Colorado Children and Wedding Photographer

Last year at WPPI I had the opportunity to meet and hang out with Robert Evans (a wedding photographer to the stars, such as Tom/ Kate, and Brad/Jennifer Aniston)  at Becker’s sweet Vegas Bash.  His humble disposition and friendly demeanor caught me off guard for someone who’s photographed Hollywood’s hottest celebrity weddings.   So when he found me on facebook, and I saw the launch of his new site, photographymentor.com I knew I wanted to share this incredible resource with my fellow photogs.   It is an awesome site that not only brings photographers together, but also shares ideas, tips and tricks from some of the best photographers in the industry.   Thanks Robert for creating such a powerful tool for photographers everywhere!  See you in Vegas!

Cheers,

Shannon Kaple

Lover of all things photography mentor related….

This past Saturday my husband and I headed up to Red Rock to meet our out of town guests driving in from Vegas.  Much to my delight a long black limo pulled up just as we were walking towards the amphitheater and out came the most gorgeous, idyllic  looking bride with long flowing black curls and big brown eyes.  To my surprise, there was no professional  photographer following, only the wedding party with their point and shoots.  This is where I took the opportunity to introduce myself to Stacy and Steven and offered to capture some images of their stop at Red Rocks.  I was delighted when they agreed to let me document their visit, as I’ve been going through bridal withdrawal ever since my last wedding was in December.   So with out further a do, I introduce to you the new Mr. and Mrs. Benner!  Thanks Steve & Stacy for letting me be a part of your special day!

The world’s largest photography convention in the US is less than three weeks away and I’ve been dancing around my house in utter excitement for this year’s festivities…..seriously, ask my husband, he can account for my craziness. I had an incredible time last year learning from the best photographers, shooting brides on the strip, partying like a rockstar and meeting some of the most sought after wedding photographers in the industry.

Last week I received an Evite to Becker’s Big Vegas Bash that is held at The Mandalay Bay Hotel. It was the highlight of my trip last year, so when I got another invite, I couldn’t help but to do cartwheels in my living room. If you haven’t checked out his B-school yet, you should definitely head over there….he has a different video each day that will rock your world. Check out this hilarious video featuring Joe Photo,Michele Celentano and Skip Cohen.

I recently read this article in the NY times entitled “The Bride Wore Very Little”. As a photographer I like to stay on top of new bridal trends and offer interesting reads for my client’s. I found this one to be very intriguing ….where a little sexy is great on your wedding day, I think baring all leaves little to the groom’s imagination. Then again, more often than not, he has seen the whole package. What do you think, to bare or not to bare?

Tonight our monthly photography meeting will be held at 7pm in North Boulder.  I’ll be giving a brief talk on “Does You’re Market Know You?”  If you are new to photography or have been in the industry for years, you won’t want to miss this discussion on the current wedding market, branding, internet presence and creating value for our clients.   If you ‘re interested in attending, please contact me for more information at shannon@centeravenueimaging.com

To view pics from our last meeting click here.  Thanks Gino for posting these!

Last Sunday I headed over to Red Rocks, as part of a larger group of photographers called Innovative Imagemakers. It is one of the most beautiful places to photograph. A few of us straggled from the group to explore our own image making, but all in all it was a great experience. Plus, it was gorgeous day. Here were some of the images from the day. Thanks to Tricia and Candy for putting this together and providing the models!

My fellow Nikonian friend RJ allowed me to use his lens baby, which is very similar to a large format camera with all the moving parts. I think I need one, thanks RJ!

Here were some other members from the group.

The image on the left was taken by Ross, thank you! Here is Stacy and I getting into trouble…who knew you weren’t supposed to climb on the rocks?

Happy Sunday!

Shannon

Fine Art Photojournalist & Red Rock Rebel

I’m sitting here enjoying the savory taste of my favorite Godiva truffle, dark chocolate raspberry.  I promised myself I would only eat one a day, but now I’m trying out the champagne flavor….ummm yummy and divine!  My super awesome hubby not only got me chocolates, but also  gave me a dozen orange (my favorite color) roses and a beautiful orchid.  I told him I only wanted chocolate and flowers, but he remembered, from a few months a go, also wanting a live plant too.    So my office is looking very festive, which is good because I’m feeling a little under the weather.

