I photographed Katie and Paul’s Boulder wedding a little over a year ago. Little did they know, more excitement was just around the corner.

It is so fun to be joining them in this next epic step of life. This family is without a doubt one of my favorites.

Producing strong imagery is a large investment. These art pieces are the culmination and end-goal of every e-mail, phone call and hour spent photographing and in post production. I believe that these prints must be the best.

I frustratingly went through many labs before I found Art Print Denver. I picked up my first canvas order yesterday and was blown away by the printing quality. I had an identical canvas printed elsewhere to compare with and the two were night and day. The canvases printed at Art Print Denver make the memory look as close to seeing the image with your own eyes as a print can.

The photographs are being produced on some of the latest technology and finest papers. The print technician actually opens up your file in Photoshop and inspects it for appropriate quality.

Again, the final product of an art piece is a large investment for everyone. I am so relieved to have found a printer that believes the images are as important as my clients and I do.

Unique Portraiture

Here’s to an exploration of shape, line, color and reflection. Rachel will have the best album cover ever.

There is a T-shirt I have from college that has a slogan on the back saying, “Team work makes the dream work.” At the time, the phrase was nothing more than a cliche rhyme we labeled ourselves with…probably making fun of the words rather than finding any motivation in it.

As I document this post that houses such meaning to me, I can’t think of any way to describe this “team” I have other than a collection of people who make my “dream” work.

Featured below are just a few of the players that have had a significant role in the success and progress of this blessed mess (oh the rhymes!).

Thankful isn’t a big enough word to describe what it is like to have such great support.

Whitney

This Minnesotan Photographer has been with me from the beginning. Life has taken us to different parts of the US, but Whitney still plays a significant role at Selah. A journalist at heart, she specializes in making written sense of my thoughts and documenting significant moments as a photojournalist. One of our greatest accomplishments this year was being published on Pictage’s website with an article discussing Interactive Documentation.

Sarah

Sarah was the one out of nearly a hundred applicants chosen to be my main second shooter for the past two seasons. She not only acted as a strong photojournalist but was my talking calendar on a wedding day. Her organizational skills kept track of me at weddings so that I could focus on being fully present in the moments I was capturing. I am still sobbing about her recent move, but look forward to hearing about the ways that new beginnings shape her life.

Nicole

Nicole and I became good friends way back when we both were trying to get over our ex-boyfriend (who happened to be the same guy). I photographed her wedding almost four years ago and whenever I need a second photographer while in Nebraska she is always my top pick.

Ben

Ben is a multi-talented photographer and graphic designer who was a strong back-up for many of Selah’s 2010 and 2011 weddings. His relational and creative skills combine to make a fantastic partner and a fun person to socialize with.

Matt

This ultra talented guy and I met when he e-mailed me inquiring where to invest in photography equipment. A couple of years later he has become my number one second shooter and creative resource.

Brian

Brian of Muntz and Liefde Photography has always been an incredible technical resource for me. He knows more than anyone should know about camera equipment. I was privileged to have him shoot with me for one of my favorite summer weddings.

Rachel

This beauty is the creative fountain behind all of the albums and print products we produce. She is an incredible artist and friend.

Ellen | 3 Roads Media

This media team is without a doubt one of the best available. They are the brains behind Selah’s website and the developers of Denver Band Photographer, which was released in June of 2011. Aside from their outstanding product, Ellen has been a vital contact and resource for the marketing and business aspects of Selah.

Rick

Everyone can code a website, right? I figured out how wrong I was while in the midst of publishing my lifestyle photographer extended portfolio. Rick, a photographer and web designer, spent a lot of time walking me through Dreamweaver making this website a possibility.

Anna
Last, but not least, I have photo-less Anna. The hardwork and talent behind the scenes that proofreads every blog posting along with doing many writing projects.

This wonderful family and I met downtown Denver to document an important time in their lives. They wanted urban, contemporary and natural images and their home was a perfect fit for the mission.

Despite it being one of the more windy days of the year, we were still able to grab many great images of this beautiful family. Enjoy!

Below are a few of the images taken with Reverb at the recent Macklemore and Paper Bird concerts. I love the energy exhibited in live shows; it creates a fiery and unique atmosphere found only at such events.

“Things are planned and executed with efficiency, less stress and more enjoyment.”-Rachel

Tyler Jones Photography

Your wedding day is one of the most significant days of your life. It’s an incredible celebration that raises much anticipation and excitement, but also a fair amount of stress and anxiety. To the typical bride and groom, the details to be decided before the big day often seem unending. A modern asset that many couples are discovering is wedding planners. Selah Photography has been blessed to be able to work with some great wedding planners this past season and we would like to take a moment to highlight a Colorado Wedding Planner, Rachel Hagen, and her outstanding work at Talia Events.

