Hazy Shade of Autumn
There's a lot to be said about this year and frankly those thoughts have been swirling about in my head more than sugarplums. Yet through it all, I have been in awe. Parents have persevered, persisted and broke trail on new horizons day after day after day. When I met this family for a hike in the foothills and red rocks of Boulder, Colorado I had some expectations. After all, a huge wildfire broke out the day before just north of us and the skies had been filled with ash from the new fire and the ones burning around our state for months. There's that other thing happening this year and with so much heaved upon us all I set out on foot to find the sandstone, the golden cottonwoods and this family of endurance athletes.
I should have known. Okay, I did know. Having photographed this lovely family a time or two before I knew a few things. I knew that the parents are undoubtedly driven, persistent, caring, hard-working and two of the most brilliant minds I've ever met. I knew they would come with their kiddos ready to enjoy the day no matter what the skies and would be amazing to work with. What I didn't know was whether or not I could keep up with them (literally) and deliver the types of photographs they deserved.
As their oldest came charging up the trail to me (straight up at breakneck speed) I could see that some things had changed since the last time I photographed them. Finley was a wee bit taller than I remembered and despite his young age seemed to be creeping up precariously close to my height. I made a mental note to stand above him when I could for my own ego's sake and continued down the trail with the crew.
We ran and played around the autumn leaves and Gamble Oaks and I watched in amazement as the kids made mountain lionesque leaps across the boulders and up vertical inclines. Yup, they both obviously take after their parents in genetics and affinity for incredibly challenging athletic feats. Their parents do things...HARD things. Things like trying to save the environment through brilliant work and tenacity, running 100 miles up and down and up more mountains for fun (totally serious) and are both accomplished Nordic Skiers. Yet through it all they had grace and patience (so much patience with me) and a laid-back attitude that had me making mental notes as to how I should parent in the future. Thanks for the free lessons!
And then it got better because in addition to letting the kids play, run, jump, climb and just be free, they brought out a skeleton arm. Now it was sort of near Halloween so I get that but who brings a skeleton arm to a photo shoot? Um, this sweet family does! I fully expected little Cordelia to erupt into tears when her brother (somewhat) lovingly pet her on the shoulder with the bony appendage. When she turned and saw it she burst....into smiles. Yes, just when I thought this family couldn't get any colder than the breeze they did.
We went down through the willows, inspected the variations of sandstone, I threw bats at them (doesn't everyone carry around plastic bats in their pockets) and enjoyed exploring the trails of Boulder. Watching the slurry planes fly overhead we were all thankful for the firefighters and all the work they've done this fire season and every fire season.
Cordelia's smile lit up the foothills more than the elusive sun that day and at the end of it all I knew two things: I was ready for a nap and I would be forever thankful for getting to spend a hazy autumn afternoon in the company of so much awesomeness.
Hold Your Horses: Boulder Senior Session
Flakes falling from the sky, swirling in the wind, dancing like a dressage horse. Snow in summer? Nope. It was pure 2020. Yes, ash, not snow had been blowing in for days adding a soft orange glow to the sky and that odd feeling that you were at a campfire in your own backyard. Wildfires are not a rarity in the West but ash blowing in from fires miles away for days certainly was. Despite the uncertainty in...well everything this year, I was absolutely giddy with the prospect of spending the morning photographing an incredibly talented, brilliant and beautiful senior.
High school seniors are so much more than what I saw in the Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. They do SO much more and Kiowa does more than most. What struck me was that when her mom spoke of her, multiple times I heard accolades, kind words and fond memories. Not once did I hear anything other than love and admiration for her. Not a single word. This was a parent...speaking about her teenage daughter! Parents who are so proud of their teen even after spending a LOT of time with them during a pandemic means something. I mean, I'm sick of being around myself by the end of the day. But after months of being in this cattywampus world together, Kiowa's family sees her for not only her work ethic and potential but for her dreams and determination. Seriously? AMAZING!