With the onset of Valentine’s Day, I’ve been thinking about how my way of communicating love differs from that of my husband.   There is a great book out call “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman and it provides great insight as to how to express love to your mate in their dialect.  The 5 languages are;

1. Words of Affirmation

2. Quality Time

3. Receiving Gifts

4. Acts of Service

5. Physical Touch

My husband, Wade would prefer me to express my love in “Acts of Service”, but for while I would just give him gifts, because that is one of my top Love Languages along with “Words of Affirmation”.   You tend to communicate to your mate in the language that is your own, but if you two don’t share the same language he or she might feel unloved.  It only recently hit me that Wade would prefer me to do something for him instead of getting gifts, so this year for Valentines Day I did a series of little things make him feel loved….took him to see the U23D show, replaced his watch battery, woke up at 7:30 ( which rarely happens, because I’m such a night owl) and made him breakfast.

To learn what your love language is click here.

Much Love,

Shannon

Lover, Photographer and Friend

I’m a huge proponent of networking, so I try on every occasion to get out there and meet new people. I especially enjoy meeting other photographers, because I’m always inspired, amazed and encouraged by how many incredibly talented people are out there photographing. That and I love to encourage and hopefully inspire those I come into contact with. So Wednesday night, I headed into downtown Denver for a pictage user group meeting headed by the lovely and very talented Katie Van Buren, whom I met last year at Becker’s WPPI bash at the Mandalay Bay hotel. It was a great opportunity to meet some of Denver’s best photogs and put names with faces. In addition, I got to hear and see the AMAZING works of Travis Broxton. Not only does he create beautiful, timeless imagery, he is also very down to earth and has fought and won a bout with cancer. His attitude and charisma is contagious. If you haven’t see his work yet, you should definitely check him out!

In the same stream as Networking, I’ll be giving a talk at the upcoming Mile High Photography Group on “Does Your Market Know You?” and we’ll be discussing the current wedding market, branding, Internet presence, and adding value for your clients. If you’re a photographer and would like to attend please drop me a line! I’ve been reading a lot of valuable information and I’m excited to share what I’ve been learning.

I’m really excited as 08 is turning out to be a sweet year! Check back soon for new updates.

Have a great weekend!

-Shannon

I’ve been busy poring over images from last years weddings, engagement sessions, and lifestyle portraits and I feel like I’ve been cheating you out of some amazing moments.    With that said I’ve spent the last few days updating my website with photographs that have been captured with grace, elegance and beauty.   So be sure to go over to my site http://www.centeravenueimaging.com and check it out!   Let me know what would you like to see more of in 08 and I’ll try to post them on the site before the next decade

In addition, we have an awesome “Sweetheart Special” running through the end of the month.  So if you’re planning to get a diamond for Valentine’s Day, now is a great time to give us a call for more information about booking us for your upcoming wedding!

Cheers,

Shannon

Last week we headed to the East Coast for my husband’s holiday work party. The event was held at Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh. The party it self was not as great as it could have been, but we certainly enjoyed our time visiting with some old friends and experiencing the infamous Chihuly exhibit. Here are some photographs from my adventures in Pittsburgh. Note, these were all taken with my point & shoot.

an image from the plane..

Here is my beautiful friend, Cassandra. She is one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever met, and an amazing writer. Needless to say, when she asked me to photograph her wedding, I was honored. We’ll be flying out to Philly this June to document her big day. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet her fiance Steve, but she showed me a this photo These two met in Mozambique and are planning a second ceremony in Africa. Here’s crossing my fingers that I get invited to that one too Starting this year, I’m offering a Diamond Destination package, so if you know of anyone getting married outside the US, or Hawaii, please have them contact me for more information.

Here is a photograph of my best friend, Breanna and her handsome son, Benjamin. We had an awesome time hanging out, plus his aunt Shannon taught him a fun new game. I would post the pic of me and Ben, but it looks like I’m shaking him silly. I’m all smiles, but he looked confused. I LOVE babies.

Here is me taking a picture with the strikingly beautiful ladies, Bre and Cassandra…oh ya, and Ben’s head.

Later that night, I met up with some more of my girlfriends for Happy Hour at a sweet restaurant called Thai Pei, a must visit anytime I’m in the Burgh.

Here is my hubby, Wade, and I sporting our new diggs before the party. I bought him an early Valentines gift, a swelteringly good looking sports jacket with matching button down shirt. Doesn’t he look handsome? I scored a beautiful dress at Ann Taylor, perfect for the occasion, complete with matching jacket and accessories.

one of the exhibits…

perfect photo-op…

I’m a huge fan of Chihuly’s work and would have loved to taken a piece home, however they started at a whopping 5K, maybe next year!

Have a great weekend!

Cheers,

Shannon