastic to eat all of the authentic cuisine, especially because I knew that there would be tons of great vegetarian options!
I love all of the symbolism and meaning behind Hindu ceremonies. I think there is such a strength and beauty in the way that the union is officiated and how the families are honored. I’ve had the privilege of photographing a few Indian weddings and I love that every time I do, I learn something new. I was recently talking to a friend about this element of shooting weddings. She has a more conventional office job and hasn’t had the same exposure to different cultures through her work which made me really grateful to have the career that I do!
Colorado Wedding Photographer: Heather Huie for Apollo Fields
Golden CO Wedding Venue: Chief Hosa Lodge
Boettcher Mansion Wedding Photography in Golden, CO
Eve & Bobby's Boettcher Mansion Wedding in Golden, CO | Lookout Mountain Weddings | Colorado Wedding Photographer | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers
Eve and Bobby are a super sweet Colorado couple who was such a dream to photograph! We had a blast capturing their special day at Boettcher Mansion and loved this beautiful day. It had been a few months since Eve and Bobby had been in front of my camera when we did their cherry blossom engagement session at City Park. I loved how their sign-in book came out and was so excited to give it to them for their wedding!
The day was beautiful and sunny (yay Colorado) and everyone was getting ready at a quaint AirBnb in Golden. The energy was buzzing and it was so much fun to be welcomed into this sweet family while everyone was getting their hair and makeup done. I love when everyone is organized and relaxed for getting ready pictures because I feel like it sets such a great tone for the day.
We headed up to Boettcher Mansion and everyone did their finishing touches in their getting-ready rooms. Then Eve and her father shared a special first look before we went out to Lookout Mountain for Eve and Bobby to have their first look and private vows.
One of the great things about doing a first look is if you want to have special vows that you want to incorporate in your wedding day but perhaps don’t want to read in front of 100+ guests, you can take this special and private time to share your vows with one another and then do a more traditional version of your vows for the public ceremony. The best part about weddings is that you can make them whatever you want— be as public or private as you want, as traditional or non-traditional as you want, as classic or as modern — as long as it is from the heart and reflects your personalities, I say go for it!
Their whole day was full of love and celebrations and I had such a great time capturing these memories for Eve, Bobby, and their kiddos. It was really special to incorporate the boys in the day and seeing their little personalities woven into the wedding.
Colorado Wedding Photography: Heather Huie for Apollo Fields
Golden CO Wedding Venue: Boettcher Mansion
CO Wedding Planning: Denver Event Pros
Wedding Dress: Lovely Bride
Skylight Weddings in Denver Colorado Photography
Kerry & Patrick’s Wedding | Skylight Denver Wedding Venue | Santa Fe Art District, CO | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
Kerry and Pat had a great urban wedding at one of downtown Denver’s newest wedding venues. Skylight had just opened up and this fun couple managed to book their wedding early to be one of the first real weddings happening in this cool, urban space! Skylight has great white brick walls with tons of natural light and makes a great canvas for creativity.
I was so excited when they wanted to do a first look because it affords us so much time and flexibility for the rest of the day! The photos are also so sweet and intimate so it’s basically a win-win. We found the perfect urban spot between where they were both getting ready (Kerry was prepping at Skylight and Patrick was over at the Monkey Bar with his buddies). It was fun because I was co-shooting this wedding with Lindsey and we were able to toggle a bit and really coordinate everything in the afternoon.
We had also found the PERFECT alleyway with these awesome edison lights and were so excited to surprise them with this epic location! We stumbled upon it when we were scouting and decided to keep it on the DL since we weren’t sure we could get back in. We were so excited when we were able to show off this awesome spot and get great pics before everything got started.
I loved all of their fun custom signage and personal touches that they had incorporated into the venue. One of my other favorite parts of the day was when they were able to get their pup to walk down the aisle with them and hang out for the ceremony! I knew how much they loved their dog (who doesn’t) from their lifestyle engagement session that we had done a few months prior so it was great to see their doggo a part of the day, too!
