I can’t wait for you to meet him. He has taken Jenny and I by storm! One week old, boy oh boy, I can’t believe it.

Enjoy!
ML

ML

I have always liked the art work on the side of WWII bombers.  Pin ups, cartoons, you name it, if it is on the side of a WWII flying bomber I like it!  The art work inside the bowels  of the mighty battleship is equally great.  I can sure understand  if your battle station was a white wall then you would want to spice it up a bit if that was the last thing you were going to look at.  I find it awesome that some anonymous and some known artists would adorn the walls in front of them.  I hope to meet them someday, thank them for their service, shake their hand, make their portrait. Honor and Respect, Thank You.

ML

I recently traveled to Los Angeles and produced a photo shoot, which included several players.  First was Nelleke from Styles by Swain, who was the stylist for the shoot. She had the tough job of taking what was in my head and on Pinterest, and brining all that together in the form of wearable clothes.  As you can see, she did a fantastic job!  I would highly recommend employing a stylist for every shoot.  They have the right eye to pull clothes for a shoot and have the expertise and knowledge to ensure its success, making the job of the photographer much easier.

The next person that helped with the look of the shoot was Veronica, a make up artist with Class Act Beauty.  The ladies all looked amazing and the make up was flawless.

There were three models on this shoot: Tina, Katie and Jillie, in the order of their appearance.

Without their help and talents this shoot would be flat and boring.  They were able to show the clothing beautifully and to draw the eye and attention easily.

A photo shoot like this is never complete without credit to the fashion designer.  I am proud to announce the designer, Ximena Valero.  I think the clothing is all beautiful and wearable for those who want to impress!

I recently travelled to Los Angeles and was able to plan an hold a great fashion photo shoot while I was there.  In making travel plans, I procrastinated making the car reservation. After all, how could LA rental agencies be out of cars? It is California and a big city, after all.  Well, yes, it even shocked the phone agents who tried to help me, but LA can run out of rental cars during Christmas!  It was a good thing my wife’s parents had a car they were not using the day of my shoot.  So I was all set, plane tickets and a car.

Before I left for this trip, I spent countless hours working on the details of the photo shoot.  This was no small production. First, I found and hired a stylist to help with the look of the shoot.  We e-mailed and called back and forth a bit to help define the look of the clothes and my vision for the shoot.  Then I booked studio space in downtown LA near the Staples Center.  After countless hours of searching for and contacting potential models, I was able to find three stunning models for the shoot.  The last piece was ensuring I had rented the right equipment.  It was a tremendous amount of work to pull together all of the elements for the shoot, and I accomplished all of it before getting on the airplane to get to LA.

The night before leaving for LA was a great time to dial in my equipment and ensure everything was functioning properly, clean, and ready for the big day.  So I forged ahead with cleaning the sensor on my camera.  This is a nerve racking process—if you truly mess up, you might as well throw the camera away. This is not a option for me!  Well things were going well until a brush I used left a big smudge on the sensor. I could not seem to lift the smudge easily, and  did not want to try more aggressive options. I was now well beyond my confort zone and needed help.  Yes, I was fit to be tied, but I thought that if I could get out of Aspen before a winter storm closed the airport and arrive in LA, I would be ok.  There is a Nikon repair center there and a few large camera stores in the greater LA area.  Surely, I could find someone to help me.

The next day, I was set to fly from Aspen to LA at 1:30 pm and a winter storm advisory was set at to begin at 2pm.   I thought it might be wise  to see if the people at the airport would let me fly on the 7am flight to beat the winter storm.  I got up very early and went to the airport to check, but had no luck. So, I was left in town hoping I would get out before the storm hit.  I got to the airport on time and checked in, and the flight was only 5 min. late.  When we boarded the flight 20 min after it was set to take off, I was thinking I still might have plenty of time to make it to LA to get my sensor checked by a professional and cleaned before my shoot the next day.  After sitting on the plane literally on the runway for two hours, we finally took off.  Now things were getting interesting.  Jenny was already in LA with her dad to pick me up, and they had an extra two hours to kill before I arrived.  They figured out that the best place for me to go when I arrived was Samy’s Camera.  We got there a little less than an hour before they closed, and got my camera sensor lined up for a cleaning the next day, the day of my shoot.

The morning of my shoot, Jenny and her dad would take one car from Palmdale to LA to see her mom, a little over an hour away.  They left at 8, and I was not too far behind them in the other car.  I  wanted to spend some time at the camera store before my 1pm call at the studio.  About 20 minutes into the drive, I thought I ran over something on the freeway or that something came off the car.  Just a minute later, the car’s battery light came on, and I  knew instantly what had happened.  The car had thrown the alternator belt, and sure enough it was also connected to the power steering.  Lucky for me there was an exit up ahead, and I was able to get the car safely into a parking lot.  Now I was stuck, two hours away from my shoot, with no camera, 5 people waiting on me, and no transportation.

I called my wife, and they were now almost to their destination in LA. We quickly figured out that Jenny’s dad would drop her off at her mom’s and then would come and rescue me from the remote parking lot with the busted car.  This was going to take a little over an hour to get to me and then a little under two hours to get to the shoot in downtown LA, via the camera store and all the gear. With luck I could s t i l l, a l m o s t, make it to the shoot on time. Assuming no big traffic delays in LA.