Oh yeah and then she mentioned the horses. Nope not horse...HORSES! Yes that was right, I was about to spend a beautiful morning with a witty and fun family and their two horses. My 12 year old self was not cheering on the inside, my (few decades older self) was jumping up and down and cheering audibly...all the way to northern Boulder County. You know when you are a kid and you say something like when I grow up I'm going to play with horses and take photos of them all day? Yeah, it was kinda like that but even better!
I tried to play it cool when I arrived at the first barn but that facade faded quickly. I looked out onto her grandfather's pasture and saw a barn, the mountains and acres of open space behind us. Literally a perfect backdrop for a senior session with horses. Having her session on her grandfather's property with him and her family there made the experience so special. He even brought out an old cart he's had in his family since he was a child and told a story about what Viggo did to another cart when he tried to hitch him to it (spoiler: it did not end well for the cart).
The first thing I noticed about Viggo was that he was a gorgeous Friesian. The second thing I noticed was his personality. I'm not saying he was toddleresque but hey Viggo knows what he is willing to do and what he doesn't care to do. I heard from a few people out in the pasture that Viggo will not listen to anyone but Kiowa and I can attest that this is the truth. Kiowa could make him walk on, turn and pause. The rest of us? Not so much. Kiowa's way with horses (and especially her horses) is a testament to the hundreds of hours she has spent on her horsemanship and Equestrian skills.
There's a story about Viggo and a reason he looks like very similar to a certain Friesian in Lord of the Rings but you'll have to ask Kiowa for that tale.
In addition to working hard to maintain her horses and her Equestrian classes she competes in, Kiowa also maintains a ridiculously high standard for all her work. This girl not only has plans for her future, but she's had these plans and a plan to reach her goals since elementary school. Kiowa shone through the smoke and the haze of her session and made me want to work even harder.
At the next barn I was greeted by the smells familiar to any girl who grew up mucking stalls and riding any horse that someone was willing to let me ride. The barn smells. People think I'm joking but I'm not. I LOVE the barn smells. Seriously! It means hard work and fun, long days, sore muscles and dirt in between your toes. It is pungent yet lovely and all it's own.
It was here that Kiowa, her aunt, her mom and dad, introduced me to Bali. When I hear that word I immediately think of a warm, unique and beautiful place. Bali was truly unique and provide a great excuse to take some time to stop and sniff the horses while I photographed him and Kiowa. This paint horse had cowlicks and eyelashes for days and he absolutely adores Kiowa. He would follow her with his eyes and ears no matter where she moved. Their connection and the trust between them was remarkable.
Alas when it was time for our session to end I regrettably did so. With one last sniff of the barn, the manure, the hay and the haze I finally put my camera down. I looked back at the dust kicking up on the dirt road behind me and smiled as I know without a doubt that happy trails lay ahead for Kiowa.
Wholehearted Masculine
Dan Mahle contacted me recently to inquire about photos for his website redesign. Immediately, I thought YESSSSS! I LOVE helping businesses get their message across and feel confident in the content they are sharing with their potential clients and the world. I thought I was excited about this prospect but what I didn't yet realize was just how thrilled I would really be once he shared his business message, core values and purpose. To say that Dan's business, Wholehearted Masculine, is timely and important is a huge understatement. That's like saying this year is eh...memorable.
Imagine growing up being told by those closest to you (family, friends, peers) and society that there is A WAY and only ONE way to be a man. That masculinity is this and only this, that you need to prove it constantly in front of others and to yourself? I'm guessing that for most boys and men, this narrow view is confusing and restrictive. It's easy to feel like if all the messages say you need to do things a certain way, that, if you feel it in your heart differently, it is going to cause a lot of emotions. And...well for many guys, emotions are not a "thing" to share. Dan's mission and purpose assists men (and companies seeking a well-rounded, functional and inclusive work-force) how to break down these stereotypes and learn to be more inclusive with their selves, lives, businesses and each other.
