NEW SITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's been a good couple of years but we needed something with just a bit more... bigger, better, faster! Check out our new site here: www.volkelimage.com

Bridalize Denver: Grand Opening Come Join Us!

Okay I lied my last post was not my final one for this blog I have one more to share.... the Grand Unveiling of Bridalize Denver! Come join us this Thursday from 6-8pm. You can check out the store to see all the amazing vendors (and see some of our work as well). Below is the invite with the address. Click here to RSVP. Hope to see you there!

Guys Night Out: Painting with Light

A few days before the new year, a few us us chums decided to have a guys night out and shoot something that was very new to me- Painting with light! It's pretty cool all you do is set up your camera with a wireless trigger on a tripod (yes my tripod is ghetto), set it to a very long exposure, then run around with either LED lights- or in our case lightsabers- and create some really cool unique pics. Thanks to Ross for setting this up! There were 4 of us guys (Ross Bothwell, Tyler Jones, Zach Wear and myself) willing to run around downtown in the middle of winter and freeze our butt's off!! This is definitely something we will do again.. but next time in the summer!

Day 12: 12 Days of Pictures- Favorite Wedding Moments of 2009

On the 12th day of pictures my camera gave to me... favorite unexpected moment with the bride & groom.

This one comes from Becky & Neal's wedding this past August. We were taking the bride & groom portraits out the dock when I shot this image. It was supposed to be some nice portraits of the two of them but the dock was open to residents for fishing off of or for accessing the boats so we weren't the only ones there. While we were taking pictures this little boy fishing off the dock was wondering what was going on and was looking over at the two of them. He was close enough to the two of them I just had to snap this one with him in it. It ended up being one of my all time favorite images ever!

Day 11: 12 Days of Pictures- Favorite Wedding Moments of 2009

On the 11th day of pictures my camera gave to me... favorite getting ready moments.

I love catching those moments leading up to the wedding. Whether it's of the guys hanging out, the girls surrounding the bride trying to calm her down, or those funny moments that happen before the bride walks down the aisle. Here are two moments that I caught in the bride's room prior to the wedding that are some of my favorites!

This one is from Brandy & Bill's wedding. Brandy is such a crack up- this picture totally brings out her personality. She was putting her earring in and her expression was priceless.


Almost every wedding venue I've ever shot at seems to have issues with air conditioning in the bridal suite. I guess they figure the bride would have no reason to get a little warm the day of her wedding- not like she'd have any reason to be a bit nervous or anything right? Anyway, this picture from Melissa & Adam's wedding sums up exactly what it feels like to be stuffed in the bridal suite the day of a wedding.

Day 10: 12 Days of Pictures- Favorite Wedding Moments of 2009

On the 10th day of pictures my camera gave to me... favorite "first look" moments.

The tradition of the bride and groom not seeing each other before the wedding began back in days of arranged marriages. The bride's family hid her away from the groom and under a veil until the marriage was official for fear that the groom would take one look at his bride to be and run the other way if he didn't find her attractive.

Today, most marriages are no longer arranged and many brides & grooms are abandoning tradition and superstition and seeing each other before the wedding. And, when they do we like to set up a "first look" where we can capture both the bride's and groom's expressions when they see each other for the first time. Here are two favorites from a couple first look moments.

This one is from Jen & Ryan's wedding this past September.


And this one was from Tammy & Greg's wedding the same weekend as Jen & Ryan's.

Day 9: 12 Days of Pictures- Favorite Wedding Moments of 2009

On the 9th day of pictures my camera gave to me... hilarious moments.

Here are two pictures from moments this year that brought tears to my eyes from laughing.

This one was from Alyssa & Matt's day after session. They were running up out of the water onto the beach for this series of photos and while doing so Matt tripped and almost took the two of them down in the process. Alyssa was laughing so hard even though they almost did a face plant into the sand- it was too funny.


This photo I took at Hanako & Eddie's wedding before the traditional garter removal. Eddie had a special dance he wanted to do for his "spotlight moment" during the wedding. There were a few shocked faces in the crowd as he did a semi strip tease but mostly tears brought on by laughter. It was probably one of the funniest moments I've ever witnessed at a wedding (don't worry it was completely clean and no skin was revealed in the process).

Day 8: 12 Days of Pictures- Favorite Wedding Moments of 2009

On the 8th day of pictures my camera gave to me... my favorite photos of the groom dipping the bride.

Often times as a way to get couples comfortable in front of the camera I'll have them dance together. It's a great way to loosen up, makes for some great movement photos, and occasionally if people feel goofy while dancing to no music you'll get some great laughs out of it. I'll also tell them to dip the bride back sometime during their dance. While it can be a challenge to do right (and in that case makes for some great laughing moments between the bride and groom) if they pull it off it makes some awesome photos. Here are two of those moments during our time with the bride & groom.

