Ready for part two of Lindsay & Brandon’s epic engagement session?  Here’s the slightly-more-every-day counterpart to the awesome vintage author-themed part of their engagement session – with fun, bright, summertime colors :)

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Groom June 11th, 2010

Molly, you’re simply wonderful. I love them!! (Except the placement of my right hand in the last one… :) ) Not that I’m surprised, but they’re absolutely gorgeous and colorful! Good job. And it actually looks like I had no trouble blowing those bubbles… ;)

Amy June 11th, 2010

AHHH! I love how we get the progression of you two having innocent childish fun to the sexy make-out in the river picture! love it!

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I LOVE my studio space! It’s my office / indoor shooting space / meeting area / proofing area / gallery / home away from home.  It’s in an old Victorian house on Main Street here in Buena Vista, and when clients come in for the first time, I always get a ton of compliments and questions.  So, I figured for those of you who are far away, or who haven’t made it into the studio yet, here’s a little photographic tour of my awesome space.

The building was built in 1909 and I share the space with my landlord Christina Brandenburg, who is a stellar architect and all-around wonderful person (I’d link to her website right now, but I don’t think she has one).  It’s old and has all kinds of crazy nooks and crannies and ancient fixtures and huge windowpanes with ripply glass.  In past lives, it’s been a medical clinic, a South African woodcarver shop, a realtor’s office, and a home to some of my clients’ grandparents.  Nope, I didn’t choose the paint colors.  Nope, I don’t live there (at least not technically :) – in the summer I’m there so much that I might as well live there).  It has gorgeous real wood floors, a warm sunny kitchen, natural light in almost 4 directions, bay windows, a front patio with hanging flowers, huge sweeping cottonwood trees, grass that grows at the edge of the sidewalk, and it would have a nice little garden if the deer would stop eating everything in sight.  Oh yes, the deer.  There’s also pretty much an entire herd of deer that live in the yard.

One time last summer, I was working late.  It was twilight – you know that eerie, surreal light that creeps in just past sunset?  I was alone in the studio, but suddenly, all the little hairs on the back of my neck stood up.  I could have sworn that someone was watching me.  I tried to shake off this creepy feeling, but it just wasn’t going away.  Finally, with near-horror, I suddenly remembered that when I sit at my desk, my back is to a window.  Wide-eyed, I turned and looked over my shoulder.  There was a huge, mangy deer standing so close that its breath was fogging up the windowpanes.  It was eating my newly-planted flowers from the flower box, just staring at me, breathing heavily.  I shuddered.  I hate deer.  My hatred of deer could take up an entire post.

Aaannnyyway…

This first image was taken last summer, after things started growing but before I planted tons of brightly-colored flowers in the front and did some landscaping.  Doesn’t all that green look refreshing, though, even as unkempt as it is in this shot?  Getting anything to grow at 8,000 feet is pretty exciting :)

To my knowledge, all the doorknobs and fixtures are original.

I included my coffee cup because I can pretty much guarantee that, the entire time you’re in the studio, you won’t see me without it :)

So, welcome!  Feel free to drop by if you see cars out in front – I’m open by appointment, but if I’m there, I’d love for you to come say hi!

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Leslie 'Hillman' Dollinger March 26th, 2010

♥

Leslie Hillman Dollinger March 26th, 2010

♥

Tracy Thompson March 26th, 2010

Beautiful Studio!! You have done a wonderful job, LOVE IT!

Elisabet Johnson March 26th, 2010

So classy.

Karen Seeling March 26th, 2010

love the pictures! You can capture the beauty in everything!

Karen Wilson Seeling March 26th, 2010

love the pictures! You can capture the beauty in everything!

Myranda Butcher March 26th, 2010

I just spend the last 15 minutes playing "Find the coffee cup", and I'm beginning to wonder if it doesn't actually look like a coffee cup…or if I'm just retarted. Either way, your studio is emaculate.

Mur Butcher March 26th, 2010

I just spend the last 15 minutes playing "Find the coffee cup", and I'm beginning to wonder if it doesn't actually look like a coffee cup…or if I'm just retarted. Either way, your studio is emaculate.

Elisabet Johnson March 27th, 2010

Mur, I love you. It's white.

Myranda Butcher March 27th, 2010

I swear, that set of pictures wasn't there when I first saw this! Maybe that mug is so badass, it just goes invisible before it strikes it's victims….

Mur Butcher March 27th, 2010

I swear, that set of pictures wasn't there when I first saw this! Maybe that mug is so badass, it just goes invisible before it strikes it's victims….

Melissa March 27th, 2010

How lovely that your studio reflects so much of you! It shines marvelous light everywhere, just as you do. Wonderfulness.

Tim Donohoe March 27th, 2010

my god! the greenery! i didn't recognise the placei thought you had another studio somewhere else

Molly Odell Seeling March 27th, 2010

Tim – I know! It shocked me too! LOL

Lara Davis Barnett March 28th, 2010

I do love that house!

Lara Davis Barnett March 28th, 2010

YOur deer story makes me think of this: our living room has one wall of windows and our dining table is across from them I never want to sit in the chair that put my back to the window, because my back would be vulnerable. Scott claims I was a cowboy in a past life….

Elisabet Johnson March 28th, 2010

Get this, Lara, not only do I never put my back to windows at night, it really, really bothers me to sit with my back to the restaurant when eating out. I try to always sit with my back against a wall…maybe we were cowboys together in our past life…or maybe spies….

jan odell March 28th, 2010

love the space that you call “home”; its perfect and rounds out your personality. seeing how you see details makes me know you better. love the hinges and the rust and the green (proof that spring/summer WILL come) and the lollipops! your space is so you! thanks for sharing.

