My phone rang on a quiet Sunday afternoon. "Hey, I’m Jamie… my son just asked me to find a photographer last minute. He’s graduating from CU Boulder and wants some portraits to remember this special time in his life—with his friends, with the campus, with everything…and you know he did just what college boys do…wait until the last minute.”

She shared they’d hired a photographer once before, but the results hadn’t felt right. "We don’t want to be rude," she said, "but they just didn’t turn out well."

I smiled making no promises, and I said, “Let’s see what we can make happen.”

Blake sent me a list of iconic spots he had in mind, places across CU Boulder’s beautiful, scenic campus that held meaning for him. And with spring in full bloom, the timing couldn’t have been better. We met near Varsity Bridge, and from the moment we started, the session unfolded with a rhythm all its own.

He was full of energy and ideas, but the magic really happened when we let the plan go a little. Instead of sticking strictly to the list, we wandered. We popped into quiet hallways and stairwells, paused in front of grand old buildings, and chased the light wherever it fell. Blake trusted the process, and that’s when the creativity truly came alive.

Before we knew it, an hour flew by. I ended up shooting for another 45 minutes as we met up with some of his fraternity brothers for a few final shots. The vibe was easy, genuine, and full of laughter. At one point I joked with Blake, “I’m 40 now…I don’t spend much time on college campuses these days without feeling too creepy. Thanks for giving me a great excuse. This is wonderful and brings me back.”

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Gustavo reached out to me looking for some fresh professional headshots as he made a transition into commercial real estate.

I had worked with his family the year before photographing him, his wife, their 4 month old son, and their adventure pup, so it was great to reconnect.

He wanted something clean and refined, but still natural. Nothing too gaudy or pretentious. More approachable, confident, and genuine. With his warm, easygoing smile and demeanor, that part came pretty naturally.

We decided to meet in downtown Golden, Colorado on a beautiful spring morning and got an early start before the crowds rolled in. We kicked things off at Windy Saddle Cafe, grabbed a coffee, and caught up a bit talking about life with young kids and what fatherhood has been like for both of us.

From there, we grabbed a window seat and eased into things. I kept it really relaxed, shooting as we talked, using a bit of light flash to give the images a refined look without feeling heavy or overdone.

After that, we wandered through downtown Golden and let the environment guide us. We stopped wherever the light felt good. A bench surrounded by blooming spring flowers, along Clear Creek with the sound of rushing water, and a few quiet corners that gave us that true Colorado aesthetic.

Working with Gustavo is always a pleasure. It never really feels merely like a shoot, more like catching up with an old friend.

High school senior portraits are always a good time. It’s such a meaningful chapter of life.

Teenagers are wonderfully unpredictable and full of personality, which makes every session feel unique and genuinely fun. I also get to briefly pretend I’m still cool (I’m not), and I usually ask for help brushing up on current slang and what’s actually in style these days.

Marijoy reached out hoping to capture relaxed, natural outdoor senior portraits of her son Arryn. It meant a lot, especially because just the year before she had trusted me to photograph her older son Lincoln during his senior year—we did his session in City Park in Denver. This time, I finally got to meet Arryn as well, and we had a blast. Being brought back by a family for a second go-around is always an honor. It feels less like working with clients and more like reconnecting with familiar faces, and that kind of trust and relationship feels special.

After some back and forth trying to land on a location, Arryn had a late-night epiphany (as his mom put it) and decided on Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. I asked if they’d be open to doing the session at sunrise. They were all in. I love that. It meant an early start from Denver for all of us, but we beat the traffic in those quiet, early morning hours.

I met them at the park just as the sun began to glow on the red rocks. Those first fifteen minutes are exactly why I love shooting in the morning. The light, the stillness, the sense of presence. The natural glow radiates, the park is quiet, and everything feels a little more alive. It made the early drive completely worth it.

There weren’t many formalities to go through since we already knew each other. Arryn is the artsy, witty type who beats to his own drum, which I really loved. We talked about everything from movies to the spirited political debates he has with friends in class. We moved around the park to three different locations to get a variety of backdrops and made sure to include mom, dad, and their pup Rhino in a few frames as well.