Just today I received news for the first time ever that I will have to have a surgical procedure.  For the first time ever I had an MRI today that has shown I have a medial meniscus tear that needs surgery to repair.  I guess my knees have stood for 39 years of skiing hard and done everything I needed them to do.  Today I now step over the line here in Aspen from those that are going to need knee surgery to those that have had knee surgery.  I knew this day was going to arrive sooner or later, oh goody.

As I write this I am listening to Mumford & Sons “I Will Wait”.  Jenny and I are waiting for our first born, due sometime near May 24.  I am sure this will be a once in a lifetime event.  Something to look foreword too!

Since this site is mostly about photography I guess I should say something profound about that subject.

In my lifetime we will have gone from film to digital. I learned about light and photography in the film days.  I have spent time in a darkroom, I helped produce most of the photographs for my high school yearbook in a darkroom.  I think that is where most of the magic has happened in the past from the masters of photography like Ansel Adams.  The negative was just the beginning, he printed photographs differently in one part of his life then he did later in his life.  I am sure if someone could get a hold of an original negative they would print it differently today then he would have liked or ever did.  I hope to understand my tools to be able to print or produce photographs that will stand the test of time.  I hope my photography is archived and around and usable for my child to see what I have seen through my lens.  One hard drive crash, fire, or flood and it seems that a lifetime of work could be flushed.  I hope to have a system in place for the world to be able to see things far into the future.

In my lifetime I will always be learning about photography.  That is the appeal, never perfect, always striving to do better.  I recently went to the Denver Art Museum and saw an art exhibit titled “Becoming van Gogh”.  One thing that sticks with me is his writing that he never considered himself a “great” painter much less a master of the art.  He was always a student striving to be better.

Enjoy the day you have been given, it could be once in a lifetime!

ML

This is not the Caribbean, and this is not an average rum. Their description of the process and ingredients involved in distilling rum emphasizes that having good mountain water is key. It now makes perfect sense to distill rum here in Colorado. We all know Colorado has some of the best water in the whole United States–it is snow melt after all. The next ingredient is raw sugar. This is easily transported to Crested Butte and fermented to make a very high quality and excellent tasting rum. The last part of the process is to age the rum. Another Colorado distiller helps with this process. Stranahans Whiskey provides the barrels to age the rum, creating a synergistic relationship for Montanya. When they distill the rum in the stills pictured, this produces a-lot of heat, which keeps the place warm year round.

So, you can go there in the dead of winter and  escape the cold with a great rum cocktail. It is really a neat spot to stop. Take in the old history of the building, see the copper stills, feal the heat from them, and then partake in some of the labor of love produced there. I recommend purchasing a bottle or two to have when you are at home, and you want to escape back to Elk Avenue in Creasted Butte. If you want to have the same coctail you had at Montanya, their web site even has the recipes for your favorite drink here:

Welcome to Colorado-we like to brew our own beer, vodka, whiskey and Rum!  On a fine fall afternoon, you could find me here at Montanya sipping some rum and thinking about my next photography adventure.

ML

Here in Aspen, we are lucky to have a great music scene with lots of talented artists.  I could just imagine being an established artist and getting a call to ask if I would like to play a show in Aspen–lodging, meals, skiing and playing music. Yes, please.  Over Labor Day, I took my camera and went out to see a few live shows.  The first show was  Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue.  I was hanging out with my friends and was able to capture them in black and white:

The next show had you on your feet.  When Mumford & Sons took the stage outside in the Colorado air, it was special.  I’m glad I was able to spend this time with my wife and our friends.  When I listen to great music something inside changes; I wish I could show this.

The last show of the weekend was amazing.  Belly Up Aspen was the host for Buddy Guy!  This Blues legend was able to come to 8000 feet and still did not disappoint.  If you have never seen a show at Belly up you do not know what you are missing.  It is a small intimate venue which allows you to get so close to the stage and the artists there it feels like they are playing in you living room.  One word of caution, bring some cotton or ear plugs because the speakers there could fill a stadium and you are standing right next to them.

So many music artists come through Aspen.  If you are one of them and you need photography for your next album or would love something for your promotional materials please give me a call.  If you make great music, I make great visuals together we can show everyone what we as artists are about.

ML

The people and the place can make or break any festival. In Telluride, the best of both worlds come together. The town is spectacular and the characters come out of the woodwork. The music line up is always interesting for a fan of the blues. Throw all these ingredients into Town Park and the mix is just right for a great time. The photos that follow present a people’s perspective on a great festival weekend.

At any music festival there is ample opportunity for socializing and catching up with new and old friends. The people watching is also something one can do until the music makes you get up and dance. The fashion trends for this part of the world include short skirts and tall boots, along with feathers, sequins and other items we don’t see every day. The following photos show the current trends for fashion in Telluride.

The food area at a festival is also some kinda fun. The best (and longest line) is for Sister’s Pantry from Boulder, Colorado. They love serving food, and it shows. The simple smile while cooking over the hot stove says it all.

I love the way people come up with the best and most comfortable way to sit and enjoy the music–sitting on the grass in Town Park or bringing a couch that any college student would love, with pretzels around their neck. Queues and bathrooms are a fact of life, and one can enjoy the simple lines of each.

Viewing the stage after dark is simply stunning.  After the show is over, the colorful lights bid you farewell on the way out.  Til next time.

ML