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Musings by a Denver Wedding Photographer - What Defines Us?

Monday, October 19, 2009 - Portraits

Don't look now, but this Denver Wedding Photographer got to thinking... What defines us?

I've heard so many stories lately from numerous family members, friends, clients, and acquaintances about LIFE. Stories of events that happen in the day to day as we go about our lives. Events that bring joy and events that crush us. And it really seems that as I listen, and as I speak, we communicate that these events define us. These events shape our story so much that when someone asks 'What about you?" Or, 'What about them?" We respond with "Well, I heard that this was happening to them..." Or, "Me? Last week I did this, and next month this is supposed to happen..." And that's it. If you know what I'm going through, what is happening to me, then you know me.

But I've got to tell you that lately I've been nagged by this thought that if What I Am DOING defines Who I AM then I'm in big trouble! Because what am I doing? I'm sitting at a computer for hours and hours each day, week after week. I'm going out on weekends and shooting beautiful photographs of fabulous weddings. And yes, I am a Denver Wedding Photographer. I'm a guy who loves watching movies in my free time. Listening to podcasts about them. Reading articles about them. I'm a guy who also enjoys playing board games with friends when I get a free evening on a weekend. I like concerts. I like football. And I recently discovered that I love sushi.

But recently I've been thinking, at the end of my days (oh, yes, I'm going there!), that none of that will amount to much and I'm certainly hoping that it won't define me. I hope that all of that would only define just the smallest picture of me. And so I've begun to think about what I want to define me. Beyond all circumstance, and all of the doing, who am I? And instead of the what shaping the who, how can the who then shape the what?

Um, you know what I mean?

...because if your husband is stationed in Afghanistan for a year, does that make you a military wife?

A single mom of sorts?

Does having a little brother make you a big sister?

Does completing a marathon in 3:10:10 define you? Being a huge Obama supporter?

Can Autism define you?

Being a 'Graphic Designer'? A 'College Student/Barista'? The 'Youngest'? A Brunette?

Adopted? African-American? Healthy? Sick?

Are you everything you've lost?

And here is where I've settled. That Who I am is defined by Whose I am and not by what I do or what happens to me.

God has called me His child, and that's who I am. He owns me, I am His, and that's who I am.
Emily calls me husband and Rose, Philip, and Phoenix call me daddy, and that's who I am. They claim me and I claim them, and it's those relationships that make me who I am.

And so where does that leave me today? Trying to figure out how the who shapes the what, that's where. :)

Wedding in Golden Colorado - Melissa and Glen

Friday, January 4, 2008 - Weddings & Clients

My last wedding of 2007 and there wasn't much of 2007 left. Melissa and Glen were married on December 30th in Golden, Colorado and it was a day to remember!
They found me on the internet and hired me sight unseen and so it was so cool to finally meet them - and on such a momentous occasion. They're from California you see, though I believe they'll be moving here to Colorado when they get back from Iraq.
Anyway - on to the photos...
I love a Military wedding. Guys just look so classy in a uniform.

Here's Glen buttoning up before the ceremony.

And here's his friend checking over Glen's work.

I just love 'getting ready' photos with the ladies. It's kinda like playing dress-up (hey, I have a 5 year old) except that it's for real!

Speaking again of California, my friend Jolynne was in town for the holidays (Her and her family have a condo in Longmont) and she joined me for the day as my second photographer. The next two are by Jolynne. Great stuff!

Some more of the guys before the ceremony - or, the guys' flowers anyway.

Here's Mr. Ringbearer looking oh so debonaire.

You might be able to tell from their last names here that they were previously wed before the full-blown ceremony this past weekend. That seems to happen quite a bit between Military couples. At one point right before the ceremony I heard one of the Moms say "I'm surprised at how emotional I am seeing as how they're already married". Weddings seem to have that effect on people. :)

Posing isn't really my thing. Not that I fight it or even hate it. It's just that I'll never market myself as being awesome at posing or what have you - because it's the part that I just don't love. So, I always try to make it go as quickly as possible, and while I'm doing it I want it to be as fun as possible for everyone involved.
I love the expression on the guys face on the left who is looking into the camera. I think he was as excited about posing as some of the rest of us.

My absolute favorite part of the day is the time I have with the couple. Sometimes I have 10 minutes and sometimes I have 2 hours. Today I had about 20 minutes or so and in that time I got some of my favorites of the day. This one was actually taken by Jolynne.

She snapped that one sometime right before or after I took this one. This here might be my personal favorite.

Though I do love this one too.

We took these next two after we arrived at the Golden Hotel and before they went in to join the reception.

And the reception was beautiful. I loved their cake and I'm still wondering if these were 'Red Hots' on the sides. Wouldn't that be tasty?!

At any rate, Melissa and Glen were about to find out just how tasty it was... You know what came next don't you?

And then it was time for some dancin'.

Everyone raise your glass for Melissa and Glen! Congrats you two! :)

And remember I told you about my friend Jolynne? Well here she is chimping during the Best Man's toast.

And here are a few she took of me throughout the day.

Note: Wanna know what Santa got me for Christmas? A new suit. So, there it is. Me in my fancy new suit. And no, I don't always dance with the Bride at weddings. This was actually a first. (Hhmmm, and thinking about it now it really IS a first because me and Emily didn't do any dancing at our wedding!) Anyway, it's crossed my mind many times, but it never happened until this day. It was the money dance and I did give Melissa a dollar. I almost always carry one of those little gold dollars around with me on wedding days in case I need to bribe any ringbearers or flowergirls. But since those two were so great, I dropped it in the money dance basket and gave Melissa a twirl, congratulated her, and said 'goodbye' for the evening. I thought about going and dancing with Glen, too - but I was out of little gold dollars. :)