This image goes all the way back to the beginning of the year at Erin & Jared's wedding taken outside of Coors Field. I absolutely love this shot of the two of them!


And this one was taken at our final wedding of the season with Jenn & Patryk. It was getting a little darker outside so the entry lights had come on and the resulting image is one of my favorites.

Day 7: 12 Days of Pictures- Favorite Wedding Moments of 2009

Day 7: On the 7th day of pictures my camera gave to me... sunset photos.

This category was a bit difficult for me because I have so many images that are my favorites. These three really stood out to me though because of how different each one turned out using the light at the end of the day.

This first one was from Angela & Robert's Wedding at the Buell Mansion. It was right after their ceremony and I saw the way the light was coming in and had to pull the two of them over for a few shots before we lost this awesome light. I shot directly into the sun which created more of a hazy glare blowing out the background but casting a warm glow over the two of them- love it!


This next one I took at Brandy & Bill's Wedding outside the Stanley Hotel. It was pretty much the exact same time of day as the photo above but I changed my angle a bit and stood Brandy & Bill close to each other to have the light glow behind them creating a completely different look. This set of photos turned out beautiful.


This last photo was taken back in July at Melissa & Adam's Wedding. They had a 7 pm ceremony so by the time we started photos with the two of them the sun had almost completely set except for an awesome orange glow remaining in the sky just as the last bit of light was vanishing. Zach Wear of Revert Imaging came along for this wedding and assisted me in setting up some off camera flash to get this image. I love the way these turned out with the orange sky as the backdrop.

Day 6: 12 Days of Pictures- Favorite Wedding Moments of 2009

Day 6: On the 6th day of pictures my camera gave to me... favorite father/daughter moment.

This one comes from Hanako & Eddie's Wedding up at Shadows Ranch in Georgetown this past May. Before walking down the aisle, Hanako, her parents, and her bridesmaids took a carriage ride around the lake. I caught this moment between Hanako and her dad right after they got in the carriage. The look on both of their faces says everything.

Day 5: 12 Days of Pictures- Favorite Wedding Moments of 2009

Day 5: On the 5th day of pictures my camera gave to me... favorite first dance.

This one is from Jenn & Patryk's Wedding just a little while back in October. I did actually post this image on their sneak peek on the blog but I still just love this photo so thought I'd share it again:-)

Day 4: 12 Days of Pictures- Favorite Wedding Moments of 2009

Day 4: On the 4th day of pictures my camera gave to me... favorite moment between the bride and groom. This particular topic could probably span across every wedding I've shot but I love this image especially. Melissa & Shelby had great chemistry between them- you could really tell they're meant for each other. I love this image in particular because of both the location and how they stood leaning into each other. They were married at the Crystal Rose in Denver which is located in between several office buildings- something that you may not see as photo worthy at first glance but the reflection the building created made for some beautiful images!

Day 3: 12 Days of Pictures- Favorite Wedding Moments of 2009

Day 3: On the 3rd day of pictures my camera gave to me... the favorite first kiss.

In July Michelle & I had an awesome opportunity to travel to Jamaica for Alyssa & Matt's wedding on the beach in Ocho Rios. Between the beautiful surroundings & a beautiful couple it was impossible to take a bad photo during their wedding and this is just one example of that.


This next photo was from Marci & Mark's wedding at DU's Evan's Chapel. I love the look of this little chapel! Michelle shot this image and it's awesome!

Day 2: 12 Days of Pictures- Favorite Wedding Moments of 2009

Day 2: On the 2nd day of pictures my camera gave to me... a goofy groom and his groomsmen. For anyone who has met me you know that I'm kind of a goof myself- okay not kind of I really am. I love it when people let their guard down and are willing to have fun and just act a bit silly. Here are two perfect examples of that.

This first image was from Kristie & Matt's wedding in July. They were married at the Arvada Center which has all sorts of sculptures inside and outside the building which made for some cool pictures. When I saw this sculpture I thought it would be funny to have the guys try to pose just like it. They obviously agreed to pose for it and I love the way the photo turned out- I was cracking up!:


This one was taken with Neal and the guys at Becky & Neal's wedding. Their wedding was held right near the dock to the lake which made for an awesome backdrop for photos. This one obviously had nothing to do with the scenery though. There were a few people fishing along the dock and one of Becky's brothers suggested a photo with the guys fishing. With the guys' pasted smiles and pointing towards the water it really made for the perfect "cheesy posed" picture- I love it!:

Day 1: 12 Days of Pictures- Favorite Wedding Moments of 2009

Last year we thought it would be fun to post 12 days of pictures as a year in review of some of our favorite images. It was so much fun we thought we'd do it again! This time however, we thought we'd try something a bit different and choose a different theme or topic for each day. We had some awesome weddings this past year and are so grateful to each of our couple's that let us capture their big day! Check back each day for a new post.

