J. Nelson Photography’s Photolife

It seems like quite a few of our couples have been dodging storms on their wedding days recently.  It can be stressful at least, disastrous at worst.  The only way to get through it seems to be taking it all with a little bit of humor, and a whole lot of optimism.

Nicole and Piotr woke up to thunderstorms and had another front roll in while they were getting ready.  Still, they were relaxed and just knew that the day was going to work out.  These are mountain people, so maybe they are specially in tune with something the rest of us are missing.  In any case, the skies cleared and they got a beautiful day.  Like there was any doubt.

To hear everyone at the reception, it would seem that Nicole and Piotr were destined to be together, and they seem to be chasing that destiny with open arms.  Their past are so intertwined, I have no doubt that their future is going to be spectacular!

Jen called us a couple of weeks ago to shoot some photos of baby Rory. I love shooting babies because there is no way you can really pose them. They are totally natural.

Rory seemed so interested in the sound of the shutter! She is already such a beautiful little girl and so aware of her surroundings even as a five month old! Thank you Jen for letting us capture these small but fantastic moments!

Besides being a cool mommy, Jen is a talented wedding planner as well. Check out her website at Wedding With an Altitude!

Matt and Maria are such a great couple, and their story is a bit unique.  I actually shot this couple’s first “wedding” last summer!   Matt and Maria live in Fraser and have been planning their wedding at the Beaver Creek Chapel and the Donovan Pavilion for a couple of years now.  Plans got moved forward last year when Maria, who is Argentinian, was informed that her visa may not be renewed. They decided to speed things up with a civil ceremony at the beautiful Devil’s Thumb Ranch last September.   Of course I was flattered when they asked me back to shoot their full on wedding this year in Vail.

It was an absolutely beautiful day, and Maria had seamlessly incorporated so many Argentinian traditions. She has outstanding style and a wonderful eye for detail.  The ceremony, programs, menus and speeches were in Spanish and English, and Matt even attempted his vows bilingually.

The great Father Bob cooling Matt’s nerves before the ceremony.

Maria arrived with her father right as the ceremony was to start, a tradition in Argentina.

I had asked them how it felt to not have to get married again….good to say the least.

They started their dance with a traditional waltz….and surprised everyone by switching to a choreographed 80’s favorite.

Soul X from Denver rocked the dance floor.

There was a surprise tango lesson for all the guests.

Thank you Matt and Maria for letting me take part in your final wonderful wedding day!

First off, we know that we’re super fortunate to be able to work in the mountains as often as we do. Just the landscape is enough to make it a photographer’s dream.

At the same time, the mountain communities are pretty small and we end up shooting the same venues quite a bit. Not that it ever gets old, but variety, as they say, is the spice of life.  When Dave and Michelle hired us to shoot their wedding at Piney Lake in the mountains above Vail, we were thrilled. It is an absolutely stunning venue, and we’d never shot there before.

In the end, this was one of our favorite weddings of the year.  It was a big ball of deep emotion, uncommon beauty, and great music from the Motet.  We’re loving the photos and we’re so glad we got to be there!

Kendra and Jason were our first couple of the season that had a real danger of having mother nature make other plans for their ceremony. Still, with a light rain falling over the Donovan Pavilion in Vail, the couple couldn’t have been more relaxed. They were so into the meaning of the day and being with each other that a little rain wasn’t going to bother them in the least. With smiles on their faces they waited a few extra minutes and got the perfect window in which to have their ceremony.

It is so great to see a couple that is so perfectly suited to each other. Jason and Kendra are so in love, it frickin radiates from them every time they look at one another!  With the amazing life these two have set up for themselves and the support of so many amazing friends and family, I can see a lot of years of happiness to come.

A little last minute mending.

Mimosas?

Jason and Kendra saw each other before the ceremony.  We love capturing those first few moments that a bride and groom share all by themselves.

Jason and his brother.

Maybe she’s thinking about it?

Thanks to Jason and Kendra for letting us be part of their day!

We don’t shoot many senior portraits. Not because we don’t like them, I really enjoy them now that I am behind the camera and not in front of it! But I wanted to fit this one in any way I could!!

Bridgette is going to be a senior at Chatfield, where I also went. She is the little sister of a lifelong friend of my little sister’s…..mmmmhmmmm try to follow that story. She grew up in the same valley that I did, and she wanted to make sure that the beautiful surroundings she has grown up in were showcased in her photos. We reconnected at Elisa and Jarris’ wedding in May, and I was so excited when she called looking for some senior portraits that wouldn’t look like any of her friends portraits!

