This morning I had to bring my son to hockey practice at 6:40 a.m.  He is 16 and will have his drivers license soon.  I am thankful that he will be able to drive himself to practice.  On the other hand, I have the opportunity to enjoy the incredible Colorado sunrise’s.

Last night we received about one inch of snow and it was really cold this morning.  Next to The Edge Ice Arena, part of Foothills Recreation Center,  is the Meadows Golf Club.  There are a set of trees in a little pond.  This morning with the cold temperature.  Steam was rising from the pond with birds flying all around.  Then the sun started to rise.  Wow, I love mornings like this!

Here is a photo of what I wanted to share with you today.  The image below that is the same image in Photo Art.  Which would look great in your home or office

I would really love your comments, and opinions.  Have a great day!

Colorado Sunrise Photo Art

You don’t need to travel to New Orleans, Louisiana to celebrate Mardi Gras.  “Mardi Gras” (literally “Fat Tuesday”), the term has come to mean the whole period of activity related to those events.

Have you ever been to a Crawfish Boil?   My first Crawfish Boil was in a backyard in Breckenridge, Colorado.  This was my first experience to Crawfish, and now love Cajun food.

I host a Crawfish Boil every year around Mardi Gras, and all of our friends look forward to this fun event.  If you are looking for a get together with friends.  This is the way to do it.  You can either buy the crawfish (frozen) at the grocery store or you can also order crawfish live.

However, you do need to have the big crawfish pot.  My crawfish pot is so big that I have to keep it in the lawnmower shed.  I usually just put it on my stove top, and it takes up all 4 burners.  One of these days I will buy the outdoor burner.  This will make it easier to cook the crawfish.  One thing that I like about cooking the crawfish inside is the wonderful crawfish smell.  When you walk into my house.  You can smell and feel the spice when you breath.

I also make Gumbo, Jumbalaya, Red Beans & Rice, and Bread Pudding.  You can find all the receips on-line.

Do something different this year.  Invite all your friends, neighbors, and family.  You will have a lot of fun and enjoy some good food.

“Laissez les bons temps rouler!”  Is French for “Let the good times roll”.  You will hear this a lot during Mardi Gras.  So, get your beads, your cajun music, and cold beer.  Have fun, and don’t forget to take some photographs.

Become a Fan of Paul Maynard Photography

Couples planning a Colorado Wedding are looking for options to stretch their wedding budget.  The internet has made it possible to search and compare Wedding Photographers, Wedding DJ’s, Wedding Venues, etc.  Craigslist has become a resource for many wedding couples.  I myself used Craigslist to build my wedding portfolio to get my name out there when I went out on my own.

My experience goes back as far as 1984 when I first started as a photographer (get the full story).  My first wedding photography experience is when I worked for a wedding photographer in Breckenridge, Colorado.  As a second shooter/assistant, I was not allowed to use any of those images for my portfolio.

Over the years I have many portraits such as, Family Portraits, Senior Portraits, Professional Portraits, Model Portraits, etc.  But, when I went out on my own a couple of years ago.  I did not have a wedding photography portfolio.   After a friend of mine asked me to photograph their wedding.  I was hooked.  That’s where Denver’s Craigslist came into play for me.

I knew how important it would be for people to trust me.  So, I’ve made it very simple for wedding couples here in Colorado.  We meet at Starbucks in a relaxed comfortable atmosphere.  I ask the newly engaged couple how they first met, about their family, where they are from, and how the groom asked the bride to marry him.  I also share everything about myself, my family, how I came to Colorado, and my photography experience.

You do have to be careful on who you choose from Craigslist.  Meeting people face to face and calling references is very important.  I’ve had the pleasure of working with a few couples that found me on Craigslist.  For someone just starting out.  I was able to get my name out there in an affordable way.  Since I didn’t have the overhead that most photographers have.  Wedding couples reaped the benefits with a win/win situation.

My passion as a Colorado Wedding Photographer has introduced me to many wonderful couples.  They have all mentioned amazing things about me, and I have found my calling.  Click here and read for yourself.

You can find a Colorado Wedding Photographer on Craigslist.  Just make sure you meet face to face.  It makes all the difference in the world.

I met Katie and James last summer over coffee. They found me through an ad I placed on Craigslist.

I feel it’s so important to meet couples face to face. Meeting for coffee is a relaxed way to get to know each other. They are so much fun and loving toward each other. I am so looking forward to being a part of their wedding day. They are getting married this March in Downtown Denver, Colorado.

A little about their story:

Katie & James with their names carved into the tree.

I would love to get your opinion on a slide show service I am considering. My thought was to have a slide show ready at the reception of the days events up to the wedding reception.

I was also thinking how it would be great to have photos of the couple when they first met, baby pictures, and engagement phots of the couple. This would be a great story-telling slide show of the couple.

The link below is a 30 second short of a summer wedding I shot at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado.

Elizabeth & Mike’s Wedding Day Slide Show

I can remember when my wife and I planned our wedding in Breckenridge, Colorado. “Hawaii meets the Rocky Mountains” was our wedding theme. It was like a second job. O.K., I’ll be honest — my wife did most of the work. She gave me tasks and asked me to follow up with wedding vendors such as the tent setter uppers, the wedding band, the wedding photographer (of course)….. But, for the most part — my bride did everything.

Colorado Wedding Stress

At first you think this won’t be so hard, but then you make a list of all the wedding vendors. It gets pretty long!

Wedding vendor list and questions to ask yourselves:

• Wedding Officiant
• Wedding Ceremony Site
• Wedding Catering
• Wedding Decorations
• Wedding Flowers
• Wedding Gifts
• Wedding Invitations
• Wedding Band or Wedding DJ
• Wedding Reception Facility
• Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Location
• Wedding Registry
• Wedding Accommodations for Visiting Family
• Wedding Vows
• Honeymoon Location
• Wedding Event & Rental Services
• Wedding Dress
• Wedding Rings
• What is our Wedding Budget?
• Wedding Photographer
• Should we just use a Wedding Planner?

Your wedding vendor list — like mine – will continue to grow. My wife actually used a timeline software — MS Project. They plan major construction projects with this software! We teased her about this… but, truthfully, it really helped.

As a Denver Wedding Photographer I want to be able to help everyone that I can. I’ve been there, and it’s not as easy as it looks. Here are a few wedding blogs that I read on a regular basis. These help me understand what today’s bride is thinking, and how things are changing.

The Brooklyn Bride

Something Old Something New

Style Me Pretty

Meet the Wedding Bloggers

I hope this helps, and don’t forget to breathe!

Paul Maynard Photography – Denver Wedding Photographer