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Part two of Matt & Sara’s excellent wedding  on a beautiful, snowy day at Mt. Princeton Hot Springs!  I loved the cap guns as they were pronounced husband & wife (they also made for a very interesting reception :)

You know me – the guns were my favorite part!

I love how crazy fun it got on the dance floor…

This is what it looks like when your wedding guests dance to Tupac:

This is what it looks like when your parents watch your wedding guests dance to Tupac:

Sara & Matt had a projector set up to play snowboarding videos during the reception – great idea!

Thanks so much, you guys!  What a fun, beautiful day.  You’re wonderful and I completely enjoyed shooting your wedding :)

(Thanks to the lovely Jenny for letting me use some images from her recent boudoir session!  Schedule your session soon – I can’t wait to work with you)

Happy New Year!  I am amazed at all that 2009 has brought me, and I wish all my lovely clients and blog stalkers the best 2010 possible.  February of 2010 will mark the beginning of my third year as studio owner and full-time photographer – crazy!  I feel like I’ve learned so much, and pretty much every shoot I do, I fall more in love with my job.  That sounds kind of lame, but it’s definitely true.  I am so grateful for the many amazing people I’ve met over these last two years.  My friends and family have been so supportive and encouraging.  I have loved working with old friends, meeting great new people, and my favorite – turning new clients into close friends :)  For example, the outstanding Leslie and Brian gave me this awesome gift after our Dia de los Muertos trash the dress session.  I have it sitting directly across from my computer, on the table next to the door, so when I’m feeling overwhelmed I can look up at it and smile and remember what awesome clients I have.  It makes me happy.  Check it out.  Just look at it.

2009 has been crazy!  I paid off the studio two years early, my business has grown, and I’ve learned so much about photography, business, and my own work ethic :)  I’m not really the “resolutions” type, but since this is a good time of the year to reassess, I’ve decided to make a few business changes.

1. I will limit myself to 10 hours of work a day.  Weeelll…. that’s my goal :)  Moderation is hard when you love your job and you’re your own boss, because when something needs to be done, it’s hard not to just go do it.  However, especially the last six months or so, I feel like I’m saying “no” to my friends and family all the time so that I can get work stuff done.  I’ve neglected important relationships, and caught myself editing or designing albums at 11pm more than once, rather than doing whatever it is that normal people do at 11pm.  I’m usually a notorious gym rat, and I haven’t been to the gym in months.  I love books, and the last time my dad asked, “What are you reading these days?”, I laughed, and responded, “Um… my email?”  Uncool.  In 2010, I will strive for better balance between my work and my personal life.  Because, no matter how much you love your job, it’s okay to have a personal life.

My coffee has to be strong... because I drink it out of a mug shaped like brass knuckles.

2. I will respond to phone calls, emails, Facebook messages, etc. more quickly.  This really goes along with #1.  I’ve been so so busy (which is awesome!) that I haven’t always been easy to get a hold of.  Most of the time, if you call me during the day and I don’t pick up, it’s because I’m with a client, either on a shoot or a consult.  This means that, at the end of the day, I have a lot of communication to catch up on.  Phone calls are definitely welcome, but I prefer email because I can keep track of it better.  Also, I love Facebook!  Be my friend, become a fan of Cedar House Photography, and let’s get to know each other!  Feel free to use Facebook to get in touch with me for any reason.  If you have any questions that are specific to your account or your order, please don’t text me or ask those questions through wall posts or the the chat feature on Facebook, only because I’m easily forgetful and I like to have things in writing so I can refer to them later :)  Otherwise, feel free to text or chat with me about anything!

This has nothing to do with what I'm saying, but it made me smile.

3. I will be implementing a re-design policy for cards and albums.  Actually, I’ve always had one, but this year, I’ll be enforcing it :)  For each album or set of cards, I’ll give you an initial design.  You can give me your input and I’ll do one re-design, if necessary.  After that, there will be a small fee for each set of changes.  Thanks for your understanding.

I’m looking forward to a lot of good things in 2010, including

- a short trip to Nashville this month for Imaging USA

- a large, and growing, list of seriously fun weddings all over Colorado - if you’re looking to get married in 2010, contact me soon!  Dates are being gobbled up… like Pac-Man… or something.

- a road trip to Santa Fe, NM, where I grew up

- a trip out to the East coast for my beautiful sister’s graduation from college (and hopefully a few shoots)

- a whole new crop of lovely seniors – you guys make me so happy and I can’t wait for senior season again!

- working with new studio management software and a cool new album company

- taking French at the local community college.  Because I’m a nerd.  Because I can.  And mostly because they don’t offer any more Spanish, Mandarin, or Arabic.  I guess I’m kind of settling.

Anyway.  Thanks for being my clients and my friends.  I appreciate your comments, your encouragement, your business, and your friendship.  Happy 2010!

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Darryl Coleman January 2nd, 2010

I finally decided to write a comment on your blog. I just wanted to say good job. I really enjoy reading your posts.

Lara Davis Barnett January 3rd, 2010

I am so happy that you’re so busy! I am commenting so that you know this has been read, it’s hard to blog and wonder, ‘who reads this?’ I am excited that you love your work and get to live out a dream, it’s inspiring to me. You are a fantastically talented photographer!

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