Bridgette is very smart, and unbelievably kind and confident for a 17 year old! I have no doubt that she will be so successful at whatever school she decides to go to. The front runners seem to be the Rhode Island School of Design or the Savannah College of Art and Design. Either will be lucky to have her!

Thanks Bridgette, and Mom Wendy, for putting up with me for a few hours, and for waiting out the pouring rain and crazy thunderstorm!

While Jenny and I are largely wedding photographers in the summer season, we still do a fair bit of commercial work in between the weekends.  Something we really enjoy shooting is food.

I know, food photography tends to conjure images of inedible items created with industrial type supplies to get the “perfect look”.  On the contrary, all of our clients are extremely talented chefs who’s food is both delicious and beautiful.  We shoot their dishes on site, as they would come out of the kitchen for any patron.

While we were in Cozumel last week, we had the opportunity to shoot the food and a little bit of the space at Kinta Mexican Bistro.  Chef and owner Kris Wallenta has been a friend of ours for years, and his new venture in downtown Cozumel has been wildly popular since it’s opening.  Kinta is a perfect example of the blend between cuisine that pleases the palate and a space that delights the rest of the senses.  Kris’ food is thoughtfully  flavored, with elements of the traditional Mexican and Kris’ own culinary background.  From a photographers perspective, the colors on the plates are vibrant, and his presentation really pops.

Maybe the best part was getting to see how Kinta pulls all of this off.  Kris is hands on in every aspect of his baby.  Without getting too cliche,  from the art that goes on the walls, to the art that goes on the plate, you can feel the love he puts into the place.

In the morning, Kris, Jenny and I went to the mercado to grab some tacos for breakfast and to take a few shots of Kris shopping for the restaurant.  You can tell that Kinta uses the freshest local ingredients whenever possible.

I wish all our shoots went like this!  In the end, while we really enjoyed shooting Kris’ dishes, we enjoyed devouring them even more.

I mentioned the other day that we had been out of town shooting some great stuff, and Josh and Lauren’s wedding in Mexico was at the top of that list.  If you know Jenny and I, you also know that travel to anywhere, for any reason, is one of our biggest passions.  When we get to go somewhere as beautiful as Cozumel to shoot such an amazing event, we’re happier than clams in slop.

Josh and Lauren brought us down to capture their weekend, and we’re so stoked they did!  As much as I love shooting in the mountains,  there is something special about a beach wedding.  I think it has something to do with not having to wear shoes.

Destination weddings are typically small, but Josh and Lauren had over 100 friends and family to celebrate with them.  Nothing like coming down and bringing your own party with you!  Everyone had a ridiculous time, and we were LOVING all the new subjects for images.  The colors were great, the details were unique, and did I already mention not having to wear shoes to the wedding?  In short,  it’s hard to pick just a few shots for this post, but you can expect an update with the whole lot when we’ve got them all edited.

Talk about the writing on the wall…

Apparently this is a rare shot of Lauren’s Dad cutting loose at the rehearsal.

Lauren looking beautiful.

The boys getting ready Mexican style.

Seriously, sin zapatos. Que bueno.

Lauren has great style and her details definitely popped.

Champagne toast post ceremony.

Not worthy.

Worthy.

Josh and Lauren gettin’ down.

Thanks so much to Josh and Lauren and their families for letting us be there for such a perfect weekend!

One of the coolest aspects to this business is the great people we get to meet. Outside of being the Bride and Groom, so many of our couples are really interesting people with great stories. Jason and Megan are NY transplants that have become long time Vail locals. Their shared love of playing outdoors has led them to countless adventures, and their sense of community and conservation was the impetus they needed to start their own business. I can’t say it any better than they do on their wedding website…

“In May of 2006, we started Active Energies, Inc., an energy consulting firm in Avon, CO. Together we work to promote energy efficiency and green building through energy audits, solar installations, and design and construction consulting. The business is going well, we love what we do, and we can ski on powder mornings… how could things be any better?”

Maybe the best thing to top it off would be an incredible Vail wedding full of tons of friends and family! It’s so obvious how happy this couple is, and we’re glad we got to be a part of their day.

We’ve been away for a bit shooting in some great places, but we’re back in the goold old USA and excited to get up some fresh content! No one better to start with than Nicole and Piotr and their Vail engagement session!

We have a lot of couples that want to head up to the mountains for their engagements because that is what Colorado is supposed to look like. They may not even be very outdoorsy, but they are happy to brave the wilds for great engagement photos. On the contrary, Nicole and Piotr grew up in Summit County and the mountains have always been a huge part of their life. Shooting their engagement in beautiful Vail in the summertime seemed totally natural, and this amazing couple looked right at home!

Nicole and Piotr are such a fun couple to work with, we’re really looking forward to their Beaver Creek wedding this August!