Becky Young Photography

Talia Events is based out of Boulder, Colorado and is preparing to embark on their third season in the business. Rachel has worked across the state in numerous Front Range and mountain locations. Her outstanding work has been featured on many elite wedding blogs such as Style Me Pretty and Bona Fide Bride.

A wedding planner takes on several roles in assisting the couple. Many organized brides and grooms may believe that they can handle the planning on their own, yet don’t take into consideration the amount of time and energy before and during the wedding day that this involves. If a bride knows she wants to have a wedding in the mountains, she may turn to friends and family and ask where they have been and go ahead and book one of the few recommended venues. If you tell a planner you want to get married in the mountains, they will have numerous venues, connections and inside experience ready to educate you so that the best decision can be made.

Chris Gentile Photography

A large portion of a planner’s time is dedicated to experienced organization, along with a significant time investment resting in the wedding design and aesthetic. “I have met many professionals who are talented organizers and planners but not as many that are also strongly gifted in design as Rachel is,” Jackie of Selah Photography says. Alongside of the staple utilities, Talia Events specializes in a wide range of custom and reputable services. “I believe that each client, and thus each wedding, is different. I don’t offer set packages. I customize my offerings according to what I think will be most helpful to clients,” Rachel says. She builds her business on a lifetime of planning events with ten years of corporate planning to extenuate her experience before creating Talia Events.

This wedding planner specializes in full wedding day coordination and will be with you through every step of the planning process. She will recommend reputable and professional vendors, assist with pacing the planning process to relieve stress, offer expert and personal consultation, and work with each individual to develop a unique style for their special day. On the actual day, Rachel provides Wedding Day Coordination so that you do not have to worry about any of the details and can simply enjoy your celebration.

Adam & Imthiaz Photography

From a photographer’s perspective, I can’t emphasize how significant this vendor’s role is in your wedding day experience. It is the one day in your life where all of your closest friends and family come together for an intricate, emotional and significant day…celebrating you. The last thing I want to see brides doing is running around making sure someone is lighting the candles or solving unpredictable problems at the last minute. The direction and organization that a planner provides maximizes time, relaxes the couple and adds value to every aspect of your experience. The couple can be present and enjoy their day to its fullest. Rachel explains that, “At the heart of it, for most couples, you’ve never done this before. I have. There’s a level of expertise and experience that means things are planned and executed with efficiency, less stress and more enjoyment.” Many clients have a vision of what they want, but don’t know how to turn those dreams into a reality. That’s where the experience of a wedding planner becomes invaluable.

“I see a large part of my role in guiding clients through the planning process as a host of emotions come and pass.” Rachel also encourages that it is normal to feel overwhelmed and not know where to begin. She will assist you in sorting out your thoughts in order to transform them into a tangible and enjoyable wedding.

Julia Vandeneover Photography

When planning a modern wedding, the assistance and expertise of a wedding planner is priceless. If you are looking for help in transforming the images of your wedding day that have been building in your mind into a reality, Talia Events is exactly the company you need. Their professional staff will take the time to personally get to know you and help you through every step of the wedding planning process.

Jenna Walker Photographers

We at Selah Photography can personally say that we look forward to working with Rachel and her staff in the near future!

This blog posting concludes my series recalling the “best of” categories for 2011. Throughout the nearly hundred thousand images that fill up terabytes of space on my computer, I would like to highlight a small fraction of the memories that reflect the freshness and focus of what I strive after in my pursuit of genuine and unique work.

I went nearly six hours without blinking as I flew through all of these photographs. I conclude my sorting filled with humility, happiness and thankfulness. Thanking my couples for allowing me to be so personal with them, thanking God for the impulse, technology, knowledge and movement that allow these images to be documented and thankful for all of the supportive assistants, partners, friends and family that make this wonderful career a reality. I’m humble in knowing that the gift was given and that if it wasn’t for the beauty of the subject, the gift would be dormant. All of it is topped off with pure happiness…the visual narratives do genuinely reflect the goodness of life.

Below are the 150 best images of 2011. Enjoy and please leave a note about their impact on you in the comment section below.

There often is nothing more fun than photographing a great wedding party. We love it because yes, it is fun but there is also a unique aesthetic that only happens at weddings. The repetition of the color, shapes and patterns within the wedding party attire can be an incredible element to make a dynamic photograph. The possibilities are endless!

This blog post features some of the best “you should hang this on your wall” images taken in the 2011.

“The kind of art you would hang on your wall even if you aren’t the bride and groom.”

We specialize in personal fine art imagery that develops into wall piece for couples who desire to invest in a custom heirloom. Below is some of our favorites from the 2011 weddings season.