One of the greatest things I've noticed in this squirrelly year, is that people are thinking about a lot at things, really noticing things. It's an awakening of ourselves both within and within society. There has been a huge shift to recognize and act upon how society treats each other and how we treat our own self. This is leading to an immense amount of change and that change can be really, really challenging to navigate alone and not particularly enjoyable. Dan Mahle is able to coach, guide and assist others who are seeking a change and does so with not only knowledge but compassion and empathy. After spending time with Dan I realized that having a facilitator like him for big life changes is crucial to offer the support that we all need at times. For example, if I had known Dan long ago I might have finally given up wearing Umbro shorts years before Y2K as my official everyday uniform of choice. But alas, Dan has bigger, larger goals than wardrobe changes and anyone who works with Dan will surely see his business as a huge catalyst for positive change within yourself and how you see/interact with others.
Dan's knowledge and expertise allows him to work well with both men seeking an one-on-one experience as well as companies hoping to integrate his program within their own business. What was apparent to me in working with Dan was just how passionate and committed he is to helping men heal, grow and thrive in their personal and professional lives. The more Dan told me about Wholehearted Masculine and it's mission, the more excited I became at the realization of how many men he can impact in a positive way.
But enough chatter from me, here is what Dan, himself, had to say about Wholehearted Masculine:
Why do this work: Today, men all around the world are co-creating a new story of masculinity and discovering who we truly are by exploring the power of healthy vulnerability. We are actively working to heal our wounds from the old story of masculinity that has left many of us emotionally shut down, sensually deprived, and too ashamed to discover our true power and purpose in the world. We are leaning into our fears and celebrating our failures as we discover what it means to live a life of deep connection, purpose and fulfillment – as wholehearted men. We are redefining what it means to be a man in the 21st century, starting from within our own hearts. Join us.
Our Services:
*Training: We help teams build gender equity and healthy masculinity into the heart of their culture.
*Coaching: We partner with leaders and executives to support them in navigating complex culture dynamics.
Our Core Values:
*Courage - We act with integrity even when we are afraid. We lean into vulnerability.
*Acceptance - We hold ourselves and others with love and respect, viewing our flaws and failures as opportunities to grow.
*Accountability - We are honest with ourselves and others and seek to listen proactively. We take responsibility to repair relationships as needed.
*Interconnectedness - We recognize that we are in this together and we are committed to building a world that works for all.
Winter Wind
Present. The winter wind makes you present. You are acutely aware of it's presence. You can feel it as it drops your core temperature, makes your hair swirl and conducts a symphony of motion with the trees, grasses and the snow that has already landed on the ground. It isn't one of those events that you might miss. When you feel it, you know it. It literally breathes life into the world like a giant exhaling from atop the nearest peak.
While the spring winds are usually greeted with smiles, the winter wind's reputation is more of a surly, grumpy one. There seems to be an awful lot of winter wind blowing around the world lately and we were met with it's presence (okay actually it quite literally almost knocked me over when I stepped out onto the trail with my camera). Here we were. It was time for a lovely family who had taken the time to make time for a lovely day together in the mountains to discuss an alternative location.
I had it all in that moment. I had us at a beautiful location. I had a family who exudes beauty, kindness, fun, joy and love. I had them here standing in front of me, bracing against those 40mph+ winds and I had to talk to them about how our friend the wind was really trying to put a damper on this experience. Things like this happen and I'm here to tell you it's OKAY! Life happens. Expectations are made and reality can become wind shears all around us, and at us. It can sneak up on you and when you turn your back to it, WHAM it shifts and greets you right in the face yet again. But, this family, this LOVELY, WONDERFUL, FUN, AUTHENTIC family, didn't turn and run or spit into the wind (that would be a not so great choice), they went with it. They knew it would eventually pass at least somewhat and they knew that they wanted to face this together. So we brainstormed, we problem solved and we absolutely sat in our cars while doing so because come on....that wind.
