At long last, the prevailing chill of winter has receded and given way to an eruption of flowers all across Colorado Springs. Danielle and I didn’t waste any time setting up a shoot to celebrate the return of warm weather. Little Siteris Stanley became our flower girl and we spent the entire day traveling between all the blossoming trees which offered up a spectacular range of colorful environments. There’s nothing like shooting outside! Welcome back spring. . .
The Japanese have such a wonderful and meticulous culture. I’ve long been fascinated with not only their history but their way of life. In the wake of the recent tsunami disaster, those of us at Sun Gallery were prompted to pay homage to Japan by designing a photo session around the concept of the geisha. Revered for their sharp whit, exquisite beauty and impeccable social discourse, the geishas add yet another cultural element to the mysterious allure of Japan.
This photo session never would have been possible without the talents of our good friend and stylist Jody Bray, who just so happened to be visiting us from Australia. Together, Jody and Danielle transformed our model (who happens to be Latin American) into a living piece of porcelain for the camera. Our hearts go out to the victims of the tsunami, and our creative efforts will never cease to strive for the same perfection that is the spirit of the geisha.
Singer songwriter Krystal Black is serious about playing guitar. In the midst of writing, producing and mastering her debut album all by herself, this indie rocker is part of a new generation of artists who are skipping over the big labels and taking the music business into their own hands. We collaborated with Krystal in a photo session for her album’s artwork, and we learned a thing or two about the music industry along the way. In this video documentary, Krystal pours her heart out about what it takes to make a name for herself in the music industry.
Reminiscing about Maui, Danielle designed a floral headpiece that reminded her of the time we spent in Hawaii. She created a tropical ensemble from some orchids and a scarf we found in Manitou Springs. We went to work bringing a bit of Maui here to Colorado Springs. One thing about shooting in February: it’s freezing! Don’t let the sun kissed style of these images fool you, we were both ready to thaw out by the fire after this photo session was finished. All the same, the images turned out great and will make fantastic artwork for Danielle’s new Sun Gallery business cards.
Colorado provides an endless array of natural settings for making images. For this shoot, we headed into Cheyenne Canyon where deep snow lives throughout the entire winter. Our new friend Andrea Palo de Costa served as a model to help bring Danielle’s vision of a classic snow goddess to life. And just for fun, we added some Samurai swords.
Sun Gallery is proud to announce that we are now the preferred vendor for Al’s Formal Wear in Colorado Springs. Specializing in men’s suits and tuxedos, Al’s is the place to go for any occasion. To kick off our new business relationship, Al’s set us up with two tuxedos for this year’s spring lineup. Danielle’s good friend Brandon Davis was kind enough to lend us his modeling talents and we got busy with our first collaboration. The shoot worked out brilliantly and the results will soon be displayed in the store.
Danielle and I have recently made friends with a number of the burlesque dancers from Peaks and Pasties. For those who are not familiar with this style of dance, it is descended from the Cabaret clubs which began cropping up in Germany in the middle 1930s. Both provocative and risque, burlesque provides a form of expression and sexual liberation for those who practice it. Danielle’s good friend Kristi Gates was kind enough to volunteer for the magician idea we’ve been tinkering with. Our compilation of magic and burlesque mixed nicely in this photo session.
Happy New Year to all of our friends in Colorado and around the world! January came in with a vengeance, bringing with it a snow storm and bone chilling New Years Eve temperatures of minus eight degrees. Fortunately, the snow stuck around for a few days to decorate our favorite local landmark. Garden of the Gods has never looked so good. Special thanks to Old Man Winter for sending us such a beautiful blanket of snow.
At long last, edits to the Antelope Canyon shoot are complete. This is by far one of the most amazing places on earth. Located on the Navaho reservation in northern Arizona, just below Lake Powell, the canyon was carved out by eons of flash flooding. Light cascades across the rock walls during the daytime in an incredible display of reds, yellows, blues and purples. These slot canyons are filled with the most amazing shapes, many of which resemble animals. As you explore this gallery, here are some things to look for: the Heart, the Taurus and the Swan.
Garden of the Gods was alive with color on this fine day! Photographers have been staking our sunsets since the beginning of cameras, and today was no exception. The painted sky was extraordinary and I’m feeling very privileged to have been there to witness. There is certainly a huge luck factor when it comes to getting that perfect sunset, and I’m happy to say that this was one such moment. . .
