We had our "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas" moment.

We made it here safe and sound, about 11 hours in the car, beautiful weather, and great scenery. Vegas is busy, there are new buildings going up everywhere. We have won a little money ($5) and lost a little money ($3.) We were up $50 at the Roulette table, but...then we got greedy. We watched one seminar tonight, and got a taste of what the Trade show will be like. Monday and Tuesday are going to be the big days, so we are excited. Our "what happens in vegas, stays in vegas" moment? We were in bed by 11 p.m. our first night here. We aren't proud of it, but we were tired. I will try and get some pictures up in another day or two. Talk to you soon.

I'm sorry that you had to wait so long...

But the new website is finally up, and we are absolutely blown away by it. Words don't really do it justice, you will just have to go and check it out yourselves. Please look through it, let me know if you see any typos, or things that just don't make sense. There is a flash version for people with faster internet, that is definitely the one you want to look at. There is also an HTML version for people who have dial-up internet, it isn't as nice, but it is still cool. Thanks to Mike and Sarah for passing my business card along, we are meeting with that couple tonight. Hopefully it goes well. If anybody needs more business cards just let me know, we just designed a new one and it is pretty awesome. Well I am off to pack and get ready for our drive to Vegas, I will update the blog a few times while we are gone, so keep checking it. Talk to you later. Here is the link to the website... www.schaeferphotography.net

Eat. Spit. Be Happy

Yes it is that time of year again...sunflower seed time. I had my first handful (and subsequently my first bag) of sunflower seeds today. There is something about warm weather and being outside that combine to form the perfect time to eat sunflower seeds. And for all of those who wonder, DAVID brand seeds are the best. Sure there are people who will say that SPITZ are better (Fitzy?) with all of their fancy flavors, and "plumper" seeds. But nothing beats DAVID seeds.


And on another positive note I have been feverishly working on my new website to get it up before we leave this weekend. It is really going to be incredible, so stay tuned.

City Park on a Saturday Afternoon.

This weekend was another amazing one here in Colorado, 70+ degree temperature both days. In fact Jess got a little sunburned while eating lunch outside on Sunday. Guess it's time to get the sunscreen out. We went to City Park on Saturday afternoon to take some pictures of each other. This has been a great way for us to practice posing, and trying out some cool angles and things like that. Jess is getting better and better with a camera every time she uses one. City Park is undergoing some major renovations, hopefully everything will be completed soon.

We purchased our new website and we will begin editing it and uploading content this week. Thanks to Bludomain for creating the template and setting it up for us. They are an amazing company and I am really excited to see my finished website. Check back here this week, because I hope to have it up and running by weeks end. Because at the end of the week we are off to Las Vegas for the WPPI convention. We are going to learn so much about the wedding photography industry, and we will have the opportunity to see all of the amazing new products available.

We also are using some new software to create slideshows, our first practice one should start at the bottom of this post. It is only about 60 seconds long, and it is definitely goofy. But hey, we're a bit goofy as well. If it doesn't start you can watch it here...www.schaeferphotography.net/citypark1


And as always pictures...


This is a high saturation photo, it really makes the colors pop. Let me know what you think about it.

I have finally made my decision

Well after a long and drawn out process of researching I have finally made my decision...Florida and Ohio St. in the finals. I mean I have finally decided on a new website. Actually both of those statements are true, I did decide on a new website. I just sent in the information tonight, so hopefully I will be hearing from them soon.

And yes I have Florida and Ohio St. in the finals, with Florida going back to back. So we will see.

I know I have white legs...but you don't have to rub it in.

This week has brought us a few days of 70+ degree weather, after all of the cold and snow we have had I don't mind a little global warming. I had promised Jess that on the first 70 degree day I would buy her a new pair of flip-flops. Well last week we saw a bank thermometer that said 73, but I didn't think that was a legitimate reading (the actual temperature that day was around 63.) So she didn't get them that day, anyway I felt bad about that so we went over the weekend and she got a new pair. Then yesterday was the first official 70 degree day in town, and somehow she made me realize that she should probably get a second pair. Since the actual deal was "the first 70 degree day." She has a way of reasoning with me, and I just can't say no. Oh well, she's happy and that is important. She works very hard, 50 hours a week at school, a few more hours at home, all day classes in Greeley every other Saturday for her masters, and helping with photography related things. She deserves everything she gets and more, she has been such an inspiration to me.