We decided to try a different location, one with very different views, a very different environment but one that was lovely for providing some shelter and a different perspective. I can honestly say that I loved, loved, LOVED this session. I loved seeing the family come together, choose to be together and work together as a team to enjoy their time together as I captured some memories. I had a lot of ideas of how these fabulous twin teenagers, their parents and their fluffy pup Louie would act but I was blown away (yup) by how resplendent they were. These sisters were dazzling and sparkling with their energy, their light and their authenticity. They wanted to be there. They wanted photos together, seriously they did! I felt like I had won a contest, the lotto, a vacation with this family. They were so patient and kind even when I kept saying, just one more photo (which I said at least 10 times). Honestly I loved photographing them all so much, the challenge was in putting my camera away.
Alas, they finally convinced me to do so and the wind, it calmed down just bit more. And I wanted to get just one more shot in that moment but I was thankful for what these girls and their whole family had taught me. The wind will blow, sometimes unexpectedly, sometimes in a warm hug but you can't choose when or where. You can choose how to embrace the wind and the experiences life throws at you and sometimes when you persevere together, you can find beautiful moments in the chaos and the calm. I am SO thankful that they chose me to capture their memories and these moments and I love that today the sun is shining and that wind...it seems to be taking a restful nap.
Walking in a Winter Wonderland
Breathing in the ice crystals, the chill filled us to our core. Breathing out was to witness C02 in motion. Dancing like a child in The Nutcracker, each breath we exhaled was swiftly taken away by the breeze...okay truthfully strong gusty winds. The sun shone brightly and played Jedi Mind Tricks with us all. How can it be so sunny and yet so breathtakingly cold? The juxtaposition of sunshine and winter's arctic temps was a common one back in the day.
Long ago, perhaps last decade, winter was upon us. It greeted us along with trick-or-treaters on Halloween, and dumped so much snow aloft the Colorado landscape just before Thanksgiving that the ski resorts danced with delight. But skiing was not on my mind that wintry day. I was thinking about how to capture multiple generations of a fantastic and fabulous family without anyone obtaining frostbite, or Frosty the Snowman status.
The cadre had trained for this day (or perhaps not). Either way, temperatures in the teens, along with the heaviest snowfall the Boulder area had seen in years, greeted us all upon the mesa. I was prepared for us all to acknowledge the obvious: it was really, really cold; really, really windy; and really, really snowy. I was prepared for this family to say "peace out until summer." But I was not prepared for them to all willingly go along and hike through it all to capture a few moments together forever with such grace, patience, and humor.
We plowed on across the vast landscape, heading west toward the mountains one step at a time. I was reminded of the prospectors and dreamers who trudged through the blizzards to find gold and a home not so long before us, and was thankful we arrived here by car and not horse and wagon. Together this family persevered and allowed me the honor of photographing them in a truly Winter Wonderland. They were kind, patient, and incredibly wonderful to work with. They reminded me of what a family truly is: a group of people connected and sharing moments (some exceptionally memorable) together. That was more beautiful to witness than even the radiant, snowy land.
When the youngest kiddos arrived, I immediately thought about how my own children would have reacted to the statement of: Get dressed up! We are going outside in 18 inches of snow while it is 12 degrees out and taking photos! Ooh and we are hiking in it too! (Spoiler: hooray would not have been one of those words). But these girls, these girls brought their A+++ game and were a pure JOY to work with. They listened, played, and smiled and were so memorably beautiful to work with. I could not have felt any luckier to work with the entire family! As the sun began to dip behind the highest peaks and the wind continued to visibly force us to our car, we knew it was time to retreat to the comfort of our heated cars.
This new decade arrived with spring temps partying all January, until today. Today, winter has finally returned. I thought in the quiet of the moonlight I heard the mountains shake and laugh at our 70+ degree day just 48 hours ago, while the snow clouds enveloped us in a marshmallow world once more. Looking out upon the once again soft, quiet, and oh-so-beautiful land where the plains meet the Rockies, I smile and fondly remember this family and am so thankful they frolicked in the snow for some photographs, memories, and frozen toes.