They had their ceremony against the white walls with a beautiful custom floral piece that they had made and installed. It had a great boho vibe and the venue was able to seamlessly flip the room for cocktail hour and then move right into the reception afterwards. They had a fun taco bar for dinner which felt really easy and a huge crowd pleaser and then moved into special dances and an awesome party! We were so excited to work with this sweet and vibrant couple!
Kerry & Patrick's Urban Wedding | Skylight Wedding Venue | Denver, Colorado Photographer | Santa Fe Art District Photography
Kerry and Patrick were one of the first couples to officially get married in one of Denver's newest downtown venues, Skylight. This venue is tucked into the bustling part of the Santa Fe Art District, and is fun, hip, urban, and trendy. Along the main strip are fun art galleries, always popping with new events and shows. There are breweries, coffee shops, and a bunch of eclectic little stores all surrounding this busy venue.
Skylight boasts white brick and an urban design, tailor made to modern couples. They are able to bring in all of their own vendors, free of exclusive vendor lists, and have a lot of free rein in their planning process. We started the day with Kerry getting ready at the venue and Patrick getting ready at a local bar down the street with all of his groomsmen. The vibe was fun and upbeat, and both of their personalities made it easy to just snap away, capturing details as the room was being set, and finding fun and candid moments to shoot in between.
We did an official first look at a fun graffiti wall up against an old southwestern looking chapel. The bright and artistic vibe fit their personalities so well. They enjoyed a private and intimate first look, and then we brought them down into our secret find that we were so excited for: a quiet and skinny little alleyway that had these awesome market lights strung across the top! A photographer's dream.
Their ceremony was heartfelt and full of love and tradition. Their sweet dog walked down the aisle and joined them at the altar. They passed around the rings and had their guests and family members charge them with their well-wishes and positive energy. It was the perfect blend of combining their own type of ceremony while honoring their family's religious roots. Their officiant was fun, vibrant, and so full of positive vibes that it was impossible to not feel the love in the room.
Patrick and Kerry had a fun and heartfelt reception, with sweet speeches by family members and the wedding party. They enjoyed a sentimental first dance, and then finished the night strong with dancing, laughter, and lots of hugs!
Denver Wedding Photography: Heather Huie with Apollo Fields and Lindsey Bartell with Eden Photography
Colorado Wedding Venue: SKYLIGHT, Denver CO
Clean & Classic: The Importance of Timeless Wedding Photos
Hey guys! Heather here...
It's a balmy -2 degrees F here in Denver, so I'm calling it a snow day and have gone ahead and rescheduled all of my clients (trust me, it's no fun being outside in this weather).
Snow days used to be highly anticipated events, huddled up in bed watching the flakes falling from the window, listening to the radio station with your fingers crossed, toes crossed, pajamas inside out, and any other superstition that you thought might help the chances of your school being announced on the list of cancellations.
But now, twenty years later, I don't get that same luxury. Being a business owner means that you have to be the one to make those calls, and it's not always as easy as just wanting to stay in your sweats all day drinking hot chocolate and watching movies.
Clean & Classic
It seems that the wedding photography world has been dichotomized into two categories and photographers are pressured to define themselves as either "dark & moody" or "light & airy".
Now, don't get me wrong... I personally love both of these styles. I frequently find myself scrolling through the work of some of these masters envious of their well-crafted brand. As for myself, I know how-to and can shoot "dark & moody" as well as "bright & airy" while still properly exposing for my subjects. Sometimes it is fun to play around and push my own artistic boundaries, it keeps my eye fresh and it a fun challenge.
But I think there is a risk involved in subscribing to trendy editing techniques and why I shy away from them: they will one day be out-of-style. I would hate for someone to look back at photos I shot of someone's wedding and go, "eek, that's so 2018".