Day 1: On the 1st day of pictures my camera gave to me... some favorite images of Colorado weather. I figured since we are in Colorado and it's near Christmas time it's only fitting to start this series of 12 days of Pictures with images that represent our drastic changes from the Colorado weather. If you want to be a photographer in Colorado you better come prepared on a wedding day- you never know if that 60 degree heat could become snow in a matter of hours or if the 102 degrees from the summer sun could lead to an afternoon thunderstorm.

This first image is from all the way back in January of this year at Cathy & Cody's Wedding. The ground may have been snow free just a few days before their wedding but it came in the day before leaving some behind for their big day. Cathy borrowed some boots to wear under her dress while we took some pictures outside but apparently they were so comfortable she left them on through the rest of the night. Here's the two of them walking along the street with her boots, the snow on the ground, and someone getting rid of their Christmas tree in the car behind them:


This image is among a group of some of my absolute favorites ever! I'd always wanted to photograph in fog and while it's not the easiest thing to photograph it sure makes for some great images. We could barely see 10 feet in front of us while driving to Kacey & Jay's wedding that day back in May but we were really glad when the fog stuck around to take some awesome images in it!:

Photography 101

Here is a great video Get Married put out talking about some basic things to remember when choosing your photographer. I'm so glad they mentioned that finding your photographer right after booking your location is so important. So often people forget to start looking for their photographer until after they've spent a majority of their budget only to find out that photography is one of the more expensive costs of a wedding. In the end they end up not having enough to afford the photographer they really want and sacrifice quality for their budget. If you book your photographer at the beginning you can make sure you have someone who will capture your day the way you want and then work through the rest of the details with the remaining budget. After all, your photos are what you have left when the wedding is over. Check out the video here: Photography 101

I few things I LOVE. and a few things I DON'T.

This is not a typical post for me but I thought I would share some things on my mind. After all this is a blog post and people are to blog about their life, right?!

So here are a few things that I LOVE and DON'T about being in the photography business.
-I LOVE that my Wife Michelle has been feeling a little better to start shooting again. I Love her point of view and the way she sees things I don't. Here's to the best assistant I'll ever have. Love ya.
-I DON'T like it when your going to get that perfect shot and either the coordinator or the officiant tap you on the shoulder and tell you you have to "move, in order to preserve the specialness of the moment" Well there goes the picture to remember that "moment."
-I LOVE when the mom is glancing over at her daughter and smiling while shooting the formals.
-I DON'T like it when I try to put the lens cap back on your lens and it falls to the floor, making a loud noise when everything's quiet. "D'oh!"
-I LOVE my 50mm 1.2 L Lens. Can you say Bokah?!
-I LOVE hanging out with our clients, going to church with them, playing Lego's with their first child, and when they are no longer clients but friends!
-I DON'T like that I get too hot to wear sweater vests in the heat of summer, even though I look great in them. ha=)
-I DON'T like it when the vendor meals are stale and cold. We gotta eat too!
-I LOVE it when the Bride & Groom send you an invitation to their wedding, even though they know you'll already be there.
-I LOVE when a B&G can tell their friends "we loved our photographers!"

Well I could go on and on but that's enough for now. These are just a few things that I thought I'd share with all of you. And since a post is never complete without a picture here is a cute kitten I found online to enjoy!

Hello there fellow Blog Readers!

Hi Everyone! If your reading this it is because we have fallen behind in our blogging. Sorry. We have had quite the crazy last couple of weeks. With lots of work (which is a good thing), our main computer's hard drive exploding, our recent destination wedding to Jamaica and the passing of Michelle's Grandpa Miller; we have fallen behind a little. But no worries, we will have some awesome posts coming your way! Including our "Calling all Ladies" event, a CD album cover shoot, some engagements and our Jamaica Destination Wedding!! So please stay tuned and have no fear for Volkel Image is here! Man that was cheesy. =)

New Portrait Website is Officially Launched!

Our new portrait website is now online so please check it out! We are still doing some construction to the new landing page at www.volkelimage.com but if you click on the link for Portraits you can check out the new site or type directly www.volkelimageportraits.com to get there. We've started to branch out into portrait photography and so if you or someone you know needs family pictures, baby photos, maternity portraits, business portraits etc please contact us.

Annual Turkey Hunting Trip

I made it home alive!!! But... the turkey didn't. Every year my dad and I go on a trip to Valentine Nebraska for turkey hunting. While everyone else was enjoying the snow here in Colorado, we were enjoying fog and rain. Fortunately we didn't stay out in the cold, wet weather for too long. Within 10 minutes of our weekend hunting trip it was 1 turkey down- 1 to go. And an hour later the planned 2 day hunt was over and we didn't even make it to lunch on day one. After I got my bird I took out the good old camera for a few pics of my dad in action. What kind of photographer would I be if I didn't bring along the camera for some pics?? Here's a few photos of my dad, the turkey before he became this year's Thanksgiving meal, and ME!