Since the weather was so nice I decided to go for a run yesterday. Everything was fine, although I wouldn't recommend running near a middle school when the kids are getting out...because I got a few heckles. The first one "Run Forrest Run" is pretty predictable and not very original. The second one "Hey man your legs are really white," this is really just stating the obvious. Anyone who knows me knows that I have white legs, get over it. I will probably go running again today, but I will try and miss the middle school.

So here are the flip-flops.


I have always loved reflection pictures.


And random pictures of signs.


Jessica is really getting some great shots.


It is only a matter of time before she is a better photographer than me.


Changing your angle and perspective is a great way to get some cool looking pictures.

Our Second One

This has been a very good week for me and Jessica, I just got off of the phone with the couple that I met with over the weekend, and they want to book us. Bill and Kirstin, and their daughter Lauren, the wedding is September 22nd and it is the first one from the Boettcher mansion that I have booked. So I guess I can say that the Boettcher Mansion has been a good investment. I really wanted to shoot at least one there this year so that I can have that for my portfolio for next year. Thanks to everyone who has helped and supported us through this, we couldn't have done it without you. Please keep supporting and praying for us, talk to you soon.

Met with a great couple

I met with a great couple yesterday, Kirstin and Bill. There wedding is in September at the Boettcher Mansion I really enjoyed meeting them and learning more about their wedding. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will decide to book us...but it is hard to know. We have had a great week though, and a busy two weeks coming up. Then we are off to Vegas in two weeks (for a business trip) (that will probably involve some gambling) to learn as much as is humanly possible about the photography industry. Talk to you later.

Our First One

Jessica and I met with a couple on Wednesday night to talk about their wedding, and she called me today, and said they would like to hire us. So we have officially booked our first wedding, not including friends. I think having both me and Jessica meet with them was very powerful, they like the idea of a husband and wife team working so closely together. They also liked the flexibility that we offered in terms of packages and pricing. We are going to meet next week to sign the contract and receive my first retainer fee. We are both very excited...maybe a celebratory dinner tonight? Talk to you all soon.

A great compliment

I got this compliment from Mike's mom yesterday...

"Andrew,
I have been meaning to write to you since I saw the very first photos you sent right after the wedding. I really don’t know where to begin to tell you how incredibly amazing all the photos are, they just leave me speechless! You are extremely talented and I am just so impressed by your work. I have shared your website with every one I can think of and every one has had only praise for your work (although as the Mother I must say you had some attractive subjects to work with)! So I will happily do any PR for you that I can. And yes I did receive the photos I ordered, thank you so much for the 8x10 it is one of my very favorite. I can’t wait to receive the photo album. You can be sure I will be carrying it around the hospital (Littleton) with me and showing it off to as many people as I can! I hope our paths will cross again in the future and thank you so very much for preserving this most special day so beautifully."

I am so glad to hear these great praises from people, it means so much to me, and it is one of the reasons why I am doing this job.

Evergreen and the Hiwan Homestead Museum

Jessica and I are meeting with a client who will be having their wedding at the Evergreen Conference Center so we decided to take an afternoon drive up there this weekend. The weather was incredible and it felt great to get out of the house. I always start to get "cabin fever" this time of year. In fact I spent some time in REI today just looking at backpacks and all their other cool gear.

But anyway, Evergreen is a great little town only about 30 minutes west of Denver. The conference center is in a beautiful location and we are excited about the possibility of photographing a wedding there. We also made a stop at the Hiwan Homestead Museum a pretty cool place if you like history...and if you don't, well it is still a neat place. Definitely worth checking out if you have a free afternoon. There are also some great Open Space parks in and around Evergreen which have some great hiking, if you like that kind of thing.

Jessica makes a great model.


I guess I make a pretty good model.


I love pictures with both of us.


Jessica was unaware that it was a working bell. Until she rang it, then the loud sound let us know that it was in fact functional.


A very random, very cool picture.


Another random picture.