Let's all take a moment to remember when super-desaturated photos were in, or the all black-and-white except one color splash was considered artsy; circa early 2000's. Or a real life example: My parents got married in the '80s and let's just say their wedding photos are "so 1980's". Sepia-washed prints and shoulder pads. Oh my god, so many shoulder pads.
This is why if I had to categorize myself, I will confidently say "clean & classic". I want you to look back at your wedding photos and love them ten years, twenty years, and fifty years from now. I don't want your kids laughing at them. I mean, they can laugh a little, because that's what kids do, but it should stop there. I want to give you timeless photos that withstand the test of trends, fads, and increasingly savvy technology.
Here's a fun one: we have such a great time with our grooms and want to give them the attention they deserve. This photo captures our groom at a very flattering angle, but shows off his personality – fun and easygoing – to give it some uniqueness.
Another classic photo that I love. My couple is so happy in this moment and the photography stays really true to the season, their decor, and the overall mood of the day. Even though it is posed, it doesn't feel forced. I love when something feels candid even if it's not.
I love this photo because it has beautiful soft and warm light. There is still a lot of emotion, and yet in some ways it is also a classic bridal portrait. As an artist, I want to keep my viewer's eye on the image which is exactly what you get here.
It’s okay to not perfectly fit into either the “Bright and Airy” or “Dark and Moody” Categories
I love when I am building out my albums and I feel like I can re-live the entire day. Depending on the season, weather, venue, dress, florals, and other design and natural factors, there will be some variation in my photographs... and I think that's a good thing! I don't want my couple's to ever feel like they are just being plopped into posing placeholders, trying to replicate some picture they found on Instagram. I want uniqueness and storytelling, without compromising correct exposure and composition.
I think the mark of a true artist is to have your work become distinctive enough that the viewer no longer needs a signature or a watermark to know who created it. For me, I prefer not to categorize my work into somebody else's style. I would say "clean & classic" if I had to label my work, but in some ways that feels boring. Even the word "timeless" can begin to stale. My photos aren't stale or boring, and I am constantly searching for new ways to craft my art into true storytelling and bold narration. That is my pledge as an artist to all of my clients and viewers alike.
Photography By:
Wild Horse Inn Mountain Wedding in the Rockies
Carolyn & Shawn's Romantic Wild Horse Inn Mountain Wedding | Devils Thumb Ranch | Colorado Wedding Photographer | Mountain Weddings | Apollo Photojournalism
The Wild Horse Inn is the perfect Colorado Wedding Venue for epic CO mountain views and a rustic but elegant vibe. I love the way that this venue is situated in the mountains but is still accessible to Denver and the airport, it is a great option for an awesome CO wedding. Carolyn and Shawn had planned their whole wedding in just a matter of months and it was crazy to see how much they were able to pull of in such a short amount of time!
Their ceremony was so beautiful, with these awesome vintage chairs and couches instead of crappy plastic chairs. They had this beautiful arch set up that was custom made with aspen trees and florals, such a dream! I loved all of the rustic touches, the lace, the cowgirl boots, and the live music. It made for a great lively party where all of the guests and family were sure to have a great time.
One of my favorite elements of their wedding was how enthusiastic that they were about including their nieces and nephews! There were TONS of kiddos and while this might sound like a nightmare to some photographers, it was a welcome addition for us. We love the energy and animated vibes that little ones bring to wedding days and even though it can mean a little more organizational power being needed, I think it also makes for great pictures. They had each kiddo sign their wedding certificate as their witnesses which was one of my favorite parts of the whole day. It was such a fun way to incorporate their love of family into their wedding.
The night was unseasonably warm which kept everybody outside dancing into the late hours. The food was delicious, the speeches were heartfelt, and the dances were upbeat. I loved working with this fun couple and wish them so much happiness!
Rustic Elegance Ranch Photographer: Erny Photo CO | Apollo Fields
Wedding Venue: Wild Horse Inn | Fraser Colorado
Beaver Run Resort Wedding in Breckenridge, CO
Destiny & Chris's Autumn Mountain Wedding | Breckenridge, Colorado | Wedding Photography | Apollo Fields Photojournalism
September in Colorado can mean 70 degrees in sunny or it can mean sideways blizzards. This day was the latter, but fortunately we were able to squeeze in first look before things got too bad. Breckenridge, CO is well equipped for snow since it is a popular ski town so luckily the roads were in great condition and the only part of the day that was interrupted was the last-minute decision to move the wedding ceremony indoors.
Luckily, we were still able to snag the epic golden aspen trees before the cold temps nipped all of their color! This is one of the other tricky variables about autumn weddings in the rockies— those gold trees are so iconic and truly breathtaking, but sometimes all it takes is one super cold day with strong winds and some snow to bite them all off of the trees. And just like that, the color is over. It’s sort of fitting for Colorado, which is such a mother-nature oriented state, and serves as a subtle reminder that out in the woods, very few things are really in our control.
Being able to roll with the punches is such a gift, and Destiny was the epitome of this! Some brides would be totally thrown by something like this coming up on their big day, but she was just so excited to be marrying Chris and celebrating with their friends and family that she just smiled the whole day. She is such a sweetheart so I loved working with her! This wedding was a long time coming, after 8 years of dating, it was easy to see how this couple is very calculated and caring, which I think will prove to be great traits in their years to come. I loved working with these guys and was so happy to capture their amazing mountain wedding!
Breckenridge Wedding Photographer: Erny Photo CO | Apollo Photo
Venue: Beaver Run Resort
Selina & Evan's Wedding at The Barn at Evergreen Memorial Park in Colorado
Selina & Evan’s Wedding at The Barn at Evergreen Memorial Park | Colorado Barn Venues | Rustic Weddings | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
We just love a good barn wedding– for us it’s not a trend, it’s a way of life. I grew up as a “barn rat”, an affectionate name for the scrappy barn kids who just never seem to leave. I mucked stalls, I scrubbed buckets, I dragged hay bales that were my size up and down the stairs to work off my riding lessons. I loved every minute of it. In the summers, I got dropped off at the barn in the morning. We had to do all of the barn chores before we were allowed to even look at a saddle. Then in the afternoons, we rode. I took group lessons and plotted around x-rails until I was told to stop. On the weekends, we would trail ride, flying through the woods on the ponies, running through the trails and dragging our horses through the streams. By the time the sun had gone down, someone would pick me back up from the barn and take me home.
Then I went off to a boarding school for riding horses and continued spending most of my time in barns. When I graduated, I got an apartment over a barn and began training horses to pay off my tuition. I love it, it’s where I stay active, I work out my frustrations on horseback, I find my sense of peace when I’m all alone at night with the horses feeding them treats. This is all to say that as a wedding photographer now, barn venues are MY JAM. For me, rustic wasn’t a hashtag, it was a reality.
The Barn at Evergreen Memorial Park
This Colorado venue is situated in a beautiful little town along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The landscape is amazing and the little barn is nestled off of the road. It has these amazing stained glass windows adorning the front and an open concept inside that is perfect for weddings. We were lucky to have a great golden hour where we went behind the barn for some romantic couple’s portraits.
I loved all of the personal touches that Selina and Evan had at their wedding. They are such a sweet couple and I just loved working with them and capturing their special day!
The Barn at Evergreen Memorial Park in Colorado
Selina and Evan are a fun loving and caring couple.
They're very sentimental and family oriented, so they opted for a more traditional wedding ceremony at the Cherry Hills Community Center in Denver, Colorado.
After the wedding ceremony, they moved their guests over to their Barn at Evergreen Memorial wedding reception. And it was everything a wedding reception should be! They laughed and danced with their guests all night long. It was a blast to be a part of!
One of my favorite parts of their wedding day was their "blind look". They really wanted the first time they saw each other to be when Selina was walking down the aisle, but they also wanted a private moment for themselves before the ceremony. So instead of a first look, where a couple sees each other privately before the wedding ceremony, they held hands through a curtain and prayed together. It was so intimate, and personal. The perfect choice for Selina and Evan.
FARM WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY | AUTHENTIC WORKING BARNS | FARM TO TABLE
Heather Erny is a Colorado Wedding Photographer who specializes in telling your unique story in a timeless, photo journalistic way. If you're interested in having her photograph your wedding, get in touch!
Denver Ceremony: Cherry Hills Community Church
Farm Reception: The Barn at Evergreen Memorial Park
Wedding Photography: Apollo Fields
The Best of 2016 Wedding Photography
THE BEST OF 2016 | WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY AND ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER IN NEW YORK AND COLORADO | Apollo Fields
As 2016 comes to a close, it's hard not to get nostalgic about all of the great celebrations of love, fun people, and spectacular places that my business has introduced me to. I always say – even though it's cheesy – that the best part of my job is being surrounded by people during what is oftentimes some of the happiest moments of their lives. How much better does it get??
We got to travel to a lot of different places for weddings this year which was great, including our big move to Colorado from NYC. Some of our favorite places included getting to shoot upstate at The Roxbury Barn and Estate, heading up to Canada for Jen and Jon’s wedding in Quebec, and finding some awesome mountain locations in the Rockies for engagements and weddings. We love traveling and it’s been such a great part of our lives and the business. We’re excited to book more destinations and get the chance to find new places and couples and everything in between!
So, to commemorate an epic year, here is a compilation of some of my personal faves...
SOME OF OUR FAVORITE VENUES OF THE YEAR:
Denver Art Museum | Denver, Colorado
Rocky Mountain National Park | Colorado
Jack Studios | New York, NY
The Roxbury Barn | The Catskills, New York
Le Chateau Frontenac | Old Quebec City, Canada
NOAH's Event Center | Westminster, CO
The Loeb Boathouse | Central Park, NYC
Chatfield Farms | Denver Botanic Gardens, Littleton
Lionsgate Event Center | Lafayette, Colorado
Historic Red Barn | Golden Gate Canyon State Park, CO
Christine and Dan's Three Sisters Alderfer Engagement in Evergreen, CO
Christine & Dan’s Engagement Photos | Alderfer / Three Sisters Park, Evergreen CO | Hiking Engagement Photos | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
Christine and Dan are a fun and adventurous East Coast couple who moved out to Colorado shortly after we did. I love hanging with fellow transplants and showing them around some of our favorite hikes and breweries. Christine is a dietician who I met via one of my other RD friends in NYC so it was fun to have a few common interests to click right away over.
They wanted to do something that felt very “Colorado” and had some great mountain views. Three Sisters is one of my favorite hikes for this purpose because it’s not super strenuous, it’s close to Denver, and it boasts 360 degree views at the top. There’s a small scramble to the summit but I even dragged my 66 year old dad up there (and he made it back down) so it’s a pretty doable climb for engagements.
You really do feel like you’re on the top of the world when you get up there and I find the vast openness of being above the trees, above all of the houses, and out of reach of all of the chaos and buzz of ordinary life to bring a lot of peace. It’s one of my favorite hikes to do if you just need some alone time on the top of the world without having to commit to a whole 14er or something too physically demanding.
One of my favorite spots on the trail is a little aspen patch that gets great light, too. It feels a bit like a birch grove and is sort of a magical little part of the forest. The aspens are such a staple of Colorado and I love how they photograph in all seasons of the year.
I loved getting to work with this fun and easygoing couple and it’s been fun to cross paths with them since the session in Denver. When our friend Nicole and her daughter came out to visit, we were all able to hook up downtown at Denver Beer CO which was a fun reunion, too. I love when the couples that I photograph turn into friends and hang-out buddies and I really do think it is one of the best parts of the job!
Colorado Engagement Photography: Heather Huie for Apollo Fields
Location: Alderfer / Three Sisters, Evergreen CO