These are the actual tools that the architect used to build the home...a long time ago. It's amazing how advanced people were even 150 years ago.


These are the letters that were used in the printing press.


This is the actual printing press. Seriously, how much more difficult would your life be if that's how you had to type?


A wagon wheel.


How about traveling cross country in this?

Logos

So I put up a few logos, but Jess has designed another one, so here are three different options that we have so far. Please leave a comment, or send me an e-mail and let me know which you like the best. Thanks.

Kind of makes me think of Halloween


I'm not sure about the green text.


This is our favorite. We like the green SP and the black text, but like I said let me know what everyone thinks.

World Affairs Challenge at DU

Jessica's sister, Heather, has been planning and organizing the World Affairs Challenge for months through her job at The University of Denver. It is a huge, 700+ people, event that brings in middle school and high school students from across the state. There were 59 groups of 5-10 students each, and every group had a presentation or skit based on a topic of their choice. The overarching theme of the event was "The Global Marketplace," so every groups topic had to fall into this category. It is an amazing event that allows kids to research and explore issues that they may otherwise never learn about. Things like the black market animal trade, outsourcing jobs, CD and DVD piracy just to name a few. Every presentation was unique, and the preparation and effort put in by the kids really showed. Every presentation was judged and int the end one high school and one middle school team were honored as the best. This is my second year participating and I hope to take pictures for years to come. Thanks to Heather and the Center for Teaching International Relations for allowing me to be a part of it. So, here are just a few of the pictures from the day...

Heather and Liz briefing the kids.


All the kids had to take a current events quiz..I'm not sure if I could have passed it.



One of the 59 groups of kids. This presentation was about outsourcing and insourcing of jobs. The skit was based on The Apprentice and was called "The Novice."


There were three different judges watching every presentation.


We couldn't make it through the day without a few funny pictures. This one was taken by my lovely and talented wife Jessica.


DU has an incredible campus.


Each group was also given a question which they had to answer, their answers then presented to a panel of judges.


The winning teams each presented their skits for everyone to see.



Congratulations to everyone involved for a truly amazing event. And Heather, you did a great job.

Random Pictures and some good news.

Things have been very busy in the last week, in fact the last week or so has probably been the most productive few days since I started this business. First things first, I have three (and hopefully 5) meetings with brides and grooms in the next 3 weeks. They have come from the Boettcher Mansion, the Boettcher bridal show, and a referral from a friend (thanks Steph Weber.) Obviously my goal would be to book everyone I meet with, however a realistic goal would be to book at least one of the 3-5 couples that I will be meeting with. I will be meeting with one couple at their home, I am excited about trying it that way to see if it is any different than meeting at my house. One couple is coming Saturday night and will be meeting with me and Jess. It will be helpful to see if meeting with both of us will make any difference.

The biggest piece of news, though, is that a local photographer named Grant Oakes has decided to take me and Jess on as "associate photographers." Basically he will train me in taking pictures and workflow, mentor me, and also book weddings through his name for me and Jess. We will still be booking our own weddings, and doing our own marketing etc. but he will try and book me on days that he already has a wedding, or for brides who can't afford his prices. He will have a certain package price that brides and grooms can book me at, and I will receive a certain percentage of the profit. It is an incredibly great opportunity to learn from a well known photographer who has been in the industry for almost 30 years. He was extremely impressed with the pictures that we took at Mike and Carly's wedding (thanks to everyone who was in those pictures.) He was very impressed with the results we were getting after only two weddings. Overall it is going to be a great opportunity to build our portfolio, and gain invaluable experience.

Oh yeah, random pictures. I have to say upfront that these photos that you will see have been altered in photoshop in some way. I have been learning a ton about photoshop lately, it is an incredibly powerful tool, and I am excited to be able to use it more frequently. However there is no cure for bad pictures, it is still so important to take a great picture. I will show a few before and after photos for you to look at.

We have also been working on a "logo" for our letterhead, mailings and things like that. The "after" pictures all have the "logo" on them. Leave a comment and let me know what you think of this logo.

These photos were all taken in Eagle last weekend.

Before

After


Before

After


Before

After


Before

After


Here are two of the ideas we have had for a logo, let us know how they make you feel, and which one you like the